Quick news from Paris

COP21 in Paris – you’ve probably heard about it, seen messages on your favourite social networks, read headlines in newspapers, watched news on TV… And I hope you’re trying to follow what’s happening there, since the decisions to be taken (or not taken) are of the biggest importance for all of us, for our communities, our societies, for ecosystems and so much more.

For the third time, Service Civil International, the international peace organisation Velebit Association Kuterevo is part of, sent a delegation of activists to attend the climate summit, represent the organisation there, participate in events and actions, and spread the word through SCI network and further. After Copenhague in 2009 and Warsaw in 2013, SCI COP team arrived on Saturday in Paris and will stay until the end of negociations this week-end.

We are 16 people, coming from all around Europe. Part of us participated in RE:Actions projects organised this year by SCI in Kosovo, Poland and Germany, others are SCI volunteers and activists. Half of us is accredited to go inside the conference and to attend the negociations, while the other half is dedicating its days to discover and take part in actions, events, conferences and many other activities organised by civil society.

We’ve been in Paris for only 3 days, but so much is happening that it would be difficult to explain, and probably wouldn’t make much sense. Events are taking place all around Paris, and it’s hard to follow even for us being there all day 🙂

Some events are very good and inspiring, for example the exciting Peoples’ Climate Summit which took place this week-end and offered are wide range of debates, conferences, workshops, concerts, and which gave the opportunity to meet volunteers from many different organisations. It was a great place to discover alternatives, to speak about food, energy, banks, transport, religions… just like this, in the street, with veg food and friendly people simply willing to share their experiences and ideas to change the world 🙂

But not everything is so inspiring and reality of negociations is often hard to admit… the conference is also the place for greenwashing for many dirty companies having a big responsibility in climate change, for events which are more marketing actions than ethical calls, for hypocrical talks, false solutions and superficial events for which only the flyers are green… But we still hope for a satisfying international agreement, and this COP21 is also the place to meet people and organise ourselves to act for climate, to build an international and sustainable mouvement for peace and justice in a liveable world, whatever will be the official decisions of the politicians!

So while slowly representatives from 195 countries are trying to take decisions which concern us all, our small team will do its best to contribute to the fight, to learn more and more, and to share 🙂

Amélie