KAIROS brings to COP27 its Blanket Exercise and an event on gender, conflict & climate
In Egypt, KAIROS leads a Blanket Exercise on November 12, and partners with Equality Fund on Global South Perspectives on Climate Justice, Peace and Conflict, and Gender Equality, an event in the Canadian Pavilion, November 16
(Ottawa: Unceded Algonquin Territory) – KAIROS Canada is sponsoring a KAIROS Blanket Exercise on November 12 and is co-sponsoring a side event with the Equality Fund called Global South Perspectives on Climate Justice, Peace and Conflict, and Gender Equality on November 16 at COP27 in Sharm al-Sheikh, Egypt. Leading these events are members of KAIROS and For the Love of Creations’10-member delegation.
Advocating for a seat at decision-making tables to tackle the climate crisis, delegates include Indigenous partners and youth from Turtle Island, and KAIROS Women, Peace and Security and global solidarity partners. The delegation is using the United Church of Canada’s accreditation to COP27.
WHAT
COP27 Parallel Event – KAIROS Blanket Exercise: Centering Indigenous History and Leadership in Climate Action. Developed in Canada by KAIROS Canada, the KAIROS Blanket Exercise uses blankets to represent Turtle Island or other regions that are home to Indigenous peoples. Participants represent Indigenous peoples – the distinct cultures and nations which live on those lands to this day. When participants move onto the blankets, they are taken back in time to before the arrival of the Europeans. Working from a script, the Narrators and Europeans journey with the participants through the history of treaty-making, colonization, resilience and resistance.
Responding to the 1996 Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples in Canada, the Aboriginal Rights Coalition (which became part of KAIROS Canada in 2001) worked with Indigenous elders and educators in 1996 to develop an interactive way to learn the history that most people are never taught.
KAIROS has since offered the Blanket Exercise thousands of times in Canada and, through its international partners, in Australia, Ecuador, Guatemala and the United States to name a few. Most recently the World KAIROS Blanket Exercise was presented in Adelaide, Australia on September 28 during the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education.
WHY
A delegation focus is centering Indigenous history and leadership in climate action. The KAIROS Blanket Exercise is a participatory and visceral experience of the impacts of colonization on Indigenous peoples, which includes their relationship with the land, air and water. It builds relationships, community, and empathy through a shared experience and demonstrates the importance of centering Indigenous leadership in the discussions and decisions at COP27 about a sustainable and inclusive future based on right relationships with all peoples and the planet.
This is the first time the KAIROS Blanket Exercise will be held at a United Nations Conference on Climate Change, and in an African nation.
WHEN
Saturday, November 12, 2022: 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Cairo time.
WHERE
The COP27 Civil Society Climate Justice Hub, Sanar Hotel, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt
WHO
Facilitators:
- Clifford Mushquah, Anishinaabe from Pawgwasheeng (Pays Plat First Nation) on the north shore of GichiGami (Lake Superior), Canada.
- Tia Kennedy, Oneida Nation of The Thames and Walpole Island First Nation, Canada.
- Paul Belisario, Assistant Global Coordinator for the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self Determination and Liberation, Philippines.
Register for the KAIROS Blanket Exercise: Centering Indigenous History and Leadership in Climate Action.
WHAT
COP27 Event – Global South Perspectives on Climate Justice, Peace and Conflict, and Gender Equality at the Canadian Pavilion. Co-sponsored by KAIROS Canada and the Equality Fund, this event will highlight how governments and the private sector can collaborate with civil society in a decolonial and feminist approach to peace and climate justice action.
WHY
This interactive event will bring the voices and experiences of women from the Global South, peacebuilders and Indigenous leaders to COP27 and make visible their critical role in addressing climate change. It will promote the urgency and importance of Global South leadership in climate policy and programming, as well as explore how to decolonize climate action, including centering Global South leadership. The event will connect COP27 decision-makers with women peacebuilders and Indigenous leaders, featuring speakers from Colombia, DRC, Guyana, Palestine, and South Sudan. In plenary and small group discussions, participants will examine two critical themes: the nexus between women, peace and security, and climate justice; and decolonizing climate action.
WHEN
Wednesday, November 16, 2022: 9:00 a.m. Cairo time.
WHERE
The Canadian Pavilion, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
WHO
- Hilary Clauson (Moderator), Senior Policy Advisor, Equality Fund.
- Radia Mbengue, Global Climate Justice and Africa Partnerships Coordinator, KAIROS
- Hana Elias Antoun Kare, Trainer, Wi’am: Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center | formatrice, Wi’am: Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center
- Chantal Bilulu, Project Manager for Women, Peace and Security in DRC, Héritiers de la Justice (HJ), DRC
- Kelly Campo, Youth and Environmental Programs Coordinator, Organización Femenina Popular
- Immaculata Casimero, Project Coordinator, Wapichan Women’s Movement, South Rupununi District Council
- Juan Rachael Michael Roberto, Advocacy Officer, South Sudan Council of Churches
Learn more about the KAIROS/For the Love of Creation Delegation at Press Release: Indigenous, youth and women delegates from Canada and Global South head to COP27.
About KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives:
KAIROS is a social justice organization that includes ten Canadian churches and religious organizations. We are Indigenous, settlers and newcomers in Canada working with people of faith or conscience all over the world for ecological justice and human rights. We deliberate on issues of common concern, advocate for social change and join with people of faith and goodwill in action for social transformation. Learn more: KAIROS Canada website.
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Media Contacts:
Cheryl McNamara (she/her), Media Coordinator, KAIROS Canada
416-875-0097 (mobile), cmcnamara [at] kairoscanada [dot] org.
