Lead at the Training Department at If Not Us Then Who (INUTW)
Yurshell Rodríguez is an Environmental Engineer from the National University of Colombia and an International Cooperation master’s student. A climate activist, researcher, and plaintiff in the first lawsuit for climate change and future generations in Latin America, Yurshell belongs to the Afro-Indigenous Raizal ethnic group native to the San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina Archipelago, Colombia, home to the third-largest coral reef barrier in the world.
Since a young age, Yurshell has dedicated herself to the protection and conservation of ecosystems, participating in numerous environmental protection activities. In 2018, she, along with 25 other young plaintiffs and the NGO Dejusticia, sued the Colombian government to stop deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, winning the lawsuit under ruling 4360.
She currently serves as the Lead at the Training Department at INUTW and also coordinates the Residency Program. In addition, she leads external communications of the Sea Land and Culture Foundation Old Providence Initiative, working on preserving the Raizal culture and ecosystems.
Yurshell was named a Young Environmental Activist by the Youth Advisory Group of the General Secretariat on Climate Change at the UN in 2021. She has also participated as a spokesperson for climate justice at major international events, such as COP25 in Madrid, COP26 in Glasgow, and COP27 in Egypt, advocating for climate justice for the communities most vulnerable to the climate crisis worldwide. In 2024, she was selected as one of the 16 voices of COP16 in Colombia, a recognition that honors influential climate leaders. Yurshell was also selected as a Young Leader for 2024 at the Green Carpet Fashion Awards in Hollywood, California. Alongside her activism, she has pursued a career in Impact Storytelling, where her works, such as the documentary Desde Providencia al Amazona- El Tiempo, Raizal – If Not Us Then Who, and the Documentary series El Tiempo Que nos Queda – Luminante Estudio showcase the intersection of culture, environment, and storytelling, amplifying the voices of Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities.
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