Merging good times with climate activism

Written By Peter Allan

Jose Reyeros among activists at a demonstration to stop deepsea mining in 2023. Photo by Jacob Powers

 

By Patricia Lane & Jose Reyeros

These in-their-own-words pieces are told to Patricia Lane and co-edited with input from the interviewee for the purpose of brevity.

Jose Reyeros sees his Latinx culture as a pathway to climate resilience. Co-founder and leader of Ritmos Climáticos, the 23-year-old University of British Columbia graduate from Mexico merges a good time with the hard work of community organizing.

Tell us about your project.

Ritmos Climáticos is a youth-led movement mobilizing culture for climate justice. All the facts and strategy won’t save us without our stories, food, music, rhythms and values. Our co-founder Mackenzie Kuenz’s samba dancing is just as important as her climate justice activism. My passion for scuba diving defines me, as does my interest in systems. Other group members’ talents for playing the Brazilian pandeiro, cumbia dancing, storytelling and caring for each other inspire and ground us as much as their support for Indigenous sovereignty and community organizing.

Our culture is the product of our ancestors’ wisdom. Their connection to the land kept them going. It will also sustain us. It is key to our future.

We have come together just by being friends in the most informal way possible. We are not “COP-28 people.” We are ordinary students, immigrants and workers who believe everyone has a superpower rooted in their own culture. If we practice using it, we can find the collective strength to stay present in the deep conversations.

At the beginning, we came together to enjoy music and food and build community through our Latinx roots. We noticed a pattern. If we felt connected to each other and our cultures, it might feel safe to allow the discussion to turn to the political. We could stay together while we asked hard questions and explored the tough answers.

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Peter Allan
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