Tell us a little about yourself, how you #ShineYourLight & what do you choose to shine it on?
I raise consciousness on the intersections between indigenous rights, environmental & migrant justice, the war on drugs, and the arms trade. I accompany asylum seekers through the asylum process. In 2018, I cofounded Cosmovisiones Ancestrales to put forth a vision for processes of demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration. As digital coordinator for SoCal 350, I am working with others on encouraging LA city council members to pledge to a 2,500 ft. health and safety buffer between oil drilling sites and front line communities. We are also working to end oil extraction in the Los Cerritos Wetlands. We are raising consciousness on how California receives and refines 50% of the Amazon's crude.
What does your dream sustainable future look like & what do you see as some necessary steps to get there ?
It looks like a shift from corporate agriculture to cooperative, local food sovereignty and decentralized renewable energy production. It looks like abandoning fossil fuel extraction and returning to ancient ways of travel. I remember seeing some luxurious examples of how the ancient Egyptian aristocracy traveled by boat down the Nile River at the King Tut exhibit and I had an "aha" moment about how sustainable long distance travel could be possible if we committed the will power and patience.
