Climate Change: “the dividing line between poverty and wellbeing”
An Empathy Action team went to Bonn, Germany last weekend to join a Christian lobby at the 23rd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP23). Empathy Action is looking to build future empathy programmes in this area.
The COP23 this year serves to build on the COP21 and Paris Agreement to
…limit the global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees above that of the pre-industrial age”
It has a focus on building more ambitious targets and being bolder on action for a common future. Everyone has a part to play: Governments (national, regional and local), Investors, Businesses, Civil Society, Everyone. The call is to go
Further, Faster – Together”
Paul and Heather Williams, already activists (they walked to Paris from London to COP 21 in 2015 and are involved in Creation Care at St Nicholas Church Sevenoaks), Alison & Kevin Dennis engaged in Renew our Food at Orpington Baptist Church and regulars for the Poverty Trap joined Director, Ben Solanky in the Empathy Action team.
The team took part in a convening of global groups from End Poverty 2030, Tearfund, Tear Australia, Micah Global Network, EU CORD, EFICOR India and more involving over 60 people. Their activities including handing a petition to delegates from Fiji, the Chair of this year’s summit, to honour the commitments made to date; an adoption of a tree in the botanical gardens of Bonn that can now survive the winter due to climatic changes; a celebration of the nations coming together and church services that reflected a call for action towards a climate of justice.
Martin Kapenda, Director of Micah Global in Zambia, one of the accredited civil society representatives at the talks, shared the very real impacts of climate change in his country and in Africa. He said:
Climate change in my country in Zambia and in Africa is ‘the dividing line’ between poverty and wellbeing.”
Kuki Rokhum, Director of Development and Learning EFICOR in India, who preached at the official Church service on Sunday morning, cited the late activist Wangari Maathai’s ‘story of the hummingbird’ in a call to action by the team encouraging us not to be overwhelmed or numbed by the scale of the problem before us.
Empathy Action is already involved in producing Global Citizenship programmes for schools and groups and will be looking to develop further its range of empathy activities to include climate action.
If you are interested in these programmes to either book for your group or volunteer please contact us.
