At last week’s table talk, we discussed We Rise: The Earth Guardians Guide to Building a Movement that Restores the Planet, a book by Xiuhtezcatl Martinez. The author begins by describing his speech to the UN in 2015 regarding the urgency of climate change. Instead of memorizing it word for word, he goes off-script and lets his passion take over. I was impressed by his confidence and his whole-hearted approach. I can’t imagine standing up in front of so many people and going out on a limb like that. The way he tells his story, the detail that he includes, reminds us that sometimes, looking at the experience of a single person can communicate more than facts and figures. When he goes on to talk about his connection to his family history and the strength that it brings him, his authenticity truly comes through.

On that day, he was preceded by another speaker who shared a poem that she had written, promising her daughter that she would not let rising sea levels swallow the island that she calls home. Xiuhtezcatl tells us that her honesty truly struck an emotional chord with the audience. Hopefully, his book strikes a similar chord with his readers and kindles passion in activists everywhere.