Sustaining All Life at COP24 in Katowice, Poland, November 29 - December 8, 2018

Introduction

After our experiences In Paris, Marrakech, and Bonn in the last three years, Sustaining All Life attended COP24 in Katowice, Poland in December. Our goal continued to be to make clear that there is a connection between climate change and capitalism, racism, sexism, classism and oppression of indigenous peoples and young people. We made space for people from the different oppressed groups who are often denied a voice in the mainstream climate movement and in the media, to share their experiences, their activism, their hopes and struggles, while being listened to with respect.

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One of the most important tasks of the 24th Session of the of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24) was to work out and adopt a package of decisions ensuring the full implementation of the Paris Agreement, in accordance with the decisions adopted in Paris (COP21) and in Marrakesh (COP22). Moreover, COP24 included the Facilitative Dialogue intended to support the implementation of national commitments.

SAL Slideshow Showing at COP24

SAL Events at COP24

At COP24 we offered a series of events sharing our understandings, and our tools of listening and healing. We hoped to be present with our own exhibit.

We held an official COP24 side event, together with The Global Peace Initiatives of Women and Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association (DDMBA). The theme of the event was ‘To stand United for the Climate, Overcoming Divisions’. Our workshop was

SAL COP24 Workshop United (SAL COP24 Workshop United fr) (SAL COP24 Workshop United po)

In addition, each morning Sustaining All Life offered an open workshop where members of the audience were listened to about their experiences connected to the topics below. Each afternoon we followed-up with meetings for people who are interested to learn more and try out our tools.

Our topics included:

We also offered a daily SAL COP24 SG Young (SAL COP24 SG Young fr) (SAL COP24 SG Young po) for young people.

Our Delegation at COP24

We started our stay in Katowice with an internal workshop designed to strengthen our team and to prepare our delegation for the conference.

Our international delegation consisted of 18 people representing Poland, Kenya, England, Hungary, Russia, Denmark, Friesland, The Netherlands, France, Germany, Basque Country, Serbia, Sweden and the US. Our activists included young and older people, Indigenous people, people from African and Asian countries and people of European, Roma/Gypsy and Jewish heritage.

Four volunteers from The United Kingdom and one from Poland supported our delegation.

Susanne Langer (Denmark) and Violeta Vajda (Hungary) led the delegation. Marijke Wilmans and Goof Buijs (both from the Netherlands) were the organizers.