BTTN Hangout Live! with climate artivistas around COP21
On Wednesday, November 18th, the BTTN Hangout Live! series continued with Paris COP 21 artivistas and organizers.
In case you missed it (or want to watch again!) here’s the link to the Hangout on Youtube.
We were joined by:
Isa Fremeaux, co-instigator of the Climate Games
Sharon Lungo, ED of Ruckus / Climate Justice Alliance
Beka Economopoulos, co-creator of the Natural History Museum
Mona Rathsman, the Eroles Project
Rae Abileah, co-creator of the Climate Ribbon
The United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP21) takes place November 30 – December 11 in Paris. As we were online during the webinar, news was released that the French authorities extended the State of Emergency for 3 months, and have banned all public demonstrations, including the mass Climate March originally scheduled for November 29th.
Although some groups are following the state’s orders and have cancelled their mass events, others are making a strong case for proceeding with plans, even if modified, to guarantee that civil society’s voice is heard at the COP. In fact, many groups are joining in calls for more creativity and cultural work as a way to expand the potential activities and make them even more powerful in spite of the ban.
As the Climate Games noted,
These attacks (in Paris) must not change the conversation but deepen it. We want to clearly state that our dedication for social and climate justice remains as strong as ever. We are convinced that the geopolitical and economic dynamics that underpin climate chaos are the same as those that feed terrorism. From the oil wars in Iraq to the droughts in Syria caused by ecological collapse, all feed the same inequalities that lead to cycles of violent conflict.
This webinar allowed us to dig into the strategic thinking that went into these creative plans, as well as discuss how those plans are shifting now.
It was a powerful and a fascinating conversation; we are so grateful to the organizers/artivists for sharing their time and insights with us, even as changes were unfolding in real time. See you in the streets in Paris, or wherever you find yourself during the COP.
For more on this story, read Protest Ban Will Not Stop Creative Actions at COP21 by Nadine Bloch via Waging Nonviolence.
