Activism, solidarity, movement-building: these are the abstract keywords we use to talk about what 50 European youth got up to in Brussels in parallel to the COP20 climate talks in Lima, but they don’t capture the spirit of the week. The excitement and fun of sharing knowledge and experiences, of planning and undertaking actions, the long, exhausting, but very worthwhile days making plans for next year’s talks in Paris and beyond.
Fortunately, we were in the company of enormously talented writers, artists, photographers and videographers, who recorded their highlights of the week on the Lima in Brussels website. Here’s what they came up with…
Taking action in Brussels
Solidarity action: we stand with the Philippines at Lima climate talks
The week began with an action calling on the EU to stand in solidarity with the Philippines during the climate negotiations. Clémence from France reports.
TTIP Birthday party for Juncker
Next, we celebrated Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker’s 60th birthday by helping present 1,000,000 signatures against the EU-US trade deal – or TTIP. Josef from the Czech Republic was there to report back.
Stop the killings: marching for human rights and environmental defenders
Next, we joined a coalition of Belgian groups to observe the annual Stop the Killings march through Brussels to honour persecuted human rights and environmental defenders around the world.
Public money undermining real climate change solutions? No way!
We called on the European Investment Bank to use its funds for the public good instead of funding fossil fuel research, and get out of the climate talks.
Young Friends of the Earth Europe take their climate carol to the streets of Brussels. Lyrics here.
More videos of actions from Lima in Brussels are available on YouTube.
Meanwhile at basecamp…
Climate justice now: our open letter to our MEPs in Lima
Our open letter to the MEP delegation in Lima, calling for climate justice, an end to the criminalisation of social and environmental protest, the cessation of the corporate capture of the talks and the opening up of the negotiating space to the global South and civil society.
How a climate justice quiz turned into a miniature UN climate conference
Even introducing the idea of climate justice and how the UNFCCC process works seems to be enough to spark a depressingly realistic simulation of global climate talks.
How meeting MEPs forced me to think clearly about what climate justice means
During the week, some of the Hungarian and Irish participants met with their MEPs. Ciara from Ireland reports…
Dispatches from Lima – YFoEE reports from Peru
Climate justice now – thousands march in Lima
On world human rights day, 20,000 took to the streets of Lima to march for climate justice. Charlotte from the UK was there.
Casa Tierra: House of Action
Charlotte from the UK reports on Casa Tierra: the creative, communal hub of the civil society movement at this year’s climate talks.
Policy update: What has Lima brought along?
Arnstein from Norway summarises the negotiations: what has actually happened after two weeks of talks?
Lima did not call for climate action
“impacted people all over the world did not wake up safer or more assured that the world took responsibility to clean up the climate mess.” – Tale from Norway gives us a final reflection on the talks,