As a woman of color and a progressive, I know this climate-smart agriculture initiative is a win. And I know how more wins like this can improve people’s lived experiences for generations. Scientific models of accelerated climate change predict a refugee crisis never seen in modern times.
By bolstering the work of nonpartisan NGOs already working on environmental issues across borders and cultures in the Middle East, like the Arava Institute, this American-Israeli venture in sustainable food production and water use will help build resilient food systems, improving the lives and livelihoods of people facing catastrophe if current climate models hold.
That’s why more initiatives like this project will forge conversations across lines of difference and tip the scales toward justice and shared humanity, especially for women of color abroad. More importantly, with Harris’ leadership on projects like this, we are starting to see what we’ve been missing by never having had the benefit of a woman of color in the role. Imagine what we can do when we significantly increase the number of women of color in positions of power: how much better it will be for all of us.