“We are witnessing the planet fight for its survival and the Latino community faces the brunt of the environmental disasters that affect our country right now. It is time to unite to plan, organize and fight to save our future.” '

That is the message from the GreenLatinos organization currently pushing virtual events for its national summit, which began on Tuesday, Jan. 18, and lasts until Thursday, Jan. 20.

Amid one of the most critical moments of the discussion about global warming — where the echoes of what happened in Glasgow last year still resound and one of the most affected groups has been the Hispanics — this meeting for the environment seeks to promote a space for reflection where concrete and agile actions are sought to respond to the needs of vulnerable communities most affected by environmental threats .

GreenLatinos is an organization made up of Latino leaders committed to environmental, natural resource, and conservation issues that significantly affect the health and well-being of the Latino community in the United States. It works to be the voice of those tribal and low-income groups in search for the conservation of the land and its resources, while training and guiding the current and future generations of Latino environmental leaders.

The three-day summit brings together hundreds of the top Latino environmental and conservation champions from across the country for relationship building, developing partnerships and collaborations, and topical education and professional training.

The event, which is closed to the press, also offers the necessary tools for these leaders to understand, send messages and defend the environmental problems and policies that affect Latino communities. All this while developing, encouraging, and engaging grassroots activists, constituencies, elected and appointed officials, and environmental leaders.

At GreenLatinos the organization also refers to environmental stewardship as part of their cultural heritage.

“We honor and celebrate our rich culture and our crucial role in the global social fabric through our stories and spirit. We are emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture as we continue the work of the movements that came before us, defending our autonomy, building on our cultural assets, and celebrating our identity,” said the organization. 

Among the talks scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 20, are conversations with Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, as well as a meeting with the White House climate adviser, Gina McCarthy.

Click here to see the full schedule.