The Importance of an Open Mind: One Intern’s Story
Written by Saadya Abdulai, Georgia Interfaith Power & Light Intern
Pictured: Saadya Abdulai, Rev. Alexis Chase (Captain Planet Foundation Director of Engagement and Partnerships), and Jay Horton (Communications for Georgia Interfaith Power & Light)
Working at Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL) over the past eight weeks has been an enlightening experience. Through the Captain Planet Foundation in partnership with the Emerson Collective Youth Collaborative, I was assigned to intern with GIPL starting in June 2023. Over the course of the next three months, I learned so many amazing things that I will now carry with me. Namely, a deeper understanding of the fact that God created this world, and as stewards, it’s up to us to respect, protect, and preserve it. Change starts within communities, and there are sustainable practices that everyone may implement to make this world a better place if we have an open mind.
Connecting with GIPL’s mission statement was important for me. Our earth is a sacred place and for too long many people have taken our Common Home for granted. Not only is climate change a threat for future generations but something the world is actively dealing with now. It’s important to do what we can to care for our planet. As many faith communities feel they have an obligation to involve themselves in environmental stewardship, GIPL supports their work and helps those who seek to engage in action.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed talking to faith leaders about how they are taking part in being the change and doing the best they can to advocate for our planet. Although each house of worship I visited was different, they all had one thing in common: faith and responsibility for environmental justice. Some initiatives that faith communities carry out include recycling and composting, switching to LED lights, using more green cleaning products, investing in solar panels, collecting public comments, and overall taking steps to educate themselves about environmental justice. Whether big or small, seeing these faith communities do what they could to rethink waste and embody energy efficiency was heartwarming.
From writing policies to attending conferences and farmers markets, I have been surrounded by many passionate and talented people that continue to inspire and educate me. They are using their voices and being changemakers for today.
One of my biggest takeaways from this summer is that a lot of research and education goes into being an environmental steward, but it all starts with an open mind. It’s so easy to be stuck in old habits that are hurting our planet, but being surrounded by like-minded people and taking risks makes a difference.
Learning some of the facts about environmental injustice in Georgia (contaminated water systems, air pollution, potential mining of the Okefenokee, etc.) can be disheartening, but knowing there are communities ready to fight the injustice makes me hopeful. At Spelman College, our tagline is “A Choice to Change the World” and GIPL is doing this one community at a time. I can’t wait to see how GIPL continues to flourish and be the change within our communities.
