Kõmij Mour Ijin - Our Life Is Here

The Marshall Islands stand as a poignant symbol—and lived reality—at the confluence of global ecological and historical crises. Faced with the dual legacies of American nuclear testing and rising sea levels driven by climate change, the Marshallese people have emerged as both resilient stewards of their homeland and essential voices in the global conversation on sustainability.

Join artists and climate leaders Michael Light and Kathy Jetńil-Kijiner—Climate Envoy for the Republic of the Marshall Islands—alongside David Buckland, artist, filmmaker, and founder of UK climate-art initiative Cape Farewell, in a conversation about the expedition. This 2023 initiative—supported by the Stellar Blue Fund and the Waverley Street Foundation—convened 20 international, Oceanian, and Marshallese artists, writers, performers, poets, scientists, and filmmakers with 10 Marshallese youth from the climate nonprofit Jo-Jikum. Together, they bore witness to the cultural and ecological realities of this Pacific nation—engaging with traditional maritime practices, ancestral atolls scarred by nuclear testing, and communities that remain vibrant yet vulnerable.

The and the upcoming UC Berkeley campus-wide exhibition (Fall 2026) share the urgent story of Marshallese communities on the front lines of the climate crisis—and their lived experience of climate colonialism. Central to this project is a recognition of Indigenous knowledge as vital to understanding and addressing climate change.

At its core, Kõmij Mour Ijin / Our Life Is Here is a call to honor Marshallese wisdom and creativity as a beacon for envisioning a just and sustainable future. It seeks to not only document resilience, but to foster a shared commitment to planetary care and transformation.

UC Berkeley faculty Sharad Chari (Geography), Sugata Ray (History of Art), Lau Gherardi (Environmental Science, Policy, and Management), Beth Piatote (English), and Shannon Jackson (Rhetoric and Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies) will join Michael, Kathy, and David in conversation, drawing interdisciplinary connections and reflecting on how art can illuminate the entanglements of climate, history, and our collective future.

Presented by the Environmenal Arts &Humanities Initiative in partnership with Cape Farewell, with generous support from the Stellar Blue Fund and Waverley Street Foundation.

Advance registration requested. Available seats will be filled by standby line on a first-come-first-served basis. Please arrive on time-- any unclaimed reserved seats will be released five minutes before event start, no exceptions.

Host or Publisher The Environmental Arts & Humanities Initiative