by Urooj Ali
Ding…ding…ding… The door jingles with each attendee’s entrance. The aroma of espresso and dark roast infuses the air, and the people’s chattering cuts through the silence. The rustling of cardboard boxes filled with clothes indicates the start of the programming. Participants and organizers place their items for the clothing swap at the front of the room and prepare for the presentation. “Welcome to GAMVP AND GIPL’s clothing swap y’all!” Hibah addresses the room, and starts the conversation. “How many of y’all have attended a clothing swap before?” A few hands shoot up, and the excitement in the room is visible. Attendance for this event is lower than expected, but that may be a general indicator of how the public is feeling at the moment.
This election year, organizations like Georgia Muslim Voter Project (GAMVP), anticipate higher levels of voter apathy among young voters. Due to many factors, youth voters are succumbing to “doomism.” “Doomism refers to the belief that it is now too late to take ameliorative action to avert catastrophic climate change. The end result of this view is comparable to the result of climate skepticism; doomism produces inaction.” 1
Fast fashion contributes significantly to the climate crisis. Young voters experience fast fashion through the quick turnaround of trends on social media and retailers such as Shein, Temu, H&M, and more. “Hauling fast fashion to dumps and incinerators is costing our country more than $4 billion a year and contributing to climate change and other environmental challenges.”2 Not only is fast fashion a factor of the climate crisis, it also creates poor mental health and financial situations for young voters.The fast-changing trends and the need to get the latest items make people envy others and often lead to poor financial choices by giving in to the pressure.3
Young voters really care about climate change, environmental issues, and ethical consumption. In 2020, Circle found that 31% of youth (18-29) named that the environment and climate change are issues that drive their civic engagement.Voters are hyper aware of these issues, but have yet to see positive change, therefore are less likely to participate in civic engagement.4 With this in mind, Hibah Berhanu, GAMVP, reached out to Ayesha Abid at Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL) to collaborate on an event that would introduce local solutions to large problems and encourage folks to hit the polls this Fall. Young people are less likely to turnout for elections. Social pressure is a great motivator for young people to vote in elections.5 The collaboration resulted in the Eco-Clothing swap event, held on June 9 at Black Coffee Co.
Black Coffee Co. is a Black owned coffee shop in Jonesboro, Georgia. Upon entering the shop, entrants lock eyes with prominent progressive political figures in a mural on the wall, while the scent of freshly ground coffee envelops them. From civil rights leader John Lewis to Stacey Abrams, the mural evokes a feeling of empowerment in everyone that walks through the the glass doors. The space buzzes with pride and joy, complemented by live plants and plenty of seating. Everyone is home at Black Coffee Co, making it the perfect setting for the Eco-clothing swap.
Berhanu and Abid passionately fight for environmental justice. “It’s really important for me to represent my Muslim values in how I act, how I practice my faith, and taking care of the planet is just one manifestation of me practicing my faith.” Hibah Berhanu shares.
Co-organizer, Ayesha Abid is no stranger to doomism, “I tend to be a little bit negative, and think ‘There’s nothing that’s going to be solved in this world if I and others like me don’t step up to the plate, because no one else is going to.’” Even though she has a hard time seeing an end to the climate crisis, she stays optimistic and believes she can make a difference and help others do the same.
Ayesha’s optimism and Hibah’s faith combined created the Eco-Clothing swap. “Clothing Swaps foster community building, connection, and sustainability.” 6These events remind community members of the positivity around them, and the steps they can take to eradicate waste. This event was all about bringing people together to share info on civic engagement and the upcoming elections. Studies show that “…civic engagement as a tool for coping with adversity or systemic oppression. Civic engagement demonstrates a heterogeneous relationship to well-being.”7 It is evident that social issues are connected to civic engagement and mental health. During the event a participant, Madiha Abid, shared wonderful insight about the interconnectedness of the climate crisis, mental health, and civic engagement. Madiha is a behavioral therapist by trade, and works to make mental health resources more accessible for Black and Brown communities.
Madiha shared how nature and green spaces are becoming less and less accessible for the working class and lower income communities. “They are building high rises and townhomes on every piece of land possible, and nowadays it costs an arm and a leg to go to the beach. Our people are drowning in a sea of gray.”
Madiha’s sentiments resonated with many people in the group, leading Hibah to step up. “We deserve access to beaches and parks, and as custodians of our planet it is our responsibility to take action.” Georgia’s youth voter turnout decreased by 7% between 2018 and 2022. Even though youth turnout has been declining, it’s crucial to show young people that voting is actually in their best interest, as they have the power to influence elections. “Young people continue to prove that they’ll turn out to vote to influence election results and have an impact on issues they care about,” says Abby Kiesa, CIRCLE’s deputy director.8
The eco-clothing swap served two purposes: to remind youth voters that community solutions work, and also to remind them that we need to take civic action as well by voting and speaking to our elected officials. The monotony of everyday life continues to decrease motivation for change, and that was visible with this crowd. People are hungry for change and human connection, and this Eco-clothing swap provides a space for both of those things.
“Let’s swap clothes y’all!” Hibah closed out the discussion and directed everyone to the table with different clothing items on display. A sea of color and texture sat upon the long table surrounded by plants. Slowly, participants approached the table, shyly browsing the selection. “Please feel free to grab anything that fits your style! The remaining items will be donated to a local women’s shelter.” Ayesha encouraged the attendees to look thoroughly. With this encouragement, folks moved quicker towards the table.
“Oh this is so cute!” an attendee exclaimed.
“I’ve been looking for a chunky knit sweater like this,” Hibah shared.
With that, the table was cleared in no time, and attendees left the coffee shop with new pieces to complement their existing wardrobes.
The rise of doomism and voter apathy will not end after 2024, if anything they may become worse. GAMVP and GIPL work on creating programs that fit their audience, making sure communities in Georgia stay involved and keep fighting for their rights, whether it’s in big ways or small.
The Eco-clothing swap is just one facet of the programming these two organizations conduct. GIPL offers sustainability resources to religious communities across the state, making it easy for them to get involved in composting, recycling, and energy-saving projects.
GAMVP considers the political landscape and hosts an array of events that encourage Georgia Muslim communities to vote, advocate at the state capitol, and participate in grassroots organizing work.
These organizations are using their resources to empower communities. They plan to continue these efforts as long as they are necessary.
- https://open.library.ubc.ca/soa/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0431311 ↩︎
- https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/4140647-congress-cant-be-slow-to-address-fast-fashion/ ↩︎
- https://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/id/eprint/7332/1/ACEI2014-50.pdf ↩︎
- https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/youth-concern-about-climate-change-drives-civic-engagement ↩︎
- Bergan, D. E., Carnahan, D., Lajevardi, N., Medeiros, M., Reckhow, S., & Thorson, K. (2022). Promoting the Youth Vote: The Role of Informational Cues and Social Pressure. Political Behavior, 44(4), 2027–2047. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-021-09686-x ↩︎
- https://medium.com/@leratofortunatet/saving-money-the-environment-how-clothing-swaps-benefit-your-wallet-and-the-planet-795fd74f1b58 ↩︎
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13676261.2022.2156779 ↩︎
- https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/state-state-youth-voter-turnout-data-and-impact-election-laws-2022 ↩︎
