Matthew Menzies

“The climate crisis is a checkmate for Belizeans like me from the tropics.

We will literally roast, and be forced to migrate. I have no other choice but to raise awareness through direct action. The lands and livelihoods of my people depend on it.”

Matthew Alexander Menzies was born on the island of Mannahatta in 1993 and hails from Belize, Central America, with Yucatec Maya Indian ancestry. A lifelong practitioner of Buddhism, Matthew received lay ordination in 2022 in the Soto Zen tradition and currently serves as the ‘Shissui’ (Work Leader) of the Boundless Mind Temple at The Brooklyn Zen Center. His spiritual practice is deeply intertwined with his activism, offering him the ethical resolve and clarity to lead in times of resistance.

A passionate climate activist, Matthew is a lead organizer with Extinction Rebellion NYC, where he has helped coordinate numerous campaigns and disruptions, including the US Open Coco Gauff semi-final protest (2023), the March to End Fossil Fuels (2023), and the St. Patrick’s Cathedral Easter Vigil for Palestine Liberation. Matthew’s Maya heritage and the colonial history of Belize fuel his commitment to combating environmental racism, land theft, and systemic injustice. The rising impacts of climate change in Central America, particularly in his homeland, deepen his urgency in advocating for global climate justice and amplifying the voices of those most affected.

In addition to his activism, Matthew is an accomplished artist-designer, urban farmer, and horticulturalist.