Two young women from Maine, who were delegates to the international climate talks (COP21) in Paris last month, will present a slideshow talk on their behind-the-scenes experiences there. Their presentation also will include a forecast of activities grassroots and youth-led groups in Maine and around the world will be organizing in 2016 to address the climate crisis. 

The public is invited to attend the event on Sunday, Jan. 10 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Durham Friends Meetinghouse, 534 Quaker Meeting House Rd., Durham. The presentation is part of a series of films and speakers created by the Maine-based Down to Earth Storytelling Project and premiered with the Friends' congregation and youth group.  

Chloe Maxmin, of Nobleboro, was a representative to the COP21 with SustainUS — the largest accredited youth delegation in the world. A graduate of Lincoln Academy, where she started the student Climate Action Club, Chloe graduated from Harvard College in May. At Harvard, she founded Divest Harvard — a campaign calling on the university to divest from fossil fuel companies. Chloe built the divestment effort from a group of three leaders into a movement of 70,000. After graduation, Chloe became a Fellow at The Nation while she writes a book about how the climate movement can become an effective political force. 

Meaghan LaSala, of South Portland, is active in many community efforts for social and environmental justice. A June graduate of the University of Southern Maine, Meaghan was a leader in the Divest UMaine campaign, which successfully pressured the University of Maine System to divest its direct holdings from coal companies. Divest UMaine continues to press for full fossil fuel divestment of UMaine system endowment. Meaghan serves on the board of the Southern Maine Workers' Center, an organization building a broad based movement for the rights of poor and working class people in Maine. 

The two women will share their analysis, experiences, and lessons-learned from COP as well as where the climate movement needs to go in 2016. Following a period for questions, they will lead an intergenerational activity to conclude the program.

For more information, please contact Down to Earth project director Anne "Andy" Burt at 380-5387 or annedburt145@gmail.com.