Hi, I’m Emily (she/her)! I’m a MA Publishing Student and Ialso studied my undergrad in English here at Exeter. After being on committeefor the past two years, I am so lucky to now be Co-President of Be The Change.
Who are we?
Be The Change is Exeter’s sustainability society, running all sorts of events from our successful Sustainable Sundays to vintage and charity shop crawls. We are a super positive and friendly group of people who care about our planet, climate justice and each other.
How can you be more sustainable?
I have been embedding sustainable habits into my life for many years now. I have a particular passion for slow fashion and garment worker rights, having worked as a Remake Ambassador and affiliate of Sustainable Fashion Week. Getting into activism, (and enjoying it) requires you to find a space that you care the most about. You don’t need to be an expert, unlearning and relearning is a huge part of the process!
Get involved
As a student, there are so many ways to get involved with activism, and Be The Change is a brilliant place to do so. Our members help create our Sustainable Sundays resources, which focus on an agreed-upon topic twice per month. We chill out in Chococo and create accessible and student-friendly social media posts about climate issues that matter to us. We’ve worked on so many great projects, from local initiatives to slow fashion to biodiversity. Coming along to a session is a great entry-point into activism, and it gives you an opportunity to help educate and empower others to do the same.
We are running our yearly campaign on slow fashion and circularity this year. Stitch by Stitch is another brilliant way to get involved in helping change student behaviours and embed sustainability further into life here at Exeter. So stay tuned to our Instagram @bethechange.exeter to hear more about how you can get involved in climate activism and education.
Unpicking activism
Activism can be a pretty loaded term, but it doesn’t have to be scary. To me, activism is the foundation of community. It’s about showing up for others and advocating for justice for everyone, always taking an intersectional approach. Being passionate, championing others and always listening to experiences away from your own are fundamental parts of being a good activist. We see you, and we appreciate all the work you are doing to make the world a better place – for people and for the planet.
Signing off now!
Emily
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