Climate Justice Fundamentals - a participant's experience

Jeyald Rasaratnam, one of the participants on this year's course, writes about his experience.

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I had the opportunity to participate in this residential training as a climate activist. Through this training, I aimed to deepen my understanding of climate justice, colonialism, and extractivism, and explore how these issues connect to the disadvantaged communities I work with in County Monaghan.

Delivery 

The training took place at the beautiful Benwiskin Centre in County Sligo — a peaceful, green environment that truly reflected the spirit of sustainability. Over the weekend, we explored:

• The history and impacts of colonialism on the environment
• Modern-day colonialism and its connection to climate change
• Extractivism and how it continues to harm communities and ecosystems
• The meaning of solidarity and justice in climate action

The programme was very interactive, using case studies, group discussions, and reflections to engage us in critical thinking about these complex issues.

 

My Key Takeaways

• Colonialism still impacts climate today: Historical colonisation created unfair systems that continue to harm both people and nature.
• Climate change and colonialism are connected: Extraction of land, labour, and resources during colonisation directly links to today’s environmental crisis.
• Need to centre disadvantaged voices: Climate justice must prioritise those most affected, especially indigenous and marginalised communities.
• Native knowledge is key: Traditional knowledge is powerful for sustainable solutions and must be respected.
• Systemic change is needed: Climate action must challenge deep-rooted systems of racism, inequality, and injustice.
• My role is to support informed, inclusive actions: In working with communities, I must encourage fair, critical, and creative climate responses

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Conclusion

This training helped me understand that climate justice is not just about protecting the environment — it’s about fairness, history, and human rights. It highlighted the importance of challenging systemic issues and standing in solidarity with the communities most affected. As a Community Enterprise Development Officer at Monaghan Integrated Development CLG, I am excited to bring these learnings into my SICAP Climate Justice work to help create fairer, more sustainable communities across County Monaghan.

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Read more about this year's course in our blog here.