Amplifying the voices of historically marginalized and underrepresented communities
The Eco Justice Project is a digital platform that educates on global climate justice, promotes intersectional climate action, and seeks to make sustainable living more accessible and inclusive by amplifying the voices and stories of marginalized communities and people.
The EJP team is building an educational platform founded on sustainability values that connects individual climate activists to other individuals, individuals to community organizations, and organizations to other organizations. On this website, we want to feature authentic voices and stories of intersectional climate activism through any medium feasible and as creatively as possible.
This is a platform dedicated to educating, storytelling, fostering connections, and creating archival records of intersectional advocacy for the planet and environment.
Lauren Ritchie
Founder & Editor-in-Chief, The Bahamas
Lauren Ritchie is a climate justice advocate and storyteller from The Bahamas. She has organized coastal clean-ups, educational forums, and environmental demonstrations on her island, Grand Bahama. She founded The Eco Justice Project, a digital platform dedicated to sharing the stories of underrepresented communities, environmental education, and promoting intersectional climate advocacy. She also co-hosts the society and pop-culture-centered podcast, Black Girl Blueprint, to highlight the perspectives of Gen-Z Black women. She graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Sustainable Development where she created the panel series, Columbia Climate Conversations, to bring activists and scientists of color to speak on environmental issues. She was a Future Rising Senior Fellow to produce a short film and lead a summer camp engaging with Bahamian adolescent girls through photography, poetry, writing, and film, to give voice to their experience of a changing environment. Her writing has appeared in The Malala Fund Assembly, Adolescent Content, Brown Girl Green, and Youth to the People, and her work has been featured by Vogue España, Refinery29, Global Citizen, The Oxygen Project, Columbia Spectator, Reformation, AJ+ Español, and The Michelle Obama Foundation.
IJUNAD JUNAID
Staff Writer, The Maldives
Ijunad Junaid is a Maldivian environmental storyteller and steward for the Earth. Ijunad’s work explores our fragile relationship with the Earth and climate justice. Based on principles of deep ecology, Ijunad brings out the ‘more-than-human’ world in his writings and inspires to spark a sense of love, longing and reverence for the Earth and all the billions of life she carries. As a Political Science graduate with a minor in Biodiversity from Leiden University, Ijunad’s work explores politics, power structures, and the climate crisis as intertwined threads.
Princess Charles
Staff Writer, Trinidad and Tobago
Princess Avianne Charles is a Trinbagonian writer with articles on human rights, labor laws, climate and environmental justice, and occupational safety and health. Princess holds a degree in Occupational Safety and Health and is the recipient of the inaugural Peggy Antrobus Award of Excellence from the GirlsCARE Mentorship Programme. Her work centers providing safer spaces and risk-reduction strategies for Caribbean communities and the environment.
Amber X. Chen
Writer and Content Strategist, California, USA
Amber X. Chen is a freelance journalist whose work mainly focuses on environmental justice. Her writing has appeared in the LA Times, Protocol, Atmos, Teen Vogue, and more. Through writing, Amber looks to introduce equitable climate solutions and diversify the media landscape. Outside of contributing to The EJP, Amber is currently an undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley.
Sidney opiyo
Writer, Kenya
Sidney Opiyo is a Kenyan-born environmental scientist, climate activist, and conservation photographer/storyteller. Recognized as a conservation leader, Sidney is deeply passionate about collaborating with young people to tackle disproportionate environmental challenges and enhancing inclusion in policy and conservation spaces. Sidney focuses on conservation education and storytelling, utilizing impactful narratives to shed light on the challenges faced by minority groups and grassroots communities concerning biodiversity conservation and climate change. His stories serve as powerful tools for empowering communities and young people, helping them understand the direct impacts of their decisions and actions on the environment. He runs Shades of Green a platform dedicated to amplifying community voices in Kenya and Africa by leveraging visual storytelling to raise awareness about environmental issues. He is currently a post-graduate student at the University of California, Santa Cruz pursuing MSc Coastal Science and Policy.
Waynesha thompson
Social Media and Communications, The Bahamas
Waynesha Thompson is a student intern at The University of The Bahamas, pursing her bachelor's degree in Small Island Sustainability: Environmental and Ecosystems Management: Marine Science. She is a creative who is passionate about learning, exploring and capturing moments of climate justice, environmental sustainability and sharing her knowledge with the public. Waynesha is the social media influencer for her university. She created videos for The Bimini Shark Lab, The Science Club and The UB Conservation Conclave. She has participated in mangrove plantings and beach clean-ups. She hopes to one day become a Marine Biologist or Sustainability Specialists. Although this is new for her, she is eagerly excited to explore more about this field. She hopes to use her creativity to infuse the world with the importance of climate justice.
