Climate Migration Public Document

Climate Migration Public Document

Climate migration is already a major issue world wide, and its scale and urgency will increase as the climate crisis unfolds, yet the topic is under addressed by governments, international bodies and non-profit organizations. The goal of this assignment is to have students in our class help to fill that gap.

Immigration, refugees, and migrants crossing national borders is increasingly used by nativist and racist politicians around the world, and certainly in our country, to frighten people, scapegoat immigrants for social problems they did not or do not create, and undermine the global collaboration and solidarity we need to address the climate crisis threatening everyone and all life on earth.

Taking on this crucial issue you will create a public document, such as an international declaration of the United Nations, a policy statement from the White House, a manifesto from a particular group or organization, a charter for a governmental or non-governmental institution, a proposal for a set of national or international laws, a plan or program for an NGO or educational institution to combat scapegoating / inform people about the truth about immigrants, or, with the professor's approval, any other "public document" addressing the topic of climate migrants / refugees.

Your document should draw on reading from our class, your own research, and examination of other public documents of a similar nature - see the list below. Your document might be linked in some way to your own future career plans. Also study the examples below from two previous semesters. The students in 2023 did this assignment before ChatGPT and generative AI. Many of the students in 2024 did use AI. This semester the choice of using AI is up to you. Whatever approach you take work hard to create truly outstanding documents - they will be publically shared.

Your document should be written in a public voice, and, in some measure, reflect the style/organization of documents typical of its type. Its content is, of course, up to you. Most public documents include some kind of preamble or introduction and explicit or implicit objectives and outcomes.

Your document should be potentially helpful to governments, leaders, organizations, and citizens.

Your document should be approximately the equivalent of 4 double-spaced pages, see previous student examples.

Publish at Google Sites or Wix or some other accessible online site and take advantage of the online format to include links, images, etc. If you borrow images link them back to the source. If you use AI generated images explain in your AI statement. Provide the professor with the URL so that a list of policy documents can created below. (Provide the URL as soon as you have it; I won't read it until it is officially "due.")

Of course, make your document as realistic and possible, but also clearly label the document as created for a class project. Also, if you used generative AI have a clear statement that explains how you used it.