The Global Grassroots Support Network currently has a single funder, a core Coordination team and a larger team of Regional Coordinators.
Funding
The Global Grassroots Support Network is supported by the UMI Fund, a donor’s collaborative founded by international philanthropies that supports, incubates and accelerates strategic elements of the climate movement, through cooperation with partners for disruptive, scalable, greenhouse gas mitigation.
Platform
This project builds upon the platforms and networks first established by the Blueprints for Change guide-making collective.
Coordination Team
Kenzie Harris, Principal Coordinator
Kenzie Harris (she/they) is a queer, disabled, white settler in what’s colonially called Montréal, Canada (rightfully called Tiohtià:ke or Mooniyang, Turtle Island). They have been involved in transformative justice movements since 2019. They have organized with and supported local Fridays for Future chapters, and National networks such as Climate Strike Canada, Change Course and Research for the Frontlines. They have devoted most of their efforts to banks fossil fuel divestment, Indigenous solidarity and accessible climate justice education. They work as a Librarian and Trainer for the Climate Justice Organizing Hub, in addition to their role as principal coordinator for the Global Grassroots Support Network.
Tom Liacas, Project Manager
Tom Liacas (he/him) is a straight white setter living in what’s colonially called Montréal, Canada (rightfully called Tiohtià:ke or Mooniyang, Turtle Island). Tom drew on his experiences as an activist and campaign strategist to work as an advocacy mobilization consultant serving NGOs in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. As a researcher and analyst, he has released reports and articles on emerging campaign practices for think tanks, funders and global publications. Most recently, Tom founded the Blueprints for Change project and Canada’s Climate Justice Organizing HUB.
Allyson, Region Coordinator, Latin America
Allyson (she/they) is the regional coordinator of Latin America. They define themself as a human rights defender and journalism student who has worked for various human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, since the age of 16. Currently, they are part of the Youth Advisory Group of the OHCHR for the 75 initiative, and have focused their work on LGBTIQ+ rights, gender issues and climate justice in organizations like Latinas for Climate. Also, they’ve been part of initiatives such as the UNAOC Young Peacebuilders programme and Women@Dior programme by Unesco.
Jacob Okumu, Regional Coordinator, Africa
Jacob Okumu is a teacher by experience, a project manager and a community organizer with knowledge and experience in training, coaching, designing, and managing people centric projects/campaigns for social change. Jacob has led numerous training and coaching on practices of servant leadership, volunteer management, design thinking and organizing campaigns strategies for sustainable change to different groups and organizations in different communities and countries. He has led and managed campaigns and projects with organizations such as Be the Change Kenya, Tatua Kenya, Amnesty International Kenya, UNICEF Tanzania and Change.Org where he has been infusing digital and offline campaign strategies to enable petitioners and Change Leaders accelerate change as a campaign strategist. He is a member of the Young African Leadership Institute (YALI) Alumni, Leading Change Network and Global Grassroots Support Network, where he supports as the Regional coordinator for Africa. He is passionate about justice and equality.
Marsel Tuğkan Gündoğdu, Regional Coordinator, Türkiye
Marsel Tuğkan Gündoğdu (he/him) works as a Program Officer at the European Union Sivil Düşün Program supporting active citizens and civil society organizations throughout Türkiye. He studied Comparative Literature for his bachelor’s degree and Social Projects and NGO Management for his master’s degree at Istanbul Bilgi University. He has been working as the Türkiye Consultant for ILGA-Europe since 2019 and has been carrying out advocacy and lobbying activities at both the EU and UN level for the human rights of LGBTI+ citizens in Türkiye. He also volunteers in the Political Participation Team at Social Policy, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation Studies (SPoD), and his main focuses are campaigning, advocacy & lobbying, political participation and constitutional demands of LGBTI+ citizens. He started working as Regional Coordinator for Türkiye at GGSN in October 2023.
Radhika, Regional Coordinator, India
Radhika (she/her) is the GGSN co-ordinator for India. She has been participating in environmental justice-related activism since 2017. Her core expertise lies in looking at existing public policy frameworks to understand issues pertaining to the climate crisis, environmental degradation and their impacts on lives and livelihoods. She has been an active part of the Save Aarey Movement (Aarey is an urban forest in suburban Mumbai, India that was slated to be axed for several ‘development’ projects). Through her involvement in this movement, she became part of a voluntary run youth based collective called “Let India Breathe’. They work with several environmental justice movements throughout the country. They are also the founder of Pantrynook – a zerowaste (plastic free) food packaging company. Radhika was invited to give a TEDx talk on The Individual, The Environment & The Power of the Modern State at Versova, Mumbai and was featured in Forbes India Magazine.
