There’s something I’ve been struggling with lately: the image of suited world leaders meeting in giant conference rooms at COP21 in Paris in December that just doesn’t fit with the real image of climate change that so many people are facing across our continent.
The Paris negotiations could potentially send a signal that world governments are serious about keeping fossil fuels in the ground. If they fail, it will embolden the fossil fuel industry and expose more communities to toxic extraction and climate disasters.
So from September 25th to October 2nd, from Cape Town to Amman, the #WeFightClimateChange week of action is raising the voices of communities in our countries who are fighting climate change right now, and sending a clear message to African investors, people and politicians at COP21 and beyond, that the era of fossil fuels is coming to an end and that it’s time to support a new, just, clean energy economy.
COP21 can signal that the age of fossil fuels is coming to an end. We are already making this vision a reality around the world. Politicians can’t hold the transition back, but they can help accelerate it by setting ambitious goals to finance the transition to an economy based on 100% renewable energy.
Find an event near you:
- September 25th: Nairobi (Kenya): Climate change concert
- September 25th: Johannesburg (SA): Music and poetry night
- September 30th – October 2nd: Libya: Climate change impacts art exhibition
- September 25th – 30th October: Tunisia: Film Screenings
- October 1st: Cairo (Egypt): Film Screening
- October 1st: Goma (DRC): Film Screening
- October 2nd: Amman (Jordan): Artivism Workshops
- October 2nd : Bujumbura (Burundi): Climate change conference
And then, to get everyone on the same page and learn how we can continue building momentum we are holding workshops around the globe. These workshops will play a vital role in building a more connected and powerful movement that is prepared for ambitious action in 2015 and beyond. Nothing is more powerful than people meeting face to face, forming connections and acting on their plans together.
Click here to host a Power Through Paris workshop and here to find one already happening near you.
The time for feeling powerless in the face of climate chaos is over. No matter what happens in the negotiating halls, we must build power to hold them accountable to the principles of justice and science.