Australian Young Christian Students

Campaign Newsletter No.3

 

 

Dear friends of this planet that we call “home”, We hope you enjoy the latest edition of the AYCS Climate Justice Campaign Newsletter! This newsletter brings you further updates on the Climate Justice Review camps that have been winding up this month, the latest news on topics that students are passionate about, and a little bit more information on Climate Justice and what this means. Students from all around Australia who participated in the Climate Justice camps and conferences have begun taking action on the issues they see within their diocese that they feel undermines the mission they were given as stewards of the earth. We have loved hearing about all the personal actions students have vowed to take, including limiting time in the shower, making sure rubbish is being picked up rather than being ignored when seen, and recycling unwanted clothes in an attempt to limit overconsumption and the greed that leads to ignorance. On top of these personal actions, diocesan movements have been making plans to both serve and advocate for the environment. These actions are detailed on the Australian YCS Facebook page, and more information and updates can be expected to pop up on the page soon. We thank you for your ongoing support and positive feedback on these campaign newsletters, and we hope you enjoy the third issue! Peace,

Annie Purbrick National External Campaign Coordinator Ph; 0433161020 Email; annie.purbrick@aycs.org.au

 

 

 

What is Climate Justice?  

We’ve all heard the term “Climate Justice,” but what are we actually fighting for?

Climate Justice is a term used to frame environmental issues as a political and ethical issue. It takes away the potential for distance from the issue and replaces it with human faces. Climate Justice is about taking a human-centred approach to viewing environmental suffering in an attempt to achieve a better world for all people, including the world’s most vulnerable. Kiribati (pronounced Kiri-bas) is a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, torn apart by climate change and environmental damage. Kiribati is characterised by the tranquillity and peace that comes with being surrounded by the beautiful ocean. Many of the residents of Kiribati loved the fact that they are in such close proximity to the beautiful Pacific Ocean and would swim every day. That was until the rising sea levels left devastation for many Kiribati communities. The group of islands have low-lying coastlines, meaning any change in the sea level will have a

dramatic impact on the people living in these areas. The rise in sea level caused mass flooding of the houses along the coast, destroying these homes and displacing the families within them. Along with the flooding came an outbreak of diarrhoea, which is a very real danger to the families affected by floods, particularly families with babies.

The flooding of Kiribati occurs every time a severe storm comes through the island, which is becoming increasingly common with the growing impacts of climate change. When this happens, what is left of the scarce, fresh drinking water of Kiribati is ruined. The shortage of water will eventually force the communities affected to be displaced.

Above:  Kiribati  coastline  is  extremely  low-­‐lying.  Source:  stuff.co.nz  

 

 

What does this mean for the Kiribati people? This means that many communities will be relocated due to the intensity of flooding and droughts. One day, the people of Kiribati will have to relocate to a completely foreign country, leaving behind their culture, their identity, their friends, their home. This is climate injustice. We fight for justice. We fight for Kiribati. We fight for Climate Justice.

- Annie Purbrick, YCS Worker

Every month, we will be including a case study, or personal story from

the movement. We hope this provides a point of reflection and

allows you to find God in this beautiful planet.

Source:  Wikipedia  

 

 

BREAKING NEWS

May 2016

10th May The Scottish election has been and gone, and it is now time for the elected government to commit to big and bold climate action, says commentators. The previous Scottish Government implemented the framework to double the Climate Justice Fund, a huge step in achieving an international step in the right direction. This fund is set up to help those impacted by climate change, benefitting many countries including Rwanda. After already being devastated by the 1994 genocide, Rwanda is now feeling the harsh impacts of climate change in their water supply. The newly elected Scottish Government is called to step up and fight for climate justice.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/gail-wilson-let-s-help-those-harmed-by-climate-change-1-4124636

11th May

The World Council of Churches met for their annual meeting on Climate Change to discuss the problems arising and possible solutions. The point of the meeting was to develop widescale action on the issue of climate change in order to limit the impacts that it is having on the life-sustaining resource of water. The concept of justice of water was discussed as being an important aspect in human rights and social justice, and action talked about in respect to this.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/grace-jisun-kim/lack-of-water-justice-end_b_9885618.html

25th May

The Portland, Oregon school board passed a climate justice initiative to not use any text books that pose any question of doubt that climate change exists and is a threat. The board hopes that this will achieve a general acceptance of responsibility of the students in a bid to spark motivation to create change in lifestyle. The board also hopes that this will be an initiative that will be taken onboard by all schools in the near future.

http://www.alternet.org/education/district-embraces-climate-literacy

 

 

- Climate Justice Campaign decided upon at National Conference.

- Townsville YCS held their Climate Justice Campaign Camp during the second weekend of May. Their camp was held in the beautiful bushland at the Bluewater Girl Guides Camp, creating the perfect scene for a camp on Climate Justice. The theme for their camp was “The Lion King” (seemingly fitting!). The students had a lot of fun and cannot wait to roll out their action of planting trees to tackle the root (pun intended) cause of the injustices we see due to the detrimented climate. Go Townsville!

- All YCS Diocesan movements have been hard at work planning their actions that came from the Review of Life they conducted in April/May. These actions aim to serve the environment and those unfairly impacted by climate change. Some dioceses have decided to tackle the causes of the issue by planting trees or introducing recycling to their schools, and some are yet to decide on how to best help the people suffering from the impacts of the deteriorating planet.

M A

Y

2016

Australian Young Christian Students

A timeline of what has happened and what to expect!

 

 

- The July 2016 National Executive meeting is in one month! We cannot wait to see what the National Team come up with to help the victims of climate injustice! Students and workers will gather in the diocese of Parramatta to discuss the many areas of the movement and analyse our progress within the campaign.

- There have been posts uploaded to the Facebook and Instagram pages to inspire personal action and we plan to continue this throughut the month of June. Don’t forget to follow our Facebook and Instagram accounts to stay updated!

J U

N E

facebook.com/australianycs @ausycs

 

 

For more information on the AYCS Campaign contact Annie Purbrick

Ph: 0433 161 020 Email: annie.purbrick@aycs.org.au

Or follow our Facebook and Instagram pages.