Activism
Aline Sousa Speech to the United Nations in Geneva
October 5, 2020: Geneva and Brasilia
It is a most exciting time to be alive right now. Think about it for a moment: there’s so much we can do together with all these great nations here if we want to.
With all the crises we must overcome, solving them while preventing new ones requires a different way of thinking:
We must be cooperative, not proprietary, in our thinking and actions.
There has been too much talking and minimal action. To improve the quality of life on this beautiful planet, we must COOPERATE!
In 2018, Brazil, the country with the most prominent black population outside of the continent of Africa AND the most indigenous that survived colonial genocide, elected a white supremacist president. That hadn’t happened since Hitler’s Germany!….
Imagine–a once brutally colonized country that kidnapped and enslaved the most Africans to this new world.
We lived four years of hate, fear, and genocide. Black and brown people displayed the swastica, and some even marched to the nazi goose step.
When the resistance defeated fascism through the next elections, the regime did not want to give up its power.
Brazil was under threat of a violent coup. Our new democratically elected president, who always respected diversity, decided that people’s power would be the only way to establish a peaceful transition. Seven representatives, each leader of their class and position in Civil society, were chosen out of 220 million Brazilians.
Our famous indigenous chief, the disabled, a great teacher and educational advocate, leading woman activists, lgbt, domestic workers, and my category, recyclers.
I, as my mother and father, as their mother and father before them, was born homeless. We grew up in landfills separating trash, some of which we would build shacks, cloth, and sometimes even used to nourish ourselves.
This went on for three generations! One day after another, of the many times that the police would arrive with bulldozers and trucks to destroy the little we had, I decided that one day we could break that cycle of poverty and violence of what was nothing more than ethnic cleansing. Like the untouchables of Índia, we were an eyesore that the then-ruling elite was uncomfortable with.
We began to organize, and today, I’ve been honored with the task of leading one of Latin America’s largest waste cooperatives. My people have real homes and work and are part of what our planet needs for all, including that ruling elite, to survive.
Now, they award us; they depend on our advice for social public inclusion policies. Never in my wildest dreams could I have ever imagined that I would be chosen to represent the seven leaders who helped transform a country infested with hatred and on the verge of civil war into the even stronger democracy we are today.
However, political democracy can not survive without economic democracy. We can not eliminate racism without identifying classism. Also, many talk about diversity today, but what good is diversity when we are dangerously close to decimating our biodiversity?
Many today will talk about cultural racism, but what about environmental racism? Ecological racism or ecological apartheid is a form of institutional racism leading to landfills, incinerators, and hazardous waste disposal disproportionately placed in communities of color.
This I’ve earned the right to claim some expertise with. I lived and studied it, and my life’s mission has been to abolish it.
Now, Even that powerful elite that discriminated against us by demolishing our homes, destroyed our livelihoods, and, in my case, took what I most treasured as a child, the books I would read to dream about myself, my family, and all the many living in extreme and humiliating poverty to escape from.
Today, that same elite is starting to understand that we, once untouchables and invisible people marginalized by society, are vital to the survival of all, not just human society but all species of life on our planet. Now they understand that interconnectedness, Love, and tolerant coexistênce are natural laws.
Our planet will not survive through continued resource extraction. Recycling has now leaped from the dark shadows towards a light for solution. Hence, I must end this speech with an important warning. The world is in the process of transformation from a unipolar to a multipolar one. This is a good thing, but I made the following alert.
We are on the right path, but some suffer as all shifts in world order. And history has taught us that people experiencing poverty are the most vulnerable.
Today, Recycling has become an essential part of a successful transition to a better world. Still, the instrumental changes needed for a revolution, as in de-dollarization, make Recycling impossible. The recent fall of the dólar has animated my people’s wages. For example, within the last few months, we must collect 8 tons of discarded boxes and paper to earn 270 dollars a month!
In these same months, I’ve been invited to speak at events like this the world over; I’ve been awarded many awards, including the environmental and social justice award from the US ambassador to the UN, the very body I’m speaking to today, yet another event, another talk.
With all due respect, I say enough awards, enough talk!
IF recyclers are critical to a sustainable world, I call on the UN to take emergency action to help recyclers survive because, at this moment, this is a category that is about to become extinct. After many years of struggle, the irony is that one of the critical solutions to climate change, meeting sustainable development goals and species survival, is in danger…in this war to save our planet, we need fewer awards and recognitions. We need more comprehension because I must apologize for the repetition, but again, the human diversity we defend here will not even exist without biodiversity. After decades of plodding and painful progress, Recyclers worldwide need immediate, urgent assistance. I am very sad to say that again, just in the last few months, this critical activity has quickly degenerated back to my grandmother’s generation, an endangered species……thank you for your attention and consideration, and much gratitude to this noble family of nations, may God help us all……
From the US to Palestine and beyond, people are standing up to power — with strategy, courage and solidarity.
Peaceful movements are rising: from Hebron to Harvard, from feminist foreign policy to frontline protests. Authoritarianism is gaining ground, fuelled by rhetoric like that of Donald Trump and echoed by global copycats.
But so is nonviolent resistance.
This isn’t your usual Q&A. It’s a real talk on how nonviolent resistance is evolving — and where it’s heading next.
Join us for a conversation about what it really takes to resist — and endure — in a time of shrinking civic space.
Featuring:
- Jamila Raqib, Executive Director of the Albert Einstein Institution and legacy holder of 2012 hashtag#RightLivelihood
- Laureate Gene Sharp, the world’s leading thinker on strategic nonviolent action.
- Kerstin Bergeå, Chair of Svenska Freds, Sweden’s largest and the world’s oldest peace organisation.
- Hosted by Juanita Esguerra Rezk, PhD. of Right Livelihood.
We’ll dive into:
- How resistance survives under repression
- The power of unlikely alliances
- What changes when women lead
- Staying resilient when the pressure hits
Courtesy of Right Livelihood
Mobilized News Editorial Feature
At a time when cynicism toward politics is high and global systems appear rigged against the most vulnerable, a new kind of leadership is taking root—not in the corridors of power, but in the streets, villages, neighborhoods, and digital commons.
These leaders don’t wear suits or sit on high stages. They are midwives, farmers, youth mentors, solar tech trainers, community organizers, and elders. They listen more than they speak. They build with others, not for others. And they are rewriting the very definition of what it means to lead in the 21st century.
This is the story of ethical community leadership—a global groundswell of people committed to systemic change, rooted in justice, accountability, care, and regeneration. And it’s working.
Mobilized News Editorial Feature
A Shift from Top-Down to Bottom-Up
In India’s Maharashtra state, a women-led collective called Swayam Shikshan Prayog has empowered over 100,000 rural women to lead in climate-resilient farming, health, and education. Their model? Train women farmers as decision-makers—not beneficiaries—while restoring ecological health.
In Colombia, the Guardians of the Atrato River, a court-recognized legal entity composed of Indigenous and Afro-descendant community leaders, have been granted rights to represent the river in court—a historic case of environmental personhood anchored in ancestral leadership and ecological stewardship.
In Jackson, Mississippi, Cooperation Jackson is building a community-controlled network of cooperatives, housing, and alternative education, rooted in Black liberation and economic democracy. Their People’s Assembly is a living example of participatory governance done right.
In Nairobi’s Mukuru informal settlement, Muungano wa Wanavijiji—a grassroots federation of the urban poor—is redefining slum upgrading by organizing communities to map their own infrastructure, negotiate land rights, and plan their own future.
What Makes Ethical Community Leadership Different?
Ethical leadership isn’t just about transparency or good intentions. It’s a practice rooted in core values and systems literacy. These leaders:
- Lead by listening: They don’t impose solutions—they co-create them.
- Center the most affected: They trust the wisdom of the marginalized.
- Build institutions of care: From food sovereignty networks to mutual aid funds, they organize safety nets from the ground up.
- Disrupt extractive systems: Whether confronting colonized land systems, corrupt governance, or ecological destruction, they take aim at root causes—not just symptoms.
- Regenerate, not replicate: They don’t scale at the cost of soul. They grow like a forest—locally resilient, globally connected.
This is not nonprofit reformism or political branding. It’s a radical act of public trust-building.
Real Systems Change in Action
Health: Community First
In Rwanda, community health workers—trained by and from their own villages—have helped reduce child mortality by more than 60% in just over a decade. These leaders don’t wait for the state to catch up; they move with their people.
Food Systems: Sovereignty Over Charity
In Hawai’i, the Hoʻoulu ʻĀina initiative is reconnecting communities to ancestral agroforestry, healing land while feeding families. In Brazil’s favelas, food delivery networks are run by residents, for residents—creating not just meals, but food dignity.
Justice: Accountability from the Ground Up
In Minneapolis, post-George Floyd, Black-led initiatives like Reclaim the Block and MPD150 have pushed for alternatives to policing rooted in care and prevention. Their strategy? Community investment, youth outreach, and trauma healing as public safety.
Climate: Regeneration Through Trust
In Vanuatu, traditional leaders and youth climate organizers sit together in councils to manage marine protected areas, combining indigenous law with modern resilience science.
Lessons for the World
- The Global South Leads: Many of the most effective, transformative models are being pioneered outside the Western gaze—by communities long overlooked.
- Solutions Don’t Need to Be Scaled to Be Powerful: Replication is not always the goal. What matters is depth, not just breadth.
- Leadership Is a Practice, Not a Position: Ethical leaders are often invisible to media and policy circles—but central to movements that actually work.
- Narrative Is a Tool of Liberation: These leaders know that changing the story changes the system. They reclaim history, identity, and imagination.
Who Are Some of Today’s Ethical Leaders?
- Alicia Wallace – Activist from the Bahamas blending gender justice and climate action.
- Bayo Akomolafe – Nigerian philosopher reframing leadership as “becoming fugitive” from oppressive norms.
- Naomi Klein – Author and organizer exposing the intersections of capitalism, climate, and colonialism.
- Rowan White – Mohawk seedkeeper restoring Indigenous seed sovereignty across Turtle Island.
- Raj Patel – Economist and activist co-building food justice networks that dismantle corporate agriculture.
These voices—and countless more unnamed—form the invisible architecture of a better future.
What Comes Next?
If ethical leadership teaches us anything, it’s this:
Change doesn’t come from permission. It comes from community.
To support ethical community leadership where you are:
- Invest in grassroots organizations, not just polished NGOs.
- Create spaces for youth and elders to lead together.
- Shift from “impact metrics” to long-term trust and resilience.
- Design funding systems that support depth over speed.
- Follow the leadership of those most impacted—not just those most credentialed.
A New Ethic for Our Times
In every region, on every continent, ethical community leaders are showing what is possible when power is relational, not transactional. When decisions are made in circles, not pyramids. When justice is lived, not theorized.
They are not waiting for permission.
They are not waiting for the system to fix itself.
They are building new systems—right now.
And the world is watching. Now it’s our turn to follow their lead.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. If you want to go deeper, build trust first.”
— Ancestral proverb, carried by ethical leaders everywhere
A Mobilized News Feature
“Fast fashion isn’t free. The environment pays the price.”
This simple truth has sparked a powerful global awakening—and given rise to a quiet revolution: slow fashion.
In an era defined by mass consumption, quick turnarounds, and microtrends that vanish faster than they arrive, the slow fashion movement offers something radical: intentionality. Not just in what we wear—but in how we live, how we value resources, and how we care for the Earth.
The Cost of Fast Fashion
The rise of fast fashion—characterized by cheaply made, disposable clothing—has turned our closets into landfills in waiting. Today, the fashion industry is responsible for:
- 10% of global carbon emissions
- 20% of global wastewater production
- The equivalent of a garbage truck full of textiles dumped every second
From excessive water usage in cotton farming to toxic dyes that poison rivers and polyester microfibers that flood our oceans, fast fashion’s environmental footprint is immense and deeply unsustainable.
And the human toll? Garment workers often endure unsafe working conditions and earn far below living wages. Entire communities are sacrificed for the low price tags seen on global shelves.
What Is Slow Fashion?
Slow fashion is more than just a trend—it’s a philosophy. It prioritizes quality over quantity, ethics over exploitation, and regeneration over extraction.
Key principles include:
- Locally made or regionally sourced garments
- Natural or recycled fibers instead of synthetics
- Durable design that outlasts seasonal trends
- Transparent supply chains that honor people and the planet
- Repair, reuse, and upcycling as core practices
The movement calls for a return to conscious consumption, where clothing is viewed not as disposable, but as a long-term companion.
Environmental Impact of Going Slow
Slow fashion offers real and measurable benefits for the planet:
Reduced Waste
By encouraging fewer purchases and longer-lasting garments, slow fashion drastically cuts textile waste. Some brands even take back used items to refurbish or recycle them.
Water Conservation
Organic fabrics like hemp, linen, and rain-fed cotton require far less water than conventional cotton. Natural dyes and closed-loop dyeing systems prevent waterway pollution.
Lower Carbon Emissions
Small-scale, local production eliminates long global shipping routes. Many slow fashion brands are also investing in renewable energy and carbon offsets.
Circular Economy Integration
Repair workshops, clothing swaps, and buy-back programs promote reuse. Deadstock materials and post-consumer waste are repurposed into new garments.
Designing a Better World: Brands Leading the Way
From small local ateliers to global pioneers, these are just a few brands making waves in slow fashion:
- Reformation (USA): Uses eco-friendly materials and tracks its environmental footprint for each product.
- Tonlé (Cambodia): A zero-waste fashion company that transforms leftover textiles into beautiful garments.
- Eileen Fisher (USA): Runs a take-back program and resale shop, offering customers store credit for returning worn clothing.
- Antidote (Miami): A boutique leading South Florida’s slow fashion scene with vegan, ethical, and upcycled brands.
But beyond brands, the true revolution is in the consumer mindset. More people are asking: Who made my clothes? And what impact does my wardrobe have on the Earth?
A Cultural Shift in the Making
Slow fashion is also a cultural act—an antidote to hyper-consumerism. It challenges the idea that status is found in accumulation. Instead, it finds beauty in craftsmanship, story, and connection.
In Indigenous communities, garments are often sacred—woven with memory, identity, and ceremony. The slow fashion movement honors this wisdom and seeks to decolonize the fashion system, bringing dignity back to makers and materials alike.
How You Can Join the Movement
You don’t need to overhaul your closet overnight. Start small:
- Buy less, choose well
- Support local designers and ethical brands
- Learn to mend your clothes
- Host a clothing swap
- Buy vintage or secondhand
- Ask brands about their labor practices and material sourcing
Slow fashion is about building a wardrobe that tells a story—a story of care, justice, and regeneration.
From Threads to Transformation
In a time of ecological breakdown and social disconnection, the clothes we wear can be a statement of resistance, healing, and hope.
By embracing slow fashion, we don’t just reduce our carbon footprint—we participate in weaving a future where style aligns with sustainability, and beauty is inseparable from ethics.
“When you choose slow fashion, you choose to slow down destruction—and stitch a more resilient world.”
For more tools, resources, and stories of fashion for the future, visit:
