TV Script: Awakening for Earth’s Sit-in Meditations for the Climate Crisis
Reporter Script = RED
Quotes = BLUE
SLUG: MEDITATION/CLIMATE CRISIS PAGE 1
REPORTER/PRODUCER
Nguyen/Nguyen
Anchor Intro:
WHETHER ITS BY SKIPPING SCHOOL ON FRIDAYS OR REDUCING THEIR MEAT CONSUMPTION, ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS ARE FINDING WAYS TO COMBAT THE GLOBAL CLIMATE CRISIS IN ANY WAY THEY CAN.
B-ROLL OF GROUP MEDITATING
AWAKENING FOR EARTH IS A GROUP OF SPIRITUAL PRACTITIONERS WHO AIM TO FACE THE CLIMATE CRISIS WITH NONVIOLENT DIRECT ACTION.
EACH SUNDAY, THEY MEET IN FRONT OF THE POST OFFICE IN CENTRAL SQUARE TO DO SITTING OR WALKING MEDITATIONS AS A WAY TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE.
DAVID DIROCCO
CORE LEADER FOR AWAKENING FOR EARTH
“If people would like to join, it’s very open for anyone who would like to participate as well. And we have conversations with people who walk by if they're interested in the mission, or even just what it is that we're doing.”
Stand Up Stairs
THE GROUP FOUND THAT MEDITATING ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO PAUSE FROM THEIR DAILY LIVES AND TO CONNECT SPIRITUALLY WITH THE EARTH.
SLUG: MEDITATION/CLIMATE CRISIS PAGE 2
REPORTER/PRODUCER
Nguyen/Nguyen
CORRINE DELACROIX
CORE LEADER FOR AWAKENING FOR EARTH
“I mean, we're all trying to get people to stop because to address the climate crisis we probably need to rethink our relationship to the Earth, our relationship to each other, and that sometimes we maybe need to stop. And in our society, we're running all the time. Here, sometimes people just say, ‘Oh, what are you doing?’ Just sitting, just staying silent. I mean, this is something that is counter intuitive, and make people think of it more. So it's complimentary to other protests and other forms of activism.”
MARIE RUDZINSKY WAKEFIELD
CORE LEADER FOR AWAKENING FOR EARTH
“We thought we can go around talking about it. People do that and they've tried and tried, and sometimes just silence and sitting is almost a bigger presence.”
B-ROLL OF SIGNS
DIROCCO, ONE OF THE CORE LEADERS OF THE GROUP, SAID HE FOUND THE MEDITATIONS REGENERATIVE AND REJUVENATING COMPARED TO OTHER FORMS OF PROTEST THAT PUT AN EMOTIONAL TOLL ON HIM.
DAVID DIROCCO
CORE LEADER FOR AWAKENING FOR EARTH
“I was way more involved with Extinction Rebellion and joined a lot of their protests and had my own affinity group with them. I found that the work that they're doing is important, and some people fit better with the work that they're doing and some people don't, and I'm one of those people that have to limit my time with shouting at people, blaming, othering, things like that. The energy associated with that. I started feeling bad for yelling at people and just civilians walking out of the train station and things like that. And I think that this is more up my alley.”
SLUG: MEDITATION/CLIMATE CRISIS PAGE 3
REPORTER/PRODUCER
Nguyen/Nguyen
B-ROLL OF CHEN AND TANG
DURING THE 20 MINUTE MEDITATION, MANY WHO PASSED BY STOPPED TO TAKE A LOOK. 2 EVEN DECIDED TO JOIN THE MEDITATION TOWARDS THE LAST FEW MINUTES.
PHOEBE CHEN
PARTICIPANT, JUNIOR JOURNALISM MAJOR AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY
“I just past by here weeks ago, and David just talked to me and told me about doing meditations here, and I thought it was really cool. I admired him a lot. This was my first time here.”
GEORGE TANG
22, PARTICIPANT
“I just feel like it’s a meaningful cause. I think it’s important to find a way to raise awareness about issues we care about—I think it’s a nice environment, so we don’t need to be super angry or confrontational. They’re just sitting here and people are passing by, and they’re looking at what we’re rooting for. I think there is a lot of power in being a part of peaceful protest.”
B-ROLL POSTER
ALTHOUGH THE WEEKLY MEDITATIONS RARELY HAVE HUGE TURNOUTS, THE GROUP IS CONFIDENT THAT THEIR PRESENCE CAN INSPIRE OTHERS TO TAKE A PAUSE AND THINK ABOUT THE PLANET.
