General Resources – Page 2 – QUAKERS & CLIMATE CHANGE WORLDWIDE

A Government Official’s Toolkit: Inspiring Urgent, Healthy, and Equitable Climate Action

The Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) in Geneva published an updated version ‘A Government Official’s Toolkit: Inspiring Urgent, Healthy, and Equitable Climate Action,’ which is available in English, Arabic, French, and Spanish. This publication is aimed at enhancing understanding and communication of climate change.

‘A Government Official’s Toolkit: Inspiring Urgent, Real, and Equitable Climate Action’ has been updated with the most recent scientific findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report (AR6). This report was compiled for just over seven years and involved hundreds of scientists worldwide.

The IPCC informs governments on what is happening, why, and what people can do to avert catastrophic climate change.

QUNO’s updated ‘A Government Official’s Toolkit’ aims to empower policymakers and climate advocates with the latest IPCC findings on root causes and urgent, feasible, and near-term options that are already available at scale to address climate change and improve well-being and planetary health. QUNO believes that everyone should have easy access to the science presented to our governments.

This publication is accessible online and via a print-at-home version, which can be used for personal distribution and campaigning.

A Government Official’s Toolkit English – Web

A Government Official’s Toolkit English – Home Print

A Government Official’s Toolkit Spanish- Web

A Government Official’s Toolkit Spanish- Home Print

A Government Official’s Toolkit French- Web

A Government Official’s Toolkit French- Home Print

A Government Official’s Toolkit Arabic – Web

A Government Official’s Toolkit Arabic – Home Print

Fig & Ishka – Illustrations to Inspire Hope

General Resources, Spiritual, Lifestyle and Community

Lynn Finnegan, a Quaker based on the north coast of Ireland, is doing a year-long art and storytelling project called Fig & Ishka. It involves illustrated stories about two friends who paddleboard, grow food, read, hike, and sit around the fire together. They are also trying to show up to the world’s current ecological and social crises without jumping ship to complacency, cynicism or despair. Fig & Ishka often draws upon wisdom found in the teachings of Quakerism, systems thinker and activist Joanna Macy, and Buddhist Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh.

The illustrations are done with tea, ink, water and her dad’s old typewriter. They are released every Friday for one year, starting from February 2024: you can browse them all, and subscribe to new weekly posts, at www.lynnfinnegan.substack.com.

website: www.lynnfinnegan.ie

instagram: @lynn.finn.egan

Climate Change: What We Can Do

General Resources

The Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) in Geneva published a ‘Climate Change: What We Can Do” (previously known as ‘How to be a Hero for All Our Children’) which is available in English, Arabic, Spanish. and French. It aims to connect people with the most recent climate science and suggests personal actions and questions for politicians.

‘What We Can Do’ has been updated with the most recent climate scientific findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report (AR6). This report was compiled over seven years and involved hundreds of scientists worldwide.

‘What We Can Do’ is written for a wide audience, whether already active or new to climate concerns. It includes categories such as “What we eat”, “How we grow and sell food”, and “How we use and source energy.” This publication is meant to aid in our collective empowerment to transform the root causes driving planetary crisis.

This publication is accessible online and via a print-at-home version which can be used for personal distribution and campaigning.

What We Can Do – English Home Print

What We Can Do – English Web

What We Can Do – Spanish Home Print

What We Do – Spanish Web

What We Can Do – French Home Print

What We Can Do – French Web

What We Can Do – Arabic Home Print

What We Can Do – Arabic Web

Grassroots Quaker Climate Action in the U.K.

General Resources, National Political Engagement

Photo taken from Quaker in Britain’s film of a ‘Defend Our Juries’ Action.

Quakers in Britain have been actively engaging in grassroots action for climate change. Highlights of recent action are detailed below.

Loving Earth (LE) Exhibition:
The LE Exhibition is part of the Quaker Arts Network, and comprises textile panels that have been made in workshops considering the question: what do you love? The idea is that, while making the panels, participants reflect on their love for the Earth and their concern with what is happening to the climate. Quakers in Britain made this film and interviewed Jaya, a young Quaker about her responses to it.

Defend our Juries:
Defend Our Juries is a movement of grassroots activists, involving many Quakers, to raise awareness of defendants and juries being influenced by judges. In the U.K., there are growing accounts of defendants being instructed not to use terms such as ‘climate change;. In response, DoJ held a people’s assembly inside the Royal Courts of Justice. Watch Quakers in Britain’s film of the action here.

On the same theme, a retired social worker, Trudi Warner, took (copied onto a placard) a piece of writing from on the wall in The Old Bailey (Central London Criminal Court) that reminds juries of their right to ”give their verdict according to their convictions” and stood outside court with it. Trudi was arrested for contempt of court and tried last month, the case was thrown out.

In response, Quakers and other climate campaigners put on this event that reenacted the original case that brought the writing to the wall of the Old Bailey. Watch this invitation video, made by Quakers in Britain, to find out the distinctly Quaker history.

Climate Choir:

The Climate Choir was started by a Quaker from Bristol called Jo Flannagan. They featured in the Penn and Mead video and have been present at actions throughout the last few years raising awareness of climate change through song. Find out more here.

Insurance activism:

Many Quakers are concerned about insurance companies and their involvement with the fossil fuel industry. A vigil was held (see this article here) and more direct action, including meetings for worship inside the offices of the insurers, are planned.

Climate Vigils:

Friends have also been involved in ongoing climate vigils throughout the country. You can hear a number of them share their experiences here and news of some others in our most recent here.

For more updates, subscribe to Quaker in Britain’s Faith in Action newsletter here.

QUNO publication connects climate science with personal and political actions

General Resources

The Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) in Geneva has just published an updated version of ‘How to be a Hero for All Our Children,’ which is available in English, Arabic, and Spanish. It aims to connect people with the most recent climate science and suggests personal actions and questions for politicians.

‘How to be a Hero for All Our Children’ has been updated with the most recent climate scientific findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report (AR6). This report was compiled over seven years and involved hundreds of scientists worldwide.

The updated ‘How to be a Hero for All Our Children’ is written for a wide audience, whether already active or new to climate concerns. It includes categories such as “What we eat”, “How we grow and sell food”, and “How we use and source energy.” This publication is meant to aid in our collective empowerment to transform the root causes driving planetary crisis.

This publication is accessible online and via a print-at-home version which can be used for personal distribution and campaigning.

how-to-be-a-hero-for-all-our-children-english-2024-home-print Download

how-to-be-a-hero-for-all-our-children-english-2024-web Download

how-to-be-a-hero-for-all-our-children-spanish-print-at-home Download

how-to-be-a-hero-for-all-our-children-spanish-web Download

how_to_be_a_hero_for_all_our_children_a6_2024_arabic_27_11_23_print-from-home Download

QUNO Geneva publication communicates climate science

General Resources

The Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) in Geneva has just published an updated version ‘A Government Official’s Toolkit: Inspiring Urgent, Real, and Equitable Climate Action,’ which is available in English, Arabic, and Spanish. This publication is aimed at enhancing understanding and communication of climate change.

‘A Government Official’s Toolkit: Inspiring Urgent, Real, and Equitable Climate Action’ has been updated with the most recent scientific findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report (AR6). This report was compiled for just over seven years and involved hundreds of scientists worldwide.

The IPCC informs governments on what is happening, why, and what people can do to avert catastrophic climate change.

QUNO’s updated ‘A Government Official’s Toolkit’ aims to empower policymakers and climate advocates with the latest IPCC findings on root causes and urgent, feasible, and near-term options that are already available at scale to address climate change and improve well-being and planetary health. QUNO believes that everyone should have easy access to the science presented to our governments.

This publication is accessible online and via a print-at-home version, which can be used for personal distribution and campaigning.

government-officials-toolkitt-english-a5-2024-home-print Download

government-officials-toolkit-english-a5-2024-web Download

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Why on Earth isn’t Ecocide illegal?

General Resources, International Political Engagement

“Ecocide means unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-term damage to the environment being caused by these acts.” – Independent Expert Panel for the Legal Definition of Ecocide, June 2021

Utility Films presents a discussion led by Friends on what ecocide is and why it isn’t illegal. This discussion is timely as both national and international level courts are increasingly addressing the question of States’ obligations in responding to the climate crisis.

Watch Friends discuss the importance of this term below.

https://vimeo.com/800969681

QCEA launches report on Climate, Peace and Human Rights

General Resources, International Political Engagement

In May, the Quaker Council for European Affairs launched their new report Climate, Peace & Human Rights: Are European Policies Coherent?. In the context of EU climate policies and the EU Green New Deal, this report lays out the need for an integrated approach to these three areas.

Learn more about QCEA’s work on climate justice in the full report, which can be accessed here.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals, Peace and the Churches

General Resources, International Political Engagement

Friend Kees Nieuwerth has recently shared a paper on The UN Sustainable Development Goals, Peace and the Churches available here. The paper offers insight into a joint meeting of German Mennonites, German Quakers and Church and Peace at the Thomashof held in 2018, reflecting on the Sustainable Development Goals in the context of just peace and issues a call for ecological and economic justice. An extract from the paper reads:

[The SDG Agenda] can only work if there is a transformation of the dominant economic model in the direction of what the WCC calls ‘An Economy of Life for All’ for us to be able to really pursue sustainability. After all, ignoring the constraints put on us by the planetary limits is not in keeping with the Gospel option for the poor and vulnerable or the care for creation.

The author is a member of Netherlands Yearly Meeting. He is also a member of the Board of the European Ecumenical Peace Movement Church and Peace.

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Loughborough Quakers Sustainability Handbook

General Resources, Spiritual, Lifestyle and Community

Quakers in Loughborough, UK have published a Sustainability Handbook, advising Friends on lifestyle changes they can make to live more sustainably.

The project includes a range of approaches to sustainable living and contains contributions from almost every member of the meeting. It also includes a Resource section of tips on how to shop locally and sustainably in the surrounding areas. Friends’ reflections are accompanied by illustrations from artist Miriam Bean. Read below for some of the contributors’ experiences and reflections on producing the handbook and view the online version here. Requests for physical copies of the Handbook can be sent to Julian Rees.

“I was invited to a weekend at Bamford by members of Loughborough Quakers, to spend time reflecting on the environment and how we can each contribute positively to sustainable living. There have been many challenges to my thinking and lifestyle, but I really appreciate being able to share these with a group of like-minded Friends, especially as sustainability is becoming more and more prevalent in the news.” – John Bean

“I’ve seen sustainability issues as crucial since I joined Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth in the 1970’s. I’ve been part of various groups including Living Witness in British Quakers, being founder member of Loughborough Transition, facilitator for Carbon Footprint Support Groups, and part of team who set up an Area Meeting One Planet Living Group a few years ago, now laid down. It’s been a particularly heartwarming time in my sustainability journey when Loughborough Meeting developed its active Sustainability Group. There had been previous attempts which withered after a short while. It is so affirming now to be part of a committed group, and with the Quaker ethos.” – Sue Meredith Velado

“The climate crisis is a huge and daunting issue and it is easy to feel overwhelmed by it. Working in a group with others to make changes, no matter how small, made me feel less helpless. Creating the Loughborough Sustainability Handbook was such an affirming experience because it brought the Meeting together in a shared project and made me feel we were making a difference.” – Julian Rees