Maiya Roelen: Who are you as a leader and what got you started?

 

Orlee Bracha: As a leader, I'm somebody who takes different perspectives and combines them into my advocacy, whether it's different political perspectives or perspectives from people of different backgrounds or even just perspectives from different academic spheres. I currently work with The Conversationalist, which is a media company that aims to unify Gen Z through conversation especially in the context of our highly-polarized society. I love it because I get to hear from people on all sides of the political spectrum, and although I may not agree with all of them, it certainly helps to keep their ideas in mind as I go about my own advocacy. 

 

Maiya Roelen: What motivates and drives you to do the work that you do?

 

Orlee Bracha: Something that I always strive to be is be the person who I needed when I was younger. Whether it’s a climate activist who reassures people that recycling is not the only solution, or a girl who reassures other girls that they are so much more than their bodies, I try to be a role model for younger people and I also try to be who I need in the world. 

 

Maiya Roelen: What is one experience you've had that reinforced your desire to do the work that you do?

 

Orlee Bracha: I took a gap year before I came here to WashU in St. Louis and I solo traveled through Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Australia. As a part of that, I spent about two weeks volunteering on a sustainable agriculture farm in Thailand. I feel like in the West, we tend to look down upon people and cultures of the Global South. But I feel like the local families I stayed with in Laos and Thailand were actually happier than an average western person because they had a real appreciation for nature and how to tend to it rather than exploit it. They didn't see the natural environment as something for them to take from, but rather it was a mutually beneficial exchange. So that was something that really reinforced my passion for sustainability, sustainable agriculture, and eco-friendly ways of living.

 

Maiya Roelen: Tell us about your current platform, initiatives, community projects, successes, jobs, and or impact. We'd love to hear about your current work.

 

Orlee Bracha: In addition to working with The Conversationalist, I'm more loosely involved in policy work with Our Climate and the Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition.  I am also excited to get more involved in the local politics here in Missouri, which are quite different to what I’m used to in Boston. I am excited to learn from these new perspectives. 

 

I have also started to pivot towards using my own social media platform for advocacy. It's something that I got into during my gap year just because I wanted to document my travels and then it turned into more than that. As I returned home to Boston, I reflected on what I wished I saw more of on social media and the ways in which I could make small positive contributions to our digital culture.  

 

I was scrolling one day and came across this video, presumably made by another teenage girl like myself, about how to lose a crazy amount of weight in a short period of time. That’s when I knew what my next project would be. I, myself, have struggled with eating and body image issues due to the images and messages I saw online. I figured I wanted to dedicate a decent portion of my online presence to reassuring people, specifically young girls, that they are so much more than their bodies. So, I created a series called Toast Cards, where I show a (preferably healthy and balanced) meal I ate to prove that in an app like Instagram, where underweight models are favored by the algorithm, there are still healthy people whose worth can be measured by more than just a scale or a calorie count. 

 

Maiya Roelen: How does your work influence the progress of environmental and or climate justice and does it advance the goals of the just transition?

 

Orlee Bracha: I think by embodying the change we want to see and encouraging our peers, even through social media, we can make small progress. I think my experience in Thailand with literally getting my hands in the dirt and getting involved in that work was something that I was proud of. I feel like the Western world has a lot to learn from the countries that we call “developing” in terms of sustainable living and a balanced lifestyle .

 

Another project that I worked on during my gap year was I spent about a month in Los Angeles as the Manager of the Awareness Film Festival, which showcases  “films that do more than entertain”. It's been going on for over 10 years and the whole goal of it is to feature films that talk about social issues in an empowering and relevant way rather than the usual doom and gloom we see in the media. So it was really rewarding to watch people walk out of the theater with an actual smile on their face after watching a documentary about the environment. 

 

We had entire days dedicated to the benefits of veganism, to different types of fossil fuels, and people's personal experiences with climate change. I really enjoyed interviewing the different panelists and filmmakers about the process of producing their films and the impacts they hope to have on viewers. So that was an experience that was really inspiring and gave me hope for the future :)

 

Maiya Roelen: What do you think is the role of positive climate media in youth climate advocacy?

How do you see that being important for a just transition and also for youth advocates and our own emotional well-being?

 

Orlee Bracha: It's huge. I think as advocates, it's important to think of the things that we all have access to. At least in the US, we all generally have access to education through high school. So that's something that's one way that we can make change. When I was a Fellow with Our Climate, I led our communication with legislators and advanced bills, such as S. 382, to teach Native American culture and history, and S. 311, an act implementing interdisciplinary climate education in elementary and secondary schools.  

 

From a global perspective, everybody now has a phone. I think that this is a huge opportunity for us to leverage this resource. Just like our Earth, our digital world is a public good which requires us all to build, contribute, and clean up when necessary.

 

Maiya Roelen: What is your advice for other young people in terms of creating positive change towards environmental justice, climate justice, or sustainability?

 

Orlee Bracha: I would just say, do what you really love because then you'll want to do it, and when you really want to do something (and there are studies that prove this), you are more likely to really put in effort and ultimately be successful. In Judaism, there is a saying that it is not your responsibility to carry the weight of all the world’s problems. I take inspiration from my Jewish heritage, and I urge other young people to do their little, little thing and it'll make a difference and that's what matters. 

 

Additionally, I think it's important to be mindful of what we do and how we do it so that we're actually making an impact, rather than just doing it to look good. Don't do something because you want to get into college. Don't start a whole non-profit because you want to look like you care because that's just wasting everyone's time. Do the thing you really love, even if that actually has nothing to do with the environment. You'll help the community by doing that.

 

Maiya Roelen: That is so important! You know, I wish my younger self had also heard that too, so thank you. I am super excited for other young people to hear that message as well.

 

Tell us about an environmental project, initiative, or campaign that you are proud of that you feel made a really big difference in your community.

 

Orlee Bracha: I really enjoyed presenting a speech about the intersection of gender inequity and climate change at the Mock Conference of the Parties (COP) held by the United Nations. Youth delegates from over 140 countries gathered to present their concerns and solutions for global warming and I got to speak with Environment and Education Ministers about the benefits of educating women during the global warming crisis. This resulted in 25 countries pledging to improve their climate education, which was super rewarding!

 

More locally, when my team of youth activists at Our Climate in Massachusetts advocated for 10 climate bills that failed to pass the committee vote, we arranged meetings with our state representatives to address our concerns about why the bills were being blocked and which legislators were voting against them. One representative firmly stated, "I embrace the rules," opposing changes that would allow us access to information on the bills. When we asked about making his committee votes public, he raised his voice at us, leaving my team speechless. But, by staying calm and trying to understand his perspective, I learned he feared backlash from his colleagues if his votes were revealed, potentially jeopardizing his chances for leadership roles. I explained that prioritizing his district's interests over political status was crucial, and his stance shifted from refusing to disclose his position to expressing openness to reconsidering his views. I am proud of my team at Our Climate for communicating effectively and navigating the tense discussion, ultimately creating a more transparent state legislature and helping to pass H. 5060, a Clean Energy bill in Massachusetts that funds offshore wind and solar energy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Maiya Roelen: What did the organizing process look like for that? As a leader yourself and then working with other people, that’s a lot going on! What was your process or what are the three things that you tried to tackle in order to achieve your goal?

 

Orlee Bracha: It involved a lot of Slack messages and emails and spreadsheets. It's very important to get comfortable cold emailing people. 

 

I feel like with many of these awesome nonprofits, a lot of the work kind of intermingles and intersects. Through my fellowship at Our Climate, I met other organizations with similar goals and became determined to unite us in our common cause. I became involved in the founding of the Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition (MYCC), a statewide coalition of over 20 environmental organizations that share resources, host trainings, and plan events for climate justice. One of the things I learned from that experience is that any organizing work is helpful organizing work. There is always something that needs to be done and needs help with, so join if you can! 

 

Maiya Roelen: Is there anything else that you would like to add, a closing remark, closing thoughts?

 

Orlee Bracha: Believe in yourself, you can totally do it (that thing that just came to your mind that’s scary and seems impossible, you can do it!)! The difference between people who we see as successful and people who we perceive as less successful is that the people who are, actually tried. You are one cold email, cold DM away from working with an organization that you're really passionate about. Go for it!

 

Maiya Roelen: Thank you, Orlee!

 

[Original interview edited for clarity in collaboration with interviewee.]