We are launching a fundraising drive to continue the Storytelling with Saris climate advocacy and to make a film about climate action on an individual and community level. This is a feminist project and the all-woman film team includes Monica Jahan Bose, Leena Jayaswal, Nandita Ahmed, Shefali Akhter Shetu, Dawne Langford, and Preema Nazia Andaleeb, as well as the women of the Katakhali cooperative.

The film looks at the impact of climate change on women from Katakhali Village on the island of Barobaishdia in Bangladesh through the lens of the Storytelling with Saris climate art advocacy project. It also follows the stories of Americans and Europeans who are making climate pledges on saris to reduce their carbon footprint. Unless the world takes immediate action, Bangladesh could lose 20% of its land, displacing 30 million people. Women disproportionately suffer the impacts of climate change because of cultural norms and the inequitable distribution of resources and power, especially in developing countries. Women’s leadership is also critical to addressing climate. The goal of the film and project is to empower individuals and communities around the world to take action to save our planet from climate change.

We are doing climate advocacy workshops with the women of the Katakhali Cooperative so that they can write to their local and central government representatives to seek help in adapting to climate change, such as affordable access to salt-resistant varieties of rice. We are also purchasing several small cameras and training a number of women to self-document their lives and climate events such as extreme storms, cyclones, untimely rains, drought, and resulting damage and effects. We need to raise $10,000 for the next stage of the project. You will receive art work as your reward for supporting the project. We are grateful for your support of climate art advocacy! Details and donation form here. You can donate through this link.

Monica Jahan Bose is a Bangladeshi-American artist, lawyer, and activist whose work spans performance, painting, film, photography, printmaking, and interdisciplinary projects. As an artist originating from Katakhali, Bangladesh, Monica brings her history into contemporary art, translating these experiences into immersive work. She is the creator of STORYTELLING WITH SARIS, a long-term collaborative art and advocacy project, which has been featured around the world, including recent exhibitions and art actions in Paris, Hawaii, and Washington DC. In 2015, Bose partnered with the International Centre on Climate Change and Development to create a climate awareness workshop in Katakhali, Bangladesh. Alongside her art practice, she practiced and taught environmental and human rights law for many years. Monica has received numerous commissions and awards for her interdisciplinary art work.

Here are bios of the full team.