Dare to Dream: The workshop that made me wake up 

I find myself thinking back about the Climate Justice Camp, held in Tunisia, like it was a dream. There was this sense of belonging, inclusivity, sharing, respect, kindness and joy. It might have been the dream of the masterminds behind this camp and, it was actualised. Dreaming – it could awaken us!

A week of reality has passed since the camp – the reality of a 7:30 to 4:30 job week. I am so lucky to have a job in the present economic climate but hey, that’s a story for another day. My current thoughts are about a different type of reality or future. A future where communities are self-sustained. I yearn for a future where we have access to reliable energy and water supply; a future where our carbon emissions are negligible because we have cut off our dependence on companies that put profit before people. A future where our leaders put people’s well-being at the centre of all their decisions. 

Can you imagine it? We, the people, have taken complete control over our lives. We’re doing a great job of living life simply and sustainably. We live in harmony with nature. We are able to recover almost immediately from setbacks such as natural disasters because we are proactive. We have the resources to do so because our leaders are spending our money for its intended purposes. We all know the power is with the people! We are all actively and collectively working toward building our relationships with one another and with our natural environment. 

Our oceans are restored to its pristine health – clear, clean waters with thriving ecosystems. The air we breathe is clean and toxin free. Our food is organic and we are getting the full nutritional benefits from our food. There’s no need for single-use plastic. We are valuing natural resources and not treating it as a commodity to be abused. 

End of dream. 

Take a minute to absorb it all. See it. Feel it. 

At the camp, I was taught how to use Artificial Intelligence in campaigning. I was told that if I can dream it, I could see it in the form of a visual using AI. With this tool, we can offer our communities an alternative future which is possible if we work toward it. You and I could strategise on how to develop concrete plans to make our dreams a reality or we could support those whose dreams align with ours because they have put plans in motion already.

The greatest of inventors started with a dream so, will you dare to dream?