The caravan prepares to leave for Durban, South Africa. Photo: CWS Africa
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the eve of the global climate change summit of world leaders in Durban, South Africa, young people from Church World Service programs in Africa will join their counterparts from around the globe in presenting 1 million petitions to Archbishop Desmond Tutu at a massive Nov. 27 interfaith youth rally in Durban, hosted by the archbishop.
The handover from the young people, who are traveling to Durban in a 200-youth Climate Caravan to press three key demands at the climate change summit (Nov. 28 – Dec. 9), is part of a global campaign led by African youths in concert with young people from Europe and the United States.
They are demanding that world leaders commit to a fair, ambitious and legally binding climate agreement; set clear short and long term targets for carbon emission reductions that keep average global temperature increases well below 1.5 degrees centigrade; and ensure there is adequate finance for adaptation in Africa. Read more on the Global Youth Campaign.
In other action leading up to the climate change summit, CWS Executive Director and CEO the Rev. John L. McCullough has urged the President and State Department negotiators to make good on U.S. promises in Copenhagen and Cancun by committing now to the establishment of at least one concrete source of international climate finance, to operationaliziation of the Green Climate Fund, and to support for a second Kyoto Protocol commitment period.
For additional information, see our COP17 – United Nations Climate Change Conference 2011 resource page.