LCN Newsletter: A Thrilling First Half with LCN Global Hubs

As an organizer myself, I envision a magnificent global snowflake of change, brought to life by the unwavering dedication of LCN‘s visionary organizers.

Imagine this: Nodes spanning oceans, interlinking passionate individuals bound by a common mission to create a transformative world for their communities. This powerful vision emerged from our community’s strategic work back in 2021, igniting the LCN team’s commitment to unite like-minded organizers working on common issues or similar geographic locations towards winning campaigns.

Over the past two years, we’ve embraced invaluable lessons and witnessed astounding initiative and momentum from the 22 hub leaders succeeding to engage over 500 individuals who share the mission of empowering people to drive change.

As we mark this two-year milestone, we extend our gratitude to our former LCN  colleague  Imran Sarwar for his role nurturing the hubs’ development & progress. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Learning from the initial phase, we are actively reimagining the coordination model for hubs, emphasizing on local and thematic areas with intentional role to affiliates in the network.

If the dream of building an LCN movement akin to a global snowflake ignites your passion, and you are eager to engage with us in the next phase of building hubs, be it regionally or globally, we invite you to fill out this expression of interest form.

Enjoy reading our newsletter with some glimpses of the past six months’ hubs highlights and updates that travel over oceans and thematic areas. And wherever you are in the world, join us for our summer Meet & Reflect so we can connect!

LCN Executive Director

LCN Global Hubs

Designing Roadmaps for Climate Action in Europe

LCN Europe and the European Community Organizing Network (ECON) joined forces from May 22nd to 24th, 2023 to host a training laying the foundations for a Climate Justice Movement Academy. It took place in Ostrava in Czechia where a number of coal mines are set to be phased out. Participating organizers came from all over Europe including the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Poland, Norway, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden and the UK.

Participants delved into key organizing practices, acquiring valuable tools to advance their campaigns. Their campaigns prioritize developing relationships and leadership of frontline communities who bear the greatest burden of the environmental crisis. Many are committed to organizing younger folks, recognizing the need for intergenerational justice as well.

Beyond the training, the program has created a community support structure to advance the practice and application of skills through follow-up workshops, community check-ins, and one-on-one and team coaching.  We’re especially inspired by the amazing training team, which included Jens Kristian Vittrup, Masha Burina, Rawan Zeine, Céline Lebrun, Hoda Barakat, Samah Elous, and Gorana Jovanović, with support from Steve Hughes and Marina Tota from ECON.  To learn more about the training and the program that lies ahead, feel free to explore further details here.

LCN Health Justice Community – growing the leadership structure and building a community of practice

After dedicating over two years to empowering health justice leaders worldwide and establishing a strong foundation of leadership, the LCN Health Justice Community reached a significant milestone. On May 19th the team hosted a dynamic public event, Health Justice Campaigns Showcase. During this event, the community shone a spotlight on three impactful campaigns led by Right to Health (R2H) Action, Radical Moms Union, and Partners in Health (PIH) Engage, sharing valuable insights and lessons learned.

The primary goal of the kickoff event was to ignite a global movement of passionate and skilled health justice community organizers. With over 100 devoted organizers in attendance from four continents and six countries, the event succeeded in generating a shared commitment. This commitment extends to joining the LCN Health Justice Hub Coaching Clinics, which had its kick off on June 14th, 2023. These bi-monthly gatherings will provide a structured platform for health justice campaign leaders to come together, share their challenges, and offer guidance and support to one another.

To discover more about the unique campaigns showcased at the event and learn about their important work, click here!

Growing the Organizing Community in Australia

The LCN Australia team has been hard at work, forging new connections, reengaging with old members, and spreading the organizing framework to fresh audiences in the region. On March 2nd,  2023 the team hosted the first-ever Orientation to Organizing session in the Asia-Pacific timezone, bringing together a remarkable gathering of nearly 140 organizers and activists from 15 countries. This enlightening three-hour session provided an introduction to the principles of organizing and showcased a local campaign from Australia with lessons relevant to the organizing context in the country.

Buoyed by this success, the Hub team organized a special meetup on May 11th, 2023 specifically for organizers in Australia and Aotearoa. During this collaborative event, organizers from across the region shared their ongoing projects and outlined their priorities for the upcoming year. Together, they explored opportunities for learning and fostering partnerships.

Looking ahead, the coming year holds great prospects for the LCN Australia team. With a thriving community of practice taking shape and ambitious plans for an extensive in-person workshop in the pipeline, there is much to anticipate. Stay tuned for more updates!

Starting a Hub in the UK and Hosting Marshall’s First Visit to the Country

On March 21st, we witnessed an incredible milestone in the UK as we brought together a diverse community of organizers, leaders, and educators for the very first LCN UK Meetup. This occasion gathered around 40 individuals from all corners of the UK, creating a space brimming with ideas, possibilities and a shared sense of hope and urgency to act together on challenges impacting the UK, from inequality to climate breakdown and the crisis of power.  Dan Firth, Director of Campaigns and Engagement at New Economics Foundation, played a pivotal role in organizing and rallying this group which included Marshall Ganz himself.

Out of this gathering, a core team emerged, paving the way for the establishment of an LCN UK Hub. This hub will serve as a vital space and community where organizers can come together, collaborate, and continually expand their knowledge, skills, and community. The Hub got to work together as team for the first time to host Marshall Ganz in UK in June – for what was Marshall’s first visit to UK!  He had a packed agenda!  Kicking off with a coaching session with National Health Service professionals led by LCN members Kathryn Perera and Christopher Pietroni, Marshall then led a powerful session on the power of organising with the National Education Union attended by around 100 participants in-person, and hundreds online. The following day, LCN members got a chance to work closely with Marshall and each other: sharing stories, learning more about the organising framework, and getting some in-person coaching with Marshall. With so much energy, new relationships built, and a shared commitment to organising, we embark on a transformative journey to nurture a strong and empowered community of organizers in the UK. Please do get involved if you’re in the UK, and stay tuned for updates.

Building Spaces to Connect Climate Justice Organizers Worldwide

How can we engage in a meaningful conversation about climate justice? How can we bridge the gap between different regions and connect local experiences to a global perspective? These are the questions that drive our dynamic LCN Climate Justice Hub. Since the Climate Justice Meetup organized by LCN in April 2022, our team has been actively collaborating and exploring ways to unite the experiences and practices globally. Together, we aim to shed light on how the impacts of the climate crisis are often magnified in regions with lower carbon footprints.

We had our first public event, “Hope in Action: Climate Justice Organizing in the Global South,” in partnership with AktivAsia.  The event was attended by a great number of climate actors on on June 27th, 2023 to listen to climate organizers from across Asia who are leading change in their communities. Their stories and strategies ignited hope and inspired action.

Followed by another learning  event in August “Green Neighborhoods – Growing Local Action Nationally in Denmark”  Don’t miss on the opportunity to to register to join us on August 17th, 2023 as the session dives specifically into that challenge, learning from the broad reaching Green Neighborhood Groups that has spread to every municipality across Denmark in recent years.

Register here and secure your spot. Be prepared to engage with the Climate Justice Hub as we continue to welcome more climate organizers in the months to come.

Let’s create a more just and sustainable future for all.

A Community of Organizers and Leaders Emerging in Latin America

Marshall’s visit to Mexico and the release of his book “Sí se puede” in December 2022 sparked something extraordinary. It connected a passionate group of organizers and educators who formed a reading circle, delving into Marshall’s powerful words and enriching the discussion with their own experiences and insights. With this incredible energy, our team is gearing up for a memorable  series of organizing workshops in Mexico City and Monterrey later this year! We have been inspired by the numerous allies and partners that have joined us in this journey, and we look forward to learning from organizers across the region.

If you are interested in this workshop please register here.

Do you want to share what you’re up to with the LCN Community? Let us know by replying to this email. We’d love to hear from you!

Wherever in the world you’re leading change, stay safe, and keep on organizing!

In solidarity,

The LCN Team