Am I responsible for saving the planet?

Facilitator prompts learners to discuss:

• What did Rebbetzin Bracha Leah decide to prioritize? What did she deprioritize? 
• When, if ever, have you found your responsibility to the planet conflicting with your responsibilities to yourself, or to people you care about? 
• When have you specifically prioritized your responsibility toward climate change over other responsibilities? What factors motivated your decision? 

Although we might want to say we can uphold all of our responsibilities – to ourselves, our family, our community, the world, the reality is no one can do everything. We are constantly making choices about what we prioritize!

Facilitator prompts the group: 

• Who do you believe is responsible for addressing climate change? 
• What does it look like to take responsibility to care for our climate? 
• What are the roles of individuals, communities, and governments in addressing climate change? How do they differ?

Facilitator prompts the group: 

• The five daughters decided to act even though no one asked them to. What prompted them to come forward and ask for their inheritance? How if at all might their decision have been different had there just been one daughter rather than five?  
• The leadership (God in this case) affirmed the daughters’ claim to the land, which led to a change in the law for the daughters and future generations. How might taking responsibility for one situation help create lasting change for others now and in the future? 
• When have you decided to take action to change something even when you were concerned that you would not make a difference, or you knew you might not live to see the future outcome? What helped you? How about a time when you did not take action? Why not?

Facilitator Prompts with the following instructions:

• I want to invite you to take a look at the “Sphere of Influence” diagram.
• At the top of the diagram, you’ll notice that there is a space for you to write out an issue that you are particularly passionate about (e.g; Wildfire Legislation, Recycling etc.). Go ahead and write the issue within climate change that you are most passionate about addressing:
  • • Example: Recycle
• You’ll notice that the diagram has four circles, 
  • Innermost Circle- Control: Actions I can take directly to support this issue (actions, choices). 
  • Second outermost circle – Influence: Actions I cannot directly take but I can directly influence (opinions of peers, decisions).
  • Third outermost circle – Collaboration: Areas where you can collaborate with others in order to create an impact. (organizing) 
  • Fourth outermost circle – Care: Actions I care about but cannot directly control (global issues, legislation, etc.)
• Once you have reviewed the diagrams with the group, guide participants to complete the rest of the circles below.
  • Control: Within the innermost circle, what ways can you directly impact the issue at hand? What personal skills or gifts can you draw upon
    • Example: Modeling what it looks like to Recycle, Forming a Recycling elective at my school

• • Influence: In the second innermost circle, what can you encourage others to do in support of the issue at hand? 
    • Example: Encouraging others to Recycle. 

• • Collaboration: In the third innermost circle, what can you accomplish by collaborating with others in or to support the issue at hand? Who might you reach out to?
    • Example: Organizing community initiatives around recycling
  • Care: What are issues that are deeply important, but beyond your ability to directly impact? 
    • Example: Local or National Recycle Legislation
• Once you have completed your circle of influence, we invite you to share your responses with a partner and answer the following reflection questions. 

Questions for Reflection:

• What did it feel like to complete this activity? 
  • What did you notice about your responses?
    • Which of your responses felt empowering?
    • Which of your responses felt overwhelming? 
  • What surprised you about your responses?
• How did it feel to identify areas where you have control, influence, and an ability to collaborate with others?

Facilitator prompts the group: 

Taking a look back at the Sphere of influence activity, I invite you to notice:

• In what sphere do you feel most inspired to take action? Why?
• In what sphere do you feel the greatest responsibility to act? Why?
• In what sphere do you feel the least responsibility to act? Where can you release some of your responsibility, knowing that there are limits to what we can do?
• How, if it all, has your understanding of responsibility towards climate change shifted? What do you believe contributed to that shift?