Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The 3.6 million residents of U.S. territories are among the communities in the United States most impacted by climate change. Yet without voting representation in Congress, a vote for President, or representation in regional and international bodies, their ability to influence environmental and climate policy at a national and international level is limited. This creates challenges as local governments and non-governmental organizations work to adapt their island communities to be resilient in the face of unprecedented environmental change.

Right to Democracy, a nonprofit organization that works to advance democracy, equity, and self-determination in U.S. territories, has announced a new Environment and Democracy Fellowship that seeks to tackle these challenges head on.

The two-year fellowship will provide funding for individuals in each territory — American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands — to embed with a local environmental organization where they will work to develop cross-territorial advocacy proposals that leverage local networks to drive systemic change.

“People in U.S. territories are on the front lines of some of the most destructive manifestations of the climate crisis. Yet all too often our efforts to address these challenges run into the obstacles of an undemocratic, unaccountable, and unresponsive political status quo,” said Adi Martínez-Román, who co-directs Right to Democracy and lives in Puerto Rico. “This fellowship will support community-based advocates and organizations to meaningfully amplify and challenge the many issues that arise from the intersections of climate change and undemocratic colonial rule.”

Right to Democracy is looking for Fellows based in each territory who are emerging or established leaders on environmental justice and climate advocacy. Interested candidates and organizations can apply by submitting a letter of intention explaining why they are interested and what qualifications and experience they have.

Select candidates will then be invited to submit a full project proposal focused on cross-territorial approaches to addressing the intersections of climate and environmental justice, democracy, and colonial rule.

The deadline for the letter of intent is May 30th, and Right to Democracy plans to select its inaugural cohort of Fellows by mid-Summer.