2019 The Sunrise Movement
Remarks of Neal Rosenstein
Vice President, The Puffin Foundation
The Puffin Prize for Creative Citizenship
Type Media Gala
December 10, 2019
On behalf of Perry & Gladys Rosenstein & the Puffin Foundation I’d like to say it’s truly a pleasure to be here tonight in this wonderful locale, in support of the vital work of Type Media, with this fantastic audience, honoring the truly extraordinary activists of the Sunrise Movement.
The Puffin Prize recognizes “Creative Citizenship.” Every year Type and Puffin wrestle over the outstanding individuals who are nominated for this $100,000 award. Our choice this year was clear. I’d like to briefly explain why Sunrise won this year’s Prize.
We all know it. Despite scientific consensus, we continue to poison our planet, pollute our air and water, proceed on a path that is environmentally unsustainable and whose impacts are increasingly irreversible. IRRVERSIBLE!
Much of the world’s biodiversity is slowly dying on our watch and unless dramatic action is taken to address the human caused degradations of our environment, we’ll be faced with increased human suffering, mass extinctions, and the collapse of ecosystems.
We need real and comprehensive change on an international level, we need it yesterday, and there’s no organization doing more to fight for the national policies to combat climate change and create a green economy than the Sunrise Movement.
Like so many students and young people across the planet, the activists of Sunrise are sick and tired of lackluster promises of action and efforts to ignore or downplay the risks to our future.
In Response, they’ve:
• Countered corporate lobbyists and big-moneyed interests, with training institutes, activism & grassroots organizing;
• Fought disinformation, with facts, science and passion;
• And challenged complacent politicians – from any party -, with protests, confrontation, and creative citizenry.
But most importantly they’ve championed real change, A Green New Deal. These young people have united to stop climate change and are fighting to create millions of good jobs in the process. Thanks to their efforts that Green New Deal is closer to reality. Through their tactics, persistence and perseverance, they’ve helped: to revolutionize the debate about the danger facing us all and, promote real, workable, progressive solutions to prevent an environmental catastrophe and put folks to work creating a more green economy. Ultimately, we hope those efforts will lead us away from fossil fuels to a new energy economy that “Keeps it in the Ground.”
For a moment, I’d also like to acknowledge the presence of the students from Parkland and March for Our Lives – last year’s winners of the Puffin Prize who we’re honored to have here again tonight. They were recognized for mobilizing students to stand up and be counted in last year’s midterms and for being the most ardent & successful organizers against our unfettered gun culture in recent memory. Their actions continue to help change laws, save lives, motivate their peers, and shape our conceptions on guns and gun violence. Bravo.
Tonight’s awardee’s – Sunrise – impressed us in a similar way. They’ve changed the debate and continue to change minds about climate change. Their commitment, organizing brilliance, and idealism represent the essence of creative and concerned citizenry.
And that’s why I’m honored to now bring two of the co-founders of Sunrise, who are also two of the leaders of Sunrise New York Sara Blazevic and Victoria Fernandez, up to the stage to accept this year’s Puffin Prize for Creative Citizenship.