Voices Unheard: KAIROS statement on the occasion of the G8/G20

From June 14 to 17, KAIROS undertook a Climate Justice Tour of Canada, with stops in St. John's, Halifax, Fredericton, Victoria, Yellowknife and Regina. Isaiah Kipyegon Toroitich (Program Officer for Policy and Advocacy at Norwegian Church Aid in Kenya), and Naty Atz Sunuc (General Coordinator of CEIBA, the Association for Community Development and Promotion in Guatemala) joined staff and network members on the Eastern tour while Francois Pihaatae (Ecumenical Animator on Climate Change for the Pacific Conference of Churches) and Fred Sangris, a Yellowknives Dene member who studies climate impacts on wildlife, joined us in the West and North. Naty and Isaiah then came to Toronto for the G8/G20 Peoples' Summit, and Francois attended the Interfaith Leaders' Summit in Winnipeg.

Participants at the well-attended events had the opportunity to hear first hand about the disproportionate impact of climate change on Southern countries and Canada's north, and to discuss with partners what real solutions to these crises might look like. Suggestions included the adoption of science-based targets to and timelines to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, greater conservation in the North, a meaningful shift towards renewable energy, and increased international development funds to ensure the ability of Southern communities to adapt to the changes --such as drought, flooding, food shortages and forced migration-- that are already happening as a consequence of climate change.

You too can join in this important conversation about climate justice and building a sustainable economy by reading our discussion paper Charting a road map to a sustainable future and participating in our online discussion group or providing email feedback to Ecological Justice Program Coordinator Dorothy McDougall at dmcdougall@kairoscanada.org.

Join in the Discussion Online >>

KAIROS has set up an online discussion forum so that anyone anywhere can join in the discussion.
Sign in to our NING network (a little like Facebook, but better for discussions!) and then go to the discussion forum.

To facilitate discussion we have provided four papers, and then posed three key questions for discussion.

The Main Paper:
Charting a road map to a sustainable future: Making critical choices >>

Further Research

'From Pittsburgh to Toronto (and on to Seoul and Paris): What’s On the G20 Agenda?' >>

3 questions for discussion:

1) What would a sustainable economy look like for Canada? What would be the downside? The upside?

2) What social or political barriers would need to be overcome in the transition to a sustainable economy?

3) What is your response to the Climate Justice Now Network's position that, “Instead of trying to fix a destructive system, we should be leaving fossil fuels in the ground, reasserting peoples’ and community control over resources and production, re-localizing food production, massively reducing over consumption … ”

WESTERN TOUR : Victoria, Yellowknife, Regina

Francois Pihaatae

Ecumenical Animator on Climate Change for the Pacific Conference of Churches,
Tahiti

Fred Sangris

The impacts of climate change on wildlife,
Yellowknives Dene First Nation

Fred Sangris is an Indigenous Dene of the Northwest Territories of Northern Canada, and two time chief of Yellowknives Dene First Nation of Akaitcho Territory. Fred left his education to live as an Arctic harvester and learn the Dene cultural way of life. He was taught and has lived the traditional knowledge, and speaks the language of the Dene.

He has has lived on the Arctic barren lands using sled dogs as the only transportation and where, as a land user and traveler, wildlife monitoring was key to survival.

Fred currently chairs the Caribou Committee under the Dene Nation AFN office in Yellowknife. He continues to actively work on Caribou and water issues that affect the North.

EASTERN TOUR : St. John's, Halifax, Fredericton

Isaiah Kipyegon Toroitich

Program Officer for Policy and Advocacy (Climate and Economic Justice),
Norwegian Church Aid in Kenya.

Naty Atz Sunc

General Coordinator of CEIBA, the Association for Community Development and Promotion,
Guatemala.