tEAm news #65 | 17.11.21
As we pass mid-November there’s no more denying that the festive season is upon us. So dig out the christmas jumper, warm up the mince pies, pour yourself something delicious and embrace it all !
“Be somebody who makes everyone feel like a somebody”
Dates
MOMENT OF PRAYER - Mondays 9-9:15: a moment to pause, prayer, light candles for our work & team. All welcome!
Link here (Meeting ID: 708 452 7633 Passcode: empathy)4.12.21 Christmas Fair: Skinners Kent Academy
5.12.21 Christmas Fair: Skinners Kent Academy Primary School
Christmas campaign on The Empathy Store - involving a few new products! (Stars and Syrian Veggie cook book)
TBC - a get-together pre Christmas
A Positive Read Following COP 26 - thanks Sandy !
Read why we should remain positive
Report from COP26 by Paul Williams
The Glasgow Agreement
Shortly after the deal was reached at the United Nations Climate Change Convention in Glasgow John Kerry, US climate envoy, said:
Paris built the arena, Glasgow started the race and tonight the starting gun was fired.
It certainly is a race against time. Six years on from the Paris climate agreement to keep global warming under 2 degrees centigrade its aspiration to limit the rise to 1.5 degrees has not been met.
As to how much has been achieved in Glasgow any assessment has to balance progress on:
Deforestation
Methane reduction
Phasing out subsidies that artificially lower the price of coal, oil or natural gas together with
The agreement to bring forward the review of emissions targets to COP 27 in Egypt next year against the anguished cries of the poorer nations and island states about the watering down of the text of the agreement from ‘phasing out’ to ‘phasing down’ coal and the lack of strong commitment for funding for less developed nations to adapt to the changing climate and to pay for loss and damage caused in the meantime.
In Glasgow the role of young people, faith communities and NGOs in calling for climate justice was crucial. Their continued involvement will be vital in bringing pressure to bear on world leaders to come back next year with pledges of further cuts to emissions of carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change.
The success or failure of COP 26 will ultimately depend on whether, and how quickly the commitments made lead to action on the ground. That assessment is for the future. Although the agreement failed to secure sufficient pledges to reduce carbon emissions sufficiently to keep global warming within 1.5 degrees, it may have left the door open for that target to be met if those pledges are strengthened next year. In the run up to COP 27 we will continue to promote ’The High Life' to ensure that the voices of the poor, indigenous communities and generations yet unborn are heard by those who will be taking those decisions.
Update from Board Meeting 15/11:
Empathy Action - the next 5 years
(from Chair, Paul Williams)
Empathy Action will be celebrating its 7th birthday in January. Ben made a presentation to the Board and Management Committee at their meeting on Monday which reviewed the progress that we have made over that time and the challenges which we currently face. In the light of this presentation and a fuller report that had been circulated the Board decided to set up a Strategic Plan Committee to advise it on the steps that will need to be taken to ensure the sustainability of Empathy Action into the future. The committee members Jamie MacLeay, Allison Holton, Colin Crisp, Paul Williams and Ben will report on their findings to the Board meeting in February. In the meantime committee members are keen to hear the views of team members and supporters. Where can we be more effective? What could we do differently to achieve our mission to inspire and empower people to work together to improve the lives of others in need? Please do get in touch with any views you have on EA’s future course. We would love to hear from you.
OTHER UPDATES
The Poverty Trap (TPT) is back! We’re in discussions for a TPT with Activate Learning (where Barbra & Krishna come from) for early-mid Sept next year. The plan will be to run the simulation (we hope with even more friends from Oxford) and also look to use this to recruit a fresh set of interns. We’re hoping this can turn into an annual fixture!
Christmas Fairs are coming - are you connected to any that we may easily exhibit at? Please let Ben know if so.
Reboot The Future - we have a meet up with friend and founder, Kim Polman who commissioned us to make these special SDG pins later this week. There’s always some interesting opportunities that come about when we meet up!
Blogs transfer - Barbra & Krishna have been busy transferring the back catalogue of blogs over from the old website to our new one. Thanks guys!
Interesting discussions (early days!) We introduced a group to The Royal Victoria Place (where we ran Desperate Journeys a few years ago) and this group want to run a series of street vendors using the empty space with a vision: “We repurpose empty restaurant and retail spaces creating short-term residencies for new and emerging food concepts.” They would like us to introduce them to some of our Syrian and Eritrean cooks and those with both a passion for food but also a mind for setting up a business. They also are interested in some of our ideas around food and empathy. More to come we hope!
Last Year team member Victoria “Vix” Daniel powerfully shared with us what it is like to be deaf. Especially in a video conferencing, mask wearing world. She opened up and shared with us some powerful insights into being deaf.
She now has a book out which she shares her fuller story. You can buy it here (we’re looking forward to reading it… Thank Vix!)
