We Were Never Ready: Climate, Displacement, and the Moral Imagination We Need

Lead Organizer: Michael Roman, Ph.D., MPH, MA

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio (with national and global partnerships)

Duration: 12 months (pilot phase)

Partners:

• Green Umbrella Climate Research Incubator
• Indiana University Refugee Center
• University of Cincinnati College of Law
• Cincinnati Office of Environment and Sustainability
• Cincinnati City Council (Councilmember Liaison TBD)
• Government of Kiribati
• National Peace Corps Association
• Tungaru Climate Alliance (Kiribati)
• Citizens’ Climate Lobby
• Local refugee/immigrant support organizations

Overview

We Were Never Ready is a public engagement and policy action initiative addressing the urgent need for U.S. cities to prepare for climate-induced migration. With more than 20 years of personal and professional collaboration with Kiribati—a Pacific Island nation already experiencing the frontlines of climate displacement—this project will connect Cincinnati's emerging role as a potential climate haven with lived global experience, legal frameworks, and civic readiness.

Problem Statement

Cincinnati is increasingly recognized in academic and policy circles as a future destination for individuals and families displaced by climate change. However, discussions of migration with dignity remain largely absent from municipal planning, despite communities like Kiribati having spent years calling for global solidarity.

The Government of Kiribati and its allies—including diaspora voices, grassroots leaders, and advocacy groups—have long framed relocation as a last resort, and not necessarily as abandonment, but as a planned, rights-based adaptation strategy. Their leadership is critical to any meaningful U.S. response. While federal efforts, such as the Climate Displaced Persons Act (CDPA), have gained traction, cities like Cincinnati must also begin taking action at the local level.

Goals

1. Bridge global and local narratives to ensure U.S. cities learn from frontline nations on climate change.
2. Support municipal engagement with climate displacement policy, infrastructure, and legal planning.
3. Elevate frontline leadership from Kiribati and other at-risk nations in civic and academic spaces.
4. Advance federal advocacy by aligning local voices with legislation, such as the CDPA.

Key Activities

1. Public Engagement Series

• “We Were Never Ready” storytelling events, film screenings, and expert panels.
• Guest participants include Kiribati government officials, climate migrants, legal scholars, and advocates based in Cincinnati.

1. Policy Roundtables & Legal Working Groups

• Hosted in partnership with the Cincinnati Office of Environment and Sustainability, Cincinnati City Council, and UC College of Law.
• Development of a Climate Migration Readiness Brief, with co-authorship from Government of Kiribati representatives and U.S. municipal experts.

1. Climate Displaced Persons Act (CDPA) Advocacy Track

• Education & Briefings: Inform Cincinnati’s elected leaders and public audiences about the CDPA.
• Coalition Building: Build regional endorsements for federal climate displacement legislation.
• Local Government Resolution: Draft a Cincinnati City Council resolution affirming support for CDPA principles and climate migration planning.
• Diplomatic Collaboration: Coordinate briefings with Kiribati’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Immigration and support international visibility for local U.S. climate migration efforts.

Expected Outcomes

• A Climate Migration Readiness Brief integrating legal and policy insights from both the U.S. and the Government of Kiribati.
• A Cincinnati City Council resolution endorsing CDPA principles and committing to climate migration planning.
• Stronger public awareness and civic engagement around displacement as a just and necessary adaptation strategy.
• A model for other U.S. cities to engage responsibly in climate migration policy, storytelling, and planning.
• The establishment of a sister city relationship between Cincinnati and the Teinainano Urban Council (TUC) in Tarawa, further cementing global solidarity and long-term collaboration.

Why Now

Frontline nations, such as Kiribati, have led the global conversation on climate displacement with courage and clarity. However, without U.S. cities stepping forward in solidarity, we risk exacerbating injustice through inaction. We Were Never Ready offers Cincinnati the opportunity to lead nationally by partnering globally—bridging lived experience, federal advocacy, and local action at a moment when history demands it.