About this talk
As Christine Nieves learned in the days and weeks following Hurricane Maria, “when disasters happen, the person right in front of you is your best chance at survival.” After Hurricane Maria decimated the physical and material infrastructure of the island of Puerto Rico, Christine began to mobilize what could not be destroyed, the community.
Watch her TEDMED 2018 talk “Why community is our best chance for survival—a lesson post-Hurricane Maria” to learn how Christine and her team are finding ways to support healing from individual and collective trauma.
About Christine Nieves
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Christine Nieves is a community organizer and leader from Puerto Rico known for her work in disaster recovery and climate change preparedness. She first gained national attention for her immediate response to Hurricane Maria in 2017. After the hurricane, Christine co-founded Proyecto de Apoyo Mutuo Mariana, a community kitchen providing up to 300 meals a day, serving as a vital hub with solar power and clean water. This effort was more than just a relief project; it was about showing that communities can be their own best resource during a crisis. Building on this work, she co-founded Emerge Puerto Rico. This organization helps communities with sustainable development and long-term healing from trauma. Her work focuses on using local wisdom and resources to build stronger, more adaptable communities. She also served as a Bridge Fellow at TNTP, where she studied how schools and communities can better prepare for and respond to disasters.
