JEDI Learning Circles

JEDI Learning Circles: Intersectional Leadership

JEDI Learning Circles are spaces for honest conversations about justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in the climate movement. This is a dedicated platform centering the perspectives of women and gender-diverse people active in the environmental movement who identify as First Nations, Black, or People of Colour. Allies are warmly welcome to join in deep listening and respectful learning.

International Outlooks - Pacific Voices, brings together changemakers from across the Pacific who are confronting the climate crisis not just as an environmental issue, but as a fight for cultural survival, sovereignty, and human rights.

As the world looks toward the possibility of a COP31 co-hosted by Australia and the Pacific, Pacific leaders continue to hold the moral compass of the climate movement. Not only sounding the alarm on rising seas, but leading the world in ground-breaking climate litigation and unwaveringly holding the world’s biggest polluters to account

In this JEDI Circle, we centre the powerful leadership of Pacific voices from across the region. From frontline resistance to ground-breaking climate litigation, this session will spotlight Pacific visions for climate and environmental justice. 

Together, we’ll explore:

• Pacific leadership for climate justice

• The role of intergenerational action

• Legal and policy advocacy in global climate forums

• What solidarity and allyship must look like from Australia heading into COP31

Whether you’re a policy-maker, campaigner, or community organiser, this session is an invitation to listen deeply, learn boldly, and act in solidarity with Pacific Islander peoples.

📅 Wednesday, 24 September 2025
⏰ 12–1.30pm (AEST)
💻 Online via Zoom (link shared upon registration)
🎟️ Free – JEDI sessions are free to ensure accessibility
🎤 Facilitator: Kara Lena Virik (WELA Learning Designer, Facilitator & JEDI Lead) and Pasanna Mutha-Merennege (WELA Policy & Advocacy Manager)
🎤 Special guests from across the Pacific region who are leading with courage and care.

Please note: This session will not be recorded to protect the integrity of the space. We encourage live attendance with cameras on for meaningful engagement.

About JEDI Circles:

Each 90-minute session is hosted by Kara Lena Virik (WELA’s Intensives Producer, Facilitator, and Diversity & Inclusion Lead), with special guests, activists, and speakers. Participants who identify as First Nations, Black, and People of Colour are invited to share their experiences and reflections on the session topic, while allies are encouraged to listen and engage in thoughtful Q&A sessions. Breakout rooms offer time for shared reflection and discussions. 

Whether you’re leading a team, a movement, or on your own changemaking journey, these circles offer a supportive space for deep listening, learning and reflection.

Please note:These sessions are designed to be interactive and participatory, creating a space for real-time engagement and collaboration. As such, the sessions will not be recorded. We encourage you to join us live and have your video on to make the most of this experience.

Meet your host: Kara is an interdisciplinary facilitator, strategist, and consultant with a global perspective on gender equality and environmental justice. She has worked internationally with a wide range of nonprofit organisations, universities, and activist networks to develop programs focused on habitat restoration, feminist worldbuilding, and systems change. Kara has designed and facilitated learning experiences across Australia, Europe, the U.S., and the Western Balkans. She holds a Master’s in Urban Management and Policy from the Technical University of Berlin. She currently lives on Kombumerri Country.