CIERP Alumni Perspectives: A Conversation with Julio Rivera Alejo
Julio Rivera indeed imbues his students with a sense of passion and enthusiasm. And even though this writer is not one of these fortunate students, she can feel how much he cares about climate change and how it influences a classroom. A Fletcher alumnus from Spain, Julio Rivera began his undergraduate degree in space engineering at Universidad Complutense de Madrid. However, he switched his major to International Relations (IR). Julio says his curiosity to learn new subjects and the possibility to study a variety of different content within the discipline were the primary reasons for his decision to study IR. His first exposure to the challenges of climate change and environmental issues came through a class project. This was the beginning of a long journey dedicated to these pressing issues. In the subsequent years, Julio did a semester abroad in Scotland and undertook an internship in the environmental field. Upon graduation, Julio won a competitive scholarship in Spain to do his first master’s degree in Madrid. This opportunity allowed him to specialize in environmental studies and became the stepping stone to The Fletcher School.
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CIERP Alumni Perspectives: A Conversation with Alfredo Ramirez
Alfredo was eight years old when he visited the Guri Dam in Bolivar, Venezuela, with his family. His grandfather, who had worked as a civil engineer at Corpoelec Venezuela, the country’s electricity provider, was the first to spark Alfredo’s interest in energy and the environment. The Guri Reservoir that supplies the dam is one of the largest on earth. And the hydroelectric power station was once the most significant worldwide in terms of installed capacity: the Guri Dam powers the adjacent hydroelectric power plant, one of the biggest in the world.
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Dismantle discrimination, let climate and gender activism become truly intersectional
June 2022 marked the 52nd anniversary of Pride month, which began after the Stonewall Riots of 1969. While the genesis of the Pride Month was steeped in homophobia, harassment, and violence as police raided a gay club Stonewall Inn in the West Village, the bravery of a diverse crowd of LGBT individuals fighting back, carrying on the six-day protests and demonstrations is a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle for equity, safety, and visibility.
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Climate Policies Must Include, and Learn From, the LGBTQI+ Community
Despite significant achievements in recent years for the protection and provision of equal rights for LGBTQI+ people, there are still significant barriers to full inclusion in society. Around the world, LGBTQI+ issues are often co-opted by political parties and used to stoke anxieties about national or cultural identity, Western influence or other social, economic or political challenges. LGBTQI+ individuals also face barriers to housing, education, medical care and other critical services, while social stigma serves to isolate them from their family and community. In the United States alone, LGBTQI+ individuals, particularly youth and transgender people, are estimated to make up nearly 40% of those experiencing homelessness, making them even more vulnerable to things like substance abuse, depression or anxiety and assault.
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Queer(ing) Environmentalism
Recent Fletcher grad Katy Constantinides discusses how queer liberation is intrinsically tied with environmental justice in the first blog post of CIERP’s 2022 Pride Month Blog Series.
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