The Earth Institute of Columbia University has generously agreed to fund a program to Green Map Harlem for eco-justice. The Center for the Study of Science and Religion’s (CSSR) Associate Director, Cynthia Peabody will be the project coordinator. The CSSR will be partnering with West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc. (WeAct, www.weact.org) a non-profit, community-based, environmental justice organization; Green Map System, www.greenmap.org, a participatory mapmaking platform that bridges the gap between awareness and action ; New York Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice and the Ecologies of Learning Project at New York Theological Seminary
The partners have called on religious congregations in Harlem, including The Riverside Church. Our mappers will be trained by Green Map System to chart their community's impediments to green living as well as ecologically friendly natural, cultural and civic resources. Mappers will be responsible for the design and creation of their neighborhood maps. The finished maps will be both in hard copy and online and interactive, and will be made available to congregations, community boards, eco-justice advocates, and community organizers throughout Harlem.
Our project partners have already identified two major eco-justice issues that they would like the green maps to highlight: food justice and environmental hazards that threaten public health. Many local government, ngo’s, and faith communities have offered to lend time and talents to the project. The mapping will begin in March, 2009 with a proposed completion date of May, 2009.