COP21 & Beyond

What’s happening?

The ‘Conference of Parties’ 21st meeting (COP21) will take place in Paris this December as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The talks are scheduled to last from Monday 30 November – Friday 11 December, though they may over run. For a concise account of what will be discussed at the talks, see this Guardian article.

How are social movements and RtP responding?

The global climate justice movement, whilst deeply critical of the take over of the COP21 talks by big business interests, will use the talks as a focal point for building our movements around the world. We don’t need to rely on those in power. Again and again it has been proven that when the people unite and fight, change happens. Fracking did not get rejected in Lancashire by the will of those in power, neither was the right to vote11895026_1471272913197165_3535912483477835749_ogiven to the women in the UK – it was taken. We believe we can make a difference and we are using the COP21 as means of strengthening the movement that is striving for global justice.

Reclaim the Power will use COP21 moment as a milestone to build and empower the climate movement and provide a transformative experience for participants.

We are engaging with COP21 mobilisation with a focus on corruptive corporate power, a broken capitalist system, and positive solutions, rather than one of trying to influence negotiators to make a good agreement. We intend to do this by incorporating the following objectives that were agreed by the international Climate Justice Action network in Spring 2015.

Objectives:

1. We need to democratise the climate discourse around COP21 and expand the focus from climate change to system change.

2. We need to emphasise the real potential of alternatives and confront the broken system of capitalism with acts of creative civil disobedience.

3. We need to celebrate unity in diversity.

4. We will work towards making Paris an empowering, galvanising experience which continues to build our movement and amplify the voices of affected communities, through and beyond 2015.

What will happen there?

Paris will be an opportunity to meet different movements from around the world, to share strategies for resistance, new models of organising and to build our networks for international solidarity. The fossil fuel and corporate lobbies are international – seeking to extract profit wherever they can whilst the planet burns. Our resistance to these companies must similarly be international.

Calendar of events

Sunday 29th November: Mass demonstrations (marches) in cities across the world including London, Berlin, New York, Paris and more.

Monday 30th November: Climate Strike. Call out for students to not attend school, college or university in defence of the climate. http://climatestrike.net/get-involved/#inspired

Monday 30th Nov. – Saturday 12th December: Climate Games

Saturday 5 – Sunday 6 December: Alternatiba Conference of Alternatives in Paris.

Monday 7 – Thursday 11 December: Climate Games ‘action speed dating’ and preparation for action on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 December.
www.climategames.net

Espace 104:

Saturday 12 December: International mobilisation in Paris with the Red Lines.

Accommodation

The Climate Coalition 21 are working on providing a range of free (or very cheap) accommodation for people attending the mobilisation. The Coalition will liaise with Reclaim the Power’s COP21 working group to help you find a space.