Karina Ramirez
Team co-lead · CCL staff
Karina is Vice President of People and Culture on CCL’s staff and a co-lead of the PGM Action Team.
People of the Global Majority Action Team
Empowering voices from BIPOC communities
CCL’s People of the Global Majority (PGM) Action Team brings a critically important perspective to Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s work. We welcome you and your story.
Questions? Get in touch at [email protected]
Join the PGM Action Team
Fill out this form and we’ll help you get started. You’ll hear from our team coordinator about next steps!
What is the PGM Action Team?
The People of the Global Majority (PGM) is a dedicated Affinity Action Team within Citizens’ Climate Lobby reserved exclusively for volunteers who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC). It provides a space for volunteers to share stories, learn from each other, and build inclusive, community-driven political will. This action team is an intentional space for those who identify as people of color ONLY.
The PGM Action Team is one of the foundational groups within CCL’s broader Diversity and Inclusion efforts, ensuring that the voices of frontline communities most impacted by the climate crisis are heard and amplified.
Following the example of Dr. Barbara Love, we use “people of the global majority” (PGM) interchangeably with “Black, indigenous, and people of color” (BIPOC), since Black, indigenous, and people of color represent over 80% of the world’s population. This wording points out the demographic inaccuracy of the euphemism “minority” and can feel more empowering for some people.
Our regular initiatives include:
- A monthly Inclusion Workshop open to the entire organization, featuring a guest speaker and exploring climate-adjacent topics like ecofeminism, health equity, disability advocacy, and environmental justice
- Scholarship support for BIPOC individuals to attend CCL’s annual Summer Conference in Washington, D.C.
- An annual Inclusion Conference featuring workshops, storytelling, and discussions tailored to diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Adding Spanish language support services for CCL’s website and organizing Spanish-language interpretation for national monthly meetings and virtual conferences
Additional initiatives and regular meeting schedules are reserved for team members. We welcome you to join us and begin sharing your story and working toward climate solutions in your community. Fill out the form and let’s get started.
This team meets on the second Monday of each month via Zoom at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET.
Our story so far
2018
PGM Action Team founded
2019
First in-person gathering of the PGM Action Team
2022
1st Annual Inclusion Conference: “Elevate, Empower, and Rise Up Together”
2023
2nd Annual Inclusion Conference: “Building Community Beyond Barriers”
2024
3rd Annual Inclusion Conference: “Rising Above: Renewal and Resilience for Our Future”
2025
4th Annual Inclusion Conference: “Rooted in Care, Growing in Community”
2026
5th Annual Inclusion Conference: “Solidarity in Practice: Bridging Divides Through Real Conversations”
Meet some of our team members
Volunteers and staff from across the country lead this work together.
Minerve Jean
Team co-lead
Minerve co-leads the PGM Action Team and serves as the Inclusion Conference Coordinator. She is an author and environmental justice advocate.
Manolo Matos
Member
Manuel “Manolo” Matos was born in Utuado, Puerto Rico. In addition to being a PGM Action Team member, Manolo is part of the Latinos Action Team and serves as CCL’s Kentucky State Coordinator and liaison to his Member of Congress’s office.
Dr. Edidiong “Didi” Mendie
Member
Didi is a PGM Action Team member and CCL’s California State Coordinator.
Special event
Inclusion Conference presented by the PGM Action Team
Each year, CCL’s PGM Action Team hosts a virtual Inclusion Conference, with support from CCL’s staff. The conference is open to everyone, including allies, with the mindful request that BIPOC attendees receive priority space to speak and lead.
Our 2026 Conference, Solidarity in Practice: Bridging Divides Through Real Conversations, featured powerful storytelling and empowering messages from:
- Honorable Ruth Cross Kwansing, founder of the Tungaru Climate Alliance and a founding director of Kindling Kiribati – Small Business Development
- Caroljean Willie, SC, Ph.D., program director for EarthConnection environmental center and former two-term nonprofit representative at the United Nations for the Sisters of Charity Federation
- Arturo Massol-Deyá, Executive Director of the community-based organization Casa Pueblo in Puerto Rico
Recorded sessions are available to watch on CCL’s YouTube Channel.
See conference recap
Why our voices matter
20M+
Black Americans live in states in the Southwest and Southeast, which are more likely to experience extreme heat.
McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility, 2023. Source
80%
8 in 10 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities have experienced major weather events over the last five years, including extreme heat, severe cold, droughts, and wildfires.
AAPI Data / AP-NORC. Source
90%
of the world’s refugees come from countries that are the most vulnerable to climate change, according to the UN’s refugee agency.
UNHCR, via the American Bar Association. Source
200M+
people will be forcibly displaced by extreme weather and environmental disasters by 2050, the UNHCR predicts — droughts, floods, storms, wildfires, rising seas, and extreme temperatures.
UNHCR, via the American Bar Association. Source
Voices from our community
“This multicultural and intergenerational space that the CCL Inclusion team has cultivated left me with security … somehow, the air feels lighter knowing that I have a whole community to reflect alongside.”
Read Phalika’s full reflections on the 4th annual Inclusion Conference
The PGM community in action
Recent stories from PGM volunteers across the country.
PGM
Reflections on community at CCL’s 4th annual Inclusion Conference
Read more
PGM
Volunteer spotlight: Helena Robinson
PGM
Volunteer spotlight: Aliyah Bell
Follow us on Instagram!
Follow @cclinclusion for stories from across CCL’s affinity teams.
People of the Global Majority resources
Dive deeper into CCL’s inclusion work, workshops, and Spanish-language resources.
Connect
Watch & learn
En españolFrequently asked questions
Who is able to join the PGM Action Team?
The PGM Action Team is reserved exclusively for BIPOC voices. Anyone who identifies as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color is invited to join.
When does the PGM Action Team meet?
The team meets on the second Monday of each month via Zoom at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET. Volunteers can join the team’s Community page to connect with others and receive meeting notices.
What happens at a PGM Action Team meeting?
Specific meeting agendas are reserved for members. Aside from these exclusive activities, the PGM Action Team may also use meeting times to share stories and concerns and plan inclusion workshops, conferences, and events.
How can I be an ally to the PGM community?
While the PGM Action Team is only open to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, if you are not a member of the community, your voice and support is helpful. Learn more about being an ally here.
How else can I get involved?
Since 2017, CCL Action Teams have expanded to include groups dedicated to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and diverse populations. All of these teams were started by our own volunteers who saw the need to do particular work with members of their communities. Other national groups accepting new members are as follows:
We also encourage participation with our partners at the Right-of-Center and Climate & Environmental Justice teams, Higher Education and Youth teams, and Interfaith Community.
Why is the PGM Action Team important?
Frontline communities, whose residents are often BIPOC, are disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change. If we don’t speak up for these communities and share stories of how climate change is affecting us, proposed solutions can leave many people behind. To ensure an equitable, inclusive climate movement, it’s critical we have a safe, supportive space to make our voices heard and work within the larger climate movement.
We welcome you and your story
Join the PGM Action Team and begin working toward climate solutions in your community.