Aqila Walji 

Communities of colour are disproportionally impacted by environment injustices and climate change yet there is a huge lack of representation outdoors. The lack of representation is because communities of colour are systematically left out and told that they do not belong, not because they do not want to be outdoors.
 
This event will bring the South Asian community together to explore and learn about protecting the land. We will discuss how colonization directly affected the transformation of the landscape, evolution of biodiversity, and the native and invasive species. These conversations will help lay the groundwork for stewardship and conservation to take place and foster a feeling of kinship between individuals and the land.
 
Building connections and community is a powerful tool to educate and empower people. The goal of this event is to leave the community feeling more comfortable and confident outdoors and feeling like they belong on the land. They will leave the event with practical tools that they can use to start conversations, advocate for the land, and participate in environmental decision making. Social justice and conservation go hand in hand and by addressing the systematic exclusion of communities of colour, we can better preserve this shared land.

If you identity as South Asian, please join us! The event is open to all skills and abilities! Warm drinks and snacks will be provided.

Register by clicking here.

About Aqila

Aqila holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and has worked in community support services for several years.

From a young age, she noticed gaps between racialized communities, access to the land, and representation in outdoor spaces. Through building community and connection, Aqila wants to raise awareness about the intersectionality of climate justice, conservation, and decolonization. Her focus is on one of the communities she belongs to – the South Asian community in Mohkintsis (Calgary).