press advisory

Environmental Justice Leaders from across the US, Indigenous Territories and Hawai’i Join Puerto Rico Beach Defenders to Protect Land, Water and Culture.

NEW YORK, April 7th, 2025 - The movement to defend beaches, protect land, waters and the culture of the Cueva del Indio in PR and other shorelines will now have the support and solidarity of 18 environmental leaders and 16 community organizations spanning seven U.S. states, fellow Islands such as Hawai’i, and three Indigenous territories.

These environmental justice leaders, including Alegna Malavé-Marrero, from Puerto Rico, founder of Murciélagos Beach Defenders, are part of the EJ Disrupt Design Fellowship based in NYC. They will share spiritual practice, solidarity stories, and develop local to global strategies to support groups reclaiming cultural heritage, recovering from climate disasters, and successfully practicing agroecology, clean energy adoption, and community mutual aid at scale. “Many of the fellows that are arriving in Puerto Rico have been on the forefront of fighting toxic pollution and environmental degradation, while also leading community efforts to protect and rebuild community infrastructure,” said Angela Mahecha, Director of the EJ Disrupt Design Fellowship at the Tishman Environment and Design Center in NYC.

The EJ Disrupt Design Fellowship prepares EJ leaders from community organizations, philanthropy, and other sectors to design climate and environmental solutions at scale. These leaders will be in Puerto Rico, April 7th-12th, and will be available for interviews and community dialogues. In addition to their solidarity act at the Cueva del Indio, their trip will include time at Corporación Piñones Se Integra (COPI), building with groups like Campamento Pelícano Aguadilla, Organización Boricuá de Agricultura Ecológica de Puerto Rico, AMANESER 2025, and others. Their trip will culminate in a family-friendly theatre performance by Y No Había Luz at El Bastíon on Friday.

These leaders are not merely envisioning the world they desire to see but are actively designing it in action in community and doing it with Indigenous cultural practices and joy. “Our movements, whether in Borikén or in the Diaspora, are gathering momentum and consensus. This is an opportunity to organize our collective action and root it with intention and purpose,” said Alegna Malavé-Marrero, Founder of Murciélagos Beach Defenders. Alegna has fought tirelessly to defend public access to the beach and protect the Boricua Taíno ceremonial site at Cueva del Indio Natural Reserve from privatization and commercial development. Leading community advocacy for a responsible coastal management plan that conserves public domain areas accessible to all Puerto Ricans.

“The fires on Maui were an unnatural disaster caused by colonial greed and decades of environmental mismanagement. This EJ fellowship enables us to reimagine the blank slate of Lahaina, emerge from our grief with optimism, and design a more clean and just Maui from the ground up. We hope to co-learn from communities with experience in PR how to remain resilient in protecting our water and lands.” Kaniela Ing, National Director of the Green New Deal Network

Each day of this week, they will be welcomed by an Indigenous and Boricua traditional Taíno community to include: Amanax Ri and his traditional practice family will do an opening at la Cueva Maria de la Cruz in Loíza, Kukuya and her Boricua Taino spiritual community will hold a healing ceremony at the Cueva del Indio in Arecibo, and final closing ceremony will culminate the trip in Old San Juan at El Bastion with Taíno music and ceremony by Marylin Blana'ni Díaz (Yukayeke Guara Cu Guanín), Ernesto Suarez, Guaribo Alvarado, Franshe Gonzalez, Zoraida del Valle, and Pluma Barbara from Organización CAN.

The EJ Disrupt Design Fellowship stands firm in its dedication to fostering collaboration, cultivating power, and amplifying scale. With unwavering resolve, these visionary leaders are positioned to forge a future that ensures a legacy of progress for generations to come.

List of EJ Disrupt Design Leaders

ADDITIONAL QUOTES AND SPEAKERS LIST AVAILABLE

“Renewable energy is one of our most important solutions protecting this fragile earth, but it has to be more than infrastructure. It must be a tool for building resilience and self-determination in our communities. For me, it’s not just about keeping the lights on. It’s about energy sovereignty, about ownership, voice, generational wealth, and collective freedom. We need to move beyond outdated systems and invest in renewable energy solutions that are rooted in justice, equity, and local control.” Ajulo Othow, CEO and Founder of Enerwealth Solutions

“This gathering presents a unique opportunity for climate and environmental justice organizers to deepen our relationships with the movement in Puerto Rico (PR), to learn about and share tactics and strategies used amongst organizations, and continue to challenge climate and environmental degradation by fortifying our United Front. As communities like Loíza, which has been historically marginalized, continue to combat land theft, climate change and their compounded impact, it’s important that we learn from and center these experiences because we’ve learned from organizers working in PR that what happens to and impacts the island often makes its way to the mainland United States and other places and communities harmed by legacies of colonialism and rampant financial capitalism.” Jorden Giger, Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter South Bend

CONTACT:

Angelica Salazar,

Communications Lead,

Tishman Environment and Design Center

(415) 259-9594

salazara@newschool.edu

Patricia Cortado,

Program and Communications Associate,

Tishman Environment and Design Center

(862) 297-1425
cortadop@newschool.edu

EJ Disrupt Design Fellowship is a 2-year experience made up of progressive phases in Environmental Justice and Design for leaders of the Environmental Justice Movement. Fellows will participate in a combination of virtual and in-person retreats, group coaching sessions, and community ideation to scale project prototypes and build power. Learn more at www.tishmancenter.org/ejfellowship.

The Tishman Environment and Design Center at The New School is a collaborative community of practice that leverages research, policy, and design in accordance with the Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing. Our Center brings together research and action to tackle the root causes of climate and environmental injustice and commit to changing higher education practices within and beyond The New School. Learn more at www.tishmancenter.org.