Nina Moshefi, Anna Moshefi, and Mandisha Thomas

[00:09] ANNA MOSEFI: My name is Anna Moshefi My age is 37. Today's date is June 28, 2022. I am in Atlanta, Georgia. My partners today are Representative Mendesha Thomas of District 65 and Nina Mosefi. They are a representative of my state and a good friend. And my sister, respectfully.

[00:36] NINA NINA MOSEFI: Hello.

[00:36] ANNA MOSEFI: My name is Nina Nina Mosefi I am 41 years old. Today's date is June 28, 2022. I am joining you from Atlanta, Georgia, and I'm having this lovely conversation with Representative Mandisha Thomas of District 65 and Anna Mosefi Representative Thomas is a good friend, and Anna Mosefi is my dear sister.

[01:08] NINA NINA MOSEFI: Hi. My name is Mandisha A. Thomas, state representative for District 65. My age is 40 28. I am in beautiful south Fulton county, and my partners today are Nina and Anna. Must be. And they are my colleagues in environmental justice and injustices. Representative, I'm sorry, but I had a.

[01:50] ANNA MOSEFI: Little glitch on my end. I don't know if it came through. Just say your name and your age one more time, just so make it we have it clear.

[01:58] NINA NINA MOSEFI: You want me to say that dirty number again? Okay. State representative Mandisha A. Thomas of the 65th district. My age is 47.

[02:18] ANNA MOSEFI: Okay. So I'll just go ahead and start off by saying how happy I am to be here with both of you ladies today. I have been counting, so to speak, for our conversation. Representative Thomas, Nina, and myself, we actually met about a year ago at a environmental sustainability gathering here in Atlanta, Georgia. The gathering was sponsored by MTO. This is a global campaign known as MTO Environmental sustainability, and it is part of a global nonprofit organization known as MTO. Shah Maghsoud School of Islamic Sufism. MTO, as I mentioned, is a nonprofit organization. Right. And it's parent to several campaigns. One of the campaigns, of course, is the environmental sustainability campaign. And the other is MTO charity, which is basically charity and community support. And, of course, there's another campaign that focuses on mental health, which has been a great resource for me throughout the pandemic years. The reason MTO is involved with environmental sustainability efforts is due to the teachings of the school. Sufism is a precise method of teaching that allows for each individual who is looking to go on through a path of self knowledge and self realization. And the teachings of the school put the individual at the center of it all. And there's an emphasis on balance. Now. Balance is this necessary force that keeps the universe in check. Right. And moving forward, it is vital for the sustainability of all living things, from ourselves in our bodies to the macrocosm, the stars, the moon, the planets, they all move in balance. And because over the past centuries, humans have made the decisions that, you know, regardless of intentions, have created this huge imbalance, it was important that MTO began to manifest this very important part of their teachings within their immediate communities. The gathering last year was based on the goals and the initiatives of the MTO sustainability campaign, which align with four key un sustainable development goals. These goals are, from the MTO side, tailored to reflect the various contexts that the centers across the globe operate. They serve as a guideline to educate the students of the school, but also the communities. Now, again, this was a beautiful gathering. It was the first ever gathering that MTO sustainability had hosted, and we were so privileged. I was, because I'm a volunteer with the campaign that it was hosted in Atlanta, the purpose behind it was really to create dialogue with key changemakers within the community, which would create change, create plans to educate local communities on sustainable living, come up with plans that would inspire the youth within our communities, but also to create these new partnerships and collaborative events. Efforts. Right. And we were so very lucky that Representative Thomas was able to join us on that day because from this gathering, we were able to have this beautiful partnership with you. Now, I'm going to stop talking, and I really want to get into, you know, all the amazing things that you have and are currently doing. Representative Thomas, you're so very much engaged in, you know, just sustainability and health and how does like, just, you know. I want to hear more about it.

[06:54] NINA NINA MOSEFI: Thank you. Anna. Yes. I've been working in environmental injustices and justices in the communities of South Fulton and merged into Douglas and now will be in 2023, Clayton county. So I am the founder of the Georgia Environmental Justice Education and Awareness Symposium. I started it in 2019. What spurred it was a landfill that had been burning for over a year in the district, and the blame was put on the municipality, to the state, to EPA, back to the municipality, back to the county, to the state, and was just like a ring around the Rosies. But during that interim period of ring around the Rosies, the community was suffering. So it got to the point where individuals that lived on the street of the landfill couldn't barely come out of their house because of the stench. The smoke would come into their home. So there was soot that was left in their homes. Individuals that had elderly family members that may want to come visit wasn't able to do because of the landfill running and their elderly age. Two people actually passed after we got to the year mark of that landfill burning. But we couldn't tie it exactly to the landfill, but we know that burning of the landfill probably exacerbated some of the things that were going on with those individuals that did pass. But just the back and forthness from the fire department to the county to the state to the city, it just compelled me to really work in the communities that may not have a voice or legislation that may need to be enacted to change something like this from happening.

[09:07] ANNA MOSEFI: Wow. That is. That's actually very. I did not hear about this, and I. It's very. I want to use the word sad for the lack of a better word, but the fact that there are communities who are hurting because of the actions of the greater community, I think is something that should definitely be talked about when we talk about environmental sustainability. Because if my actions. Right. Are going to affect and infringe on the rights and the health of another human being whom I've never met, whom is, I'm sure, an amazing human being, then this becomes environmental sustainability almost becomes a whole human rights discussion as well. And I'm so happy that you are that voice. So what are some of your plans that you think? Is this education? Is there a need for educating the communities about this? What do you think needs to happen?

[10:28] NINA NINA MOSEFI: It's definitely an education and awareness piece, which is my plight for the state of Georgia. So as a state representative, that's basically how I enact legislation, through education and awareness. So every piece that I put forth has an education and awareness component to it. But when I do activities in the district, per se, it still has that education and awareness. But it's kind of what you said, a voice. I want to give the community a voice. I want to create advocates. So what I did last summer, and in hopes to do this summer as well, is create environmental justice academies. And they're eight week courses that the community can take for free, and they actually receive the honorarium for taking the course. So youth receive $100 at the end of the eight weeks, and adults receive $200. So each week, I have a facilitator that I pay an honorarium to teach the individuals in the community about environmental and agricultural proceeds from our community.

[11:42] ANNA MOSEFI: That is so. That is just such a amazing plan that you have going forward. And please countenance me in, because I am very interested in this. You know, as an. As a teacher, I love that you are focusing on both the adults and the youth, because sometimes it's not just about teaching the young. Right. We have to reteach the adults of the community of certain aspects and ideas. And this is, it's a very exciting thing that you are doing. Actually, speaking on that, I want to segue to Nina Real quick, because you are the lead volunteer coordinator for the MTO charity. Right. And over the past couple of years, especially with the pandemic, because we've been working much more closer in space. Now, I have seen you trying to integrate some of the sustainability goals to reduce the carbon footprint and to reduce the waste that MTO produces in Atlanta, Georgia, specifically at the center, so that we could reduce, you know, what goes into the landfills that affects, you know, certain communities. Can you talk on that? Absolutely. Yes, I think so. I think we have definitely tried our best to make sure that our charity events are as sustainable as possible. Over the years, Representative Thomas and I had the opportunity to work on a number of great community outreach efforts for both sustainability and charity, where our MTO volunteers came together to prepare and put together care and meal packages along with various mental health resources that could potentially help our community. And throughout all of these efforts, our highest priority was to make sure that everything was done in the most sustainable way. And usually our charity events, as you both know, go hand in hand with our sustainability events, mainly because they are so interconnected. And throughout all of these efforts, our highest priority remained the same. And if you think about it, it is a sustainable, thriving environment that will give rise to a healthy and thriving community. And making sure that our donations reach the community in a sustainable way has been one of the four primary sustainability goals MTO has identified. And this mainly aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goal number twelve, which mainly focuses on responsible consumption and production. So what we basically have done is we've been using biodegradable and reusable packaging for all of our donations. We also carpool to all of our zero waste events where we essentially use reusable containers and minimize our waste output. But what has been so interesting and encouraging at the same time is that those in the community are seeing the difference that MTO is trying to make. And that's precisely why MTO Atlanta was invited to the Georgia House of Representatives to talk on a bill that Representative Thomas has proposed, which essentially offers youth initiative partnerships with University of Georgia's cooperative extension through a youth urban farming bill. And I am sure we all can agree that youth engagement in general is critical to positive youth development. And this is something that has been reported by multiple studies that look at youth development and its approaches. So basically, young people should be a part of planning, implementation and assessment of comprehensive community initiatives such as this, especially if it's something that's focused and supporting them directly. So, you know, I think such promising and effective initiatives and collaboration strategies help educate our youth about the importance of sustainability and sustainable farming, especially in an urban setting such as Atlanta. Yeah, it's really interesting because I wholeheartedly believe that the youth need to. It's imperative that they become actively involved, not just physically, but mentally, spiritually, just emotionally involved in becoming change makers for the well being of their environment. And again, something I have seen in my classroom is, you know, the idea of the greater good. It's okay. If it's not affecting you, that's okay. But it is definitely affecting someone else, and it is affecting someone else in this way. And, you know, taking the example of, you know, this. This landfill that was burning, two individuals passed away. Right. So this actually brought me to this idea that when we were at the gathering, we also spoke on how to be sustainable when it comes to consumption of food and being a consumer. You know, fashion, this is a lot of stuff that ends up in the landfills unnecessarily. Right. We could use composting. We could use recycling of clothing and fashion items and appliances. Actually, something I have become very interested in lately is circular design, which is when you design a product, you are thinking of its lifespan and how it can serve other purposes or continue to serve its purpose after its life cycle. Right. And, you know, this. This just kind of brings me back to, you know, going to certain communities who are highly affected by this very concept, this imbalance that the majority of societies are creating, and these smaller communities are, you know, having to bear the burden of. And one of them is energy. Right. You know, especially when we're talking about the justice and the injustice of the energy availability to certain communities. Two of the goals, two of the four goals that MTO sustainability has aligned with the un Sustainable Development Goals are the sustainable structures and sites and affordable and clean energy. So, basically, MTO is working to ensure that all of its buildings and centers across the world by the year 2030 are certified. So green certified, but that also their carbon footprint is minimal to zero. And they're already starting doing that through the use of low energy appliances and solar panels and all the good stuff. Now, representative Thomas, going back to some of, again, the communities who are affected and carry the burden of the greater societies out there, who sometimes we are very unaware of who is carrying that burden. Prime example, I did not know of this landfill that had been burning. I'm curious to see how energy plays a part in the progress and the growth and the well being of the residents of the communities, your district in particular, and Georgia as a whole. I also want to understand if tapping into sustainable energy sources such as solar energy is going to be a way that we can just create or bring about that balance again. So that, I don't know. There's that, first of all, because it's technology, you have the youth who might be more interested. But also, would that be something that would support communities around Georgia but also in your district?

[21:13] NINA NINA MOSEFI: Thank you, Anna. It definitely will. And just going back to the environmental justice boot academies that I did last year, just to clarify that we're making advocates, and in the process of doing so, we're teaching them what environmental injustice is. We're teaching them what agriculture and climate change is. We're talking about brownfield experiences, and we're also talking about agriculture and the ecology of it with the actual Aqua studies that we have at the end of the program. One of the main things that came out of the academy that the youth really loved was the infrastructure and the alternative energy is what you're talking about. And because the youth enjoyed this so much, and it kind of spurred me to alternative energy, and that's how I created House Bill 966, which was the solar panel, consumer protection. George, Georgia is in a place to be number one in renewable energy. And so before, because, well, because we know that before we get to that point where we're number one, we want to add some protections in place. So we want to be here and start scrambling the protections. So that was a small portion just to open the door for solar energy, kind of like opening the door for cannabis, which we can be number one in as well. Florida is, but Georgia can actually be. That's what I'm moving towards in the alternative energy realm. And it came out of that environmental justice academy. And another point that you made was the energy Bill 762 is authored by Representative Misha Mainor I'm the co sponsor of that. And that is the Fulton County Technology Energy Enhancement Authority, and it's based on zip codes. This was a very tumultuous bill to get passed. It should have been a local ordinance through Fulton county, well, actually through the Atlanta Fulton delegation. But we have so many problems and so much pushback trying to get this bill done. We did a workaround, and our Representative Mainor was able to get it passed out as a state of a Georgia law versus the local ordinance. But it is still towards those specific zip codes. I'm sorry, not a state of the Georgia law, Fulton county. So we got it through Fulton county and we're trying to bring it down to south Fulton county, but the energy burden areas are so high within Fulton county, it's unbelievable. It's to the point of people paying for medicines and food versus paying their energy bill. And since we know we can be number one in alternative energy, this technology authority is extremely important because, because it's going to provide hundreds and thousands of jobs if we can get this rolling. We're in place and have a board set up, but there is some seed monies that we are in need of to really make this happen. And so it's right in line. What you're talking about, Anna, that is.

[25:22] ANNA MOSEFI: That is so interesting because you're, you know, when it, once this is set in motion, you're telling me that not only are you, you know, removing this challenge for certain communities to have ready access to the energy they need, and we're in Georgia, the summers in Georgia, you need electricity, you need that AC. And, you know, the, so it's not only allowing these families to have access to the heating and the cooling and, you know, everything else that goes along with having access the energy, but it is creating jobs, it is creating motion for, I like to use this word for the greater good because it is creating this progress within our state. And that's amazing. But, yeah, you're absolutely right.

[26:18] NINA NINA MOSEFI: It's just that from a government standpoint, I'm hoping and wishing that we push the money towards energy versus towards paying energy bills. I mean, I guess they would have to run concurrently because there are some people that just cannot pay their energy bills. So I will thank God for the Fulton County Action Authority, which is the organization that is the aid physical agent for all the money for heating and cooling. They've been around for years, and I thank God that they're here. I want to keep that money going for the individuals that need it. But if we could take some of that same money and pump it into alternative energy and circumvent it back into our communities, in the long run, we'd be doing a greater good. And I do thank God for President Joe Biden. The previous president refused to acknowledge climate change and probably wouldn't want to put any monies into alternative energy. I'm not for sure, but I'm just basing it on. He did not acknowledge climate change, whereas President Biden has pumped in millions of dollars into environmental resources. And we just, as state legislators need to be at the table to get our hands on it. That is true.

[27:52] ANNA MOSEFI: That is true. And, you know, solar energy is, you know, it's not. It's there. It's available to us. Right. It's just a matter of tapping into it and making it available for, especially those who could benefit from it most. Nina do you have any thoughts on this? I know you are very, you are an advocate for solar energy, so I'm going to let you jump in here.

[28:25] NINA NINA MOSEFI: Sure.

[28:25] ANNA MOSEFI: Sure. Thank you. So I think before anything, we should keep in mind that energy is never lost. It only changes its form in our environment. So capturing the abundant energy present in our environment is a great source of renewable energy that we need to be aware of. And in principle, based on data from studies, the flood of energy pouring down on us from the sun could eventually meet Georgia's power needs many times over. And in order to reach a sustainable source of renewable energy for our Georgia communities, I think education, as you both mentioned, becomes an important factor. It's through education and community engagement projects that we as a community can come up with better long term solutions and sustainable ways to use energy. And MTO has over 950 solar panels installed across eight centers globally. And our Houston center, for example, supplies 98% of its own energy needs through their on site solar panels. So it is possible. So, for instance, if we could engage our local communities, such as nonprofit organizations and schools and small businesses, and educate them on the benefits of various renewable energy sources and how one could actually implement and make use of them on daily basis, we could be a step closer to the net zero carbon emission goal that each community is striving for. There is a quote by Professor Nader Angha that I would like to share that states, each individual is the architect of his or her own environment. So to me, this really brings the focus back to how I live today will eventually have an impact on my living environment right now as well as the future. The decisions that I make today are essentially the building blocks of my life 1 minute from now, a week from now, or even ten years from now, and the future of my children. So we have to be very cognizant of that. That is. That is very. Thank you for. Thank you for that. And I did not know that, you know, one of the centers was using solar energy to pretty much supply their almost entire energy needs. And that's just incredible to know that it is possible. It is possible as long as we have the means, and I think the means can become available. And one thing I wanted to kind of address, both of you ladies kind of spoke on this throughout your amazing talks. And that's, you know, getting people to want to do this, right, whether it's politicians or it's the community or it's the youth, right? And it goes back to. For me, it goes back to having conscious individuals. As a teacher, I teach little ones. And, you know, I have noticed that sometimes it's not so much that a student cannot learn something is just a decision that they don't want to participate because there's no connection for them. Subconsciously, they are disconnected from what I'm trying to convey to them. I think that has a lot to do with how very distracted we are as a society. Our busy schedules, everyone is running around. Things are chaotic. And again, everything is go, go, go from work to education to extracurricular activities. Families are constantly on the go. And this idea of pausing and becoming aware and taking it in, observing without judgment, is something that we don't do anymore as individuals or as communities. And I think in order for us to be able to have that, we need to be able to restore this consciousness, this mindfulness of as a human being, I need to stop. I need to stay still sometimes, right? And be able to admire and observe what is happening around me. And this goes back to, you know, the teachings of Sufism. Being aware of yourself, having knowledge of yourself. If I, as an individual, am in acceptance of myself, if I'm at peace with myself, if I am in balance with who I am and what I am, I think then I can, as one person, manifest that into my external environment, right? How else am I going to talk to you about, you know, the movement of the waves of the ocean, if I have never been to the ocean? So I think in order for us to gain momentum, gain the support, it's also very important to talk about this spiritual, I want to say, connection that individuals need to start to get or realize with their environment. Because at the end of the day, physics states that everything within the universe is interconnected. All the particles, right, are interconnected. And if that is true, and we're going to assume it's true because we like science, you know, we believe in science, then it's my job to become so balanced and centered within myself so that every action that I take is in a positive way. And if I do that on an individual basis, then Representative Thomas is doing that on an individual basis, and Nina is doing that on an individual basis. And our children and our families are doing that on an individual basis. Then slowly, slowly, we have this beautiful wave, this movement that is creating the change that is so necessary that you just spoke on, Representative Thomas. And, you know, it's just being aware. And I wanted to kind of bring our conversation to a close with my sincerest thank you to both of you ladies. I am very privileged to be here with you today and have this fruitful conversation. I have gained so much from you. Is there anything else that, you know, we need to say before we go? Okay.

[36:04] NINA NINA MOSEFI: I think Nina spoke on it earlier. House Bill 1309, a piece of legislation that I did this session to encourage young people to become full fledged farmers. I mean, I think everybody knows, knows the number one industry in Georgia is agriculture, but most don't know that the state of Georgia is not number one in agriculture. And because I'm pro Georgia, I won't say what that state is, but just know that we are not number one, but we can be number one. I think agriculture and environment run concurrently, so you can't talk about one without the other. The sustainability piece is a huge aspect of it, and agriculture actually is what sustains us. I have a mantra now that I say, if we know that the blood gives life, we just need to realize that agriculture includes urban technology and solar farming, then we'll be able to bring sustainability to an industry that actually sustains life.

[37:12] ANNA MOSEFI: Those are beautiful words. Thank you. Yes, 100%.

[37:20] NINA NINA MOSEFI: Representative Thomas, what happened to the landfill fire? I guess it eventually went out. The city where it was burning, two chiefs had transitioned in the interim of that year period. EPA granted $500,000 to go for putting out the fire, which is totally not enough, but I guess they said that was going to be a start. The gentleman that owned the. And let me say that it was an illegal landfill at that. That's why it was so much back and forth from government agency branch to government agency branch. No one wanted to take the responsibility of this illegal landfill. He had quite a bit of money, per lexis nexus that he could put the fire out. He said that he was doing that, and that was residuals of some smoke. But you couldn't just go on his property. Even EPD couldn't just go on his property. So as far as we know, it is out now, but it is still in litigation in the courts.

[38:37] ANNA MOSEFI: One last question. Sorry about my mic there. One last question. You use the term environmental justice and environmental injustice.

[38:43] NINA NINA MOSEFI: What does that mean to you? It's based on community from community. Community. So it's transit injustices, there's water injustices, there's air pollution injustices. In particularly in the district that I govern in, there's a huge injustice with warehousing being put in the backyards of individual homes and communities. So you don't know exactly what products are going to be made in these warehouses. There may be chemicals that can seep into the homes of the community members and exacerbate unwanted diseases like adhd, cancer. It can exacerbate a numerous of things, not to mention the transit justice or injustice with the 18 wheelers and the exhaust coming from the 18 wheelers into individual homes and just tearing up our roads, which is making potholes that are not readily fixed and cars are being torn up underneath that you can't see. And it's funny because I joke with some friends all the time about how Ford was supposedly had made a deal with the government in Michigan to not fix the road so that the cars could tear up and people could buy new cars. But that is a poverty injustice as well, because it may have been hard for someone to obtain one car. And as you know, the prices of cars are extremely high, whether new or used because of inflation. A word that one party of the government doesn't like to use more than another. But I won't say what that is. And so if you can't afford to get the car fixed or get another car, then that's another injustice.

[40:44] ANNA MOSEFI: Yeah. All right.

[40:49] NINA NINA MOSEFI: Thank you all very much.