Nathalie Kelley Instagram – Even though our “leaders” failed humanity and the Earth once again this COP27 by refusing to commit to phasing out fossil fuels (with shameful dodging by Australia, Canada and Saudi Arabia amongst others) these are the people, and the voices that give me HOPE! Thank you @oceanic.global for inviting me to host a listening session for Indigenous Wisdom Keepers during your Ocean Day programming. It was so potent to hear Quechua farmers Puma Quero and Teresa Minta, Maorí sonic weaver @whaia_creation and the great water activist Rajendra Singh share true WISDOM rather than empty promises. I want to acknowledge the team of wonderful young women at @oceanic.global who curated such exquisite programming, a refreshing break from seeing how many men from Global North were pushing to center themselves and a reminder to them that its time to use your enormous privilege to highlight other voices and cultures and wisdom traditions. These Wisdom Teachers from Earthrise Collective challenge the old narrative of men from Global North as “messiahs” or gatekeepers of our destiny… Watching them work, pray and speak as a collective reminds me of the Dalai Lama quote – that the next Buddha will be a community. I see a global movement growing, with a shared desire for EQUITY, DIVERSITY, JUSTICE. A growing recognition that we will need new leaders and Indigenous wisdom – if we are to get out of this mess that the Global North very much created. On that note there is some relief that the one big win from this COP27 was the agreement create a Loss and Damage Fund for the Global South. Now its up to those of us living in privilege to ensure the our govs actually PAY UP. Holding them accountable is the very least we can do as we hurtle towards more than 1.5 degrees of warming.