We are proud to announce that Dr. Sadar Ginting, Project Coordinator at DEEP En-Gender, has successfully completed the prestigious Global Environments Summer Academy (GESA) 2024. This three-month immersive fellowship brings together a global network of changemakers working at the frontlines of ecological and social justice.
GESA 2024 convened 30 passionate conservationists, practitioners, researchers, artists, and activists from 19 countries, all committed to addressing the world’s most urgent ecological challenges—from the destruction of ecosystems and climate crisis, to the erosion of cultural integrity and environmental rights. This year’s academy featured a unique hybrid model, starting with seven weeks of online learning, followed by an intensive in-person program in the United Kingdom.
Dr. Sadar participated in a wide range of skills-based workshops, peer mentoring circles, and interactive global journeys during the online component. These sessions fostered deep exchange, creative reflection, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
In August, the cohort gathered in person for a transformative 5-day opening retreat in an idyllic rural setting, followed by a 5-day residential academy hosted by the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford. These in-person sessions offered rare opportunities to engage in critical conversations on ecological thinking, systems change, and creative leadership within a global learning community.
Through GESA, Dr. Sadar not only shared his lived experience working with Indigenous communities and leading youth-centered sustainability projects in Southeast Asia, but also explored new methodologies for ecological regeneration.