Seeking climate justice through Paris
While world leaders are at the Paris climate summit, known as COP21, Quakers are putting huge efforts into raising awareness about their concerns for the planet and reverence for life. A new Quakernomics blog offers a taste of their activities.
Quakers around Britain are walking and cycling to Paris, taking part in the People's Pilgrimage, organising vigils and sharing stories. Each action a clear message about the need to live low carbon lives; each a step on the journey away from fossil fuel dependency.
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How do we change our hearts and minds away from consumerist lifestyles and live joyfully with less?
- Al Gore
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- Liz McPherson, of Sidcot Local Meeting, is walking from London to Paris on the Pilgrimage to Paris.
- Cliodhna Mulhern, of Lancaster Local Meeting, joined the global People's Pilgrimage and walked to Morecambe Bay. She says: “Pilgrimage carries us out of the petty fury of the everyday and into a slow, silent, ancient place where stillness speaks, where we see more clearly and act more courageously."
- Staff from Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) are at the conference in Paris, along with Rachel Berger, of the Britain Yearly Meeting sustainability group. She is following issues of agriculture, on behalf of QUNO.
Rachel Berger blogs “I attended an inspiring dialogue between Al Gore and civil society this morning, where he answered questions with positive messages on the importance of fossil fuel disinvestment and the role of youth. He had no answers, however, to the biggest challenge of our time, and one facing Quakers too: how do we change our hearts and minds away from consumerist lifestyles and live joyfully with less?"
Read the Quaker Peace and Social Witness briefing Climate Justice through Paris