Given the dire state of the Earth’s climate and the mounting frequency of natural disasters, it can be tempting for even the staunchest climate activists to fall into a spirit of pessimism. One way of overcoming these feelings is by celebrating the resilience of communities and countries the world over that are actively fighting for a sustainable future in spite of the many challenges nature has thrown at them.

This theme of resilience in the face of disaster is at the heart of the Global Facility for Disaster Risk and Reduction’s ongoing art competition The Art of Resilience, put on in collaboration with the World Bank Art Program. Any artist who has produced work inspired by resilience and feels comfortable sharing it should submit their art—up to 5 pieces in total—for consideration using the instructions found at this link. Submissions will be accepted through May 17.

Competition winners will see their art exhibited at World Bank Group Headquarters in Washington, D.C. for three months beginning in October of this year. Their reflections on resilience will be available for viewing by visiting delegates, Bank staff, and members of the public. Later, in 2020, the winning artists’ pieces will also feature at the Understanding Risk forum in Singapore, which the artists themselves will all be invited to attend. Lastly, the artworks will be preserved for posterity in a creative online database.

Communicating the necessity of climate action and poverty mitigation is no simple task; art stands alone in its power to bridge disparate communities, remind us of our shared humanity, and inspire the bold, innovative action that the Global Facility for Disaster Risk and Reduction, the World Bank Art Program, and we at Connect4Climate strive to encourage every day.

This competition presents a thrilling opportunity to bring to light moving and inspirational works that will motivate all of us down the path to a better future.

On Friday, April 5, some 700 high school and college students gathered at the the Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II in Naples, Italy for an honest climate discussion with Italy's Minister of the Environment, Sergio Costa. At the heart of the event was the question of how best to safeguard the world's natural capital, i.e. protect the scope and diversity of natural ecosystems everywhere. Biodiversity and robust forests are essential to the health of our species and our planet; over the course of the three-hour session, Costa and the assembled young people strove to arrive at a common understanding of how to keep the Earth from further damage, and, where possible, how to undo the damage already done.

Opening remarks were delivered by professor and university dean Gaetano Manfredi and Connect4Climate's own program manager Giulia Braga. These introductions set the stage for an event emphasizing the power of youth innovation and activism to make an impact on climate worldwide. With a touching tribute, the event was formally dedicated to Connect4Climate's late climate expert and content lead Max Thabiso Edkins, who always went the extra mile to include young, bold thinkers in the climate dialogue. The tribute recalled a spirited exhortation from Edkins to "take this momentum and help solve this challenge of our generation."

The event kicked off in earnest with a lively performance from sustainable music collective BungtBangt, who played on intruments made from recycled everyday materials. "Together," the group's frontman said, "we can be protectors, not destroyers, of the Earth." He maintained that natural capital was absolutely essential to the daily existence of everyone on the planet, and noted that music was an especially fitting means of distributing this message, for "Music is the purest form of natural energy."

After the performance came a discussion between Sergio Costa and journalist Paolo Chiariello and a question-and-answer exchange with the students in the audience. Costa pointed to recent ocean conservation legislation and other good work the Italian government was doing as examples of steps in the right direction, but made it clear that there was a tremendous amount of work left to be done, and that it was up to young people to stand up for their beliefs and be as vocal as possible about the changes they wish to see implemented.

"Our families understood before our institutions that a different future—one that is plastic-free—is possible," Costa said. "Get on the streets, make yourselves heard. That's the only way change will ever happen." He made it clear that the environmentalism of today "has to touch everyday life" if it's to be successful. "If it does not upset our habits," he noted, climate discussion will not solve anything. Action must always undergird the movement if we're to have a chance at saving our planet. And the youth of the world have demonstrated their willingness to make that action happen.

Connect4Climate live-streamed the event from beginning to end on our Facebook channel, and you can still watch the footage in its entirety at this link.

X-Ray Fashion, a Connect4Climate and Vulcan Productions virtual reality experience created by Danish media collective MANND and directed by fashion photographer Francesco Carrozzini, harnesses the immersion of VR to raise vital questions about the environmental and human costs of “fast fashion,” providing participants with a firsthand look at the wastefulness and labor exploitation underpinning a massive global industry.

The mission of X-Ray Fashion to raise awareness and spark concrete change among both consumers and companies aligns perfectly with Connect4Climate’s mandate to disseminate climate knowledge and foster climate action worldwide.

X-Ray Fashion has been touring the globe in an effort to impact as many people as possible, and we are proud to announce that the VR installation has just been nominated for Webby awards in two distinct categories: Best Interaction Design and VR: Interactive, Game or Real-Time.

Follow the links above and vote for X-Ray Fashion if you’d like to see this project recognized with People’s Voice awards—and feel free to circulate these links among any acquaintances you think may also be interested in voting. You can also spread the word by sharing this Facebook video, tailor-made for the occasion. We need all the help we can get if we’re going to pull off a win!

These Webby nominations are exciting and heartening for all of us here at Connect4Climate, and we thank you for your support in this competition and otherwise.