4 Networking Volume 22, Issue 3 Autumn Term 2021

The Eyes of the World are on us! CATHOLIC SCHOOLS ASK THE UK GOVERNMENT TO STOP THE CLIMATE CRISIS.

The eyes of the world will be watching world leaders at the COP26 climate meeting in Glasgow this November. To stand alongside our sisters and brothers hardest hit by the climate emergency, we all need to be watching too. Raise your voice with Catholic schools across England and Wales. Thousands of children and young people have already united to show the government that we want them to stop the climate crisis and support those living on the frontline of climate change.

2021 is a crucial year for action on the climate crisis. This year we are asking the UK Government to make sure that people and planet are at the heart of all the decisions they make. As UK citizens, we can influence the decisions our government makes. As Pope Francis says in Laudato Si’, the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor are one. We must stand together with those who are being affected by the climate emergency around the world, so that world leaders cannot ignore our united voices.

must stand together with those who are being affected by the climate emergency around the world, so that world leaders cannot ignore our united voices.

As Catholics, we hear Pope Francis’ call to “strengthen the conviction that we are one single human family”. In response, we reach out to our global neighbours, stand in solidarity with them and speak out against climate injustice.

Florence lives in the north of Zimbabwe. The places she would normally go for water have dried up, so she has to walk four miles to the next available water source. These water sources can also be unsafe.

Our young people are putting this into action. One student from Oxford shared that her school was taking part because they “want world leaders to know that taking care of our planet is important because we only have one earth. If our planet gets ruined, we won’t have anywhere else to go.”

incre coun fuels

Sinead Callaghan from CAFOD’s Education team added that “Young people in the UK want Boris Johnson and other world leaders to take responsibility and use this year’s COP talks to commit to concrete actions that meaningfully support those communities on the front line of the climate crisis, including increasing climate finance for low-income countries and ending support for all fossil fuels.”

As pa have the w chan In Zim upon but c rains unpre is the is the

As part of Eyes of the World, schools have been learning about people around the world already affected by climate change like Florence in Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe, there is a lot of reliance upon the rains to grow good crops, but climate change has caused the rains to come later and become more unpredictable. This means that not only is there not enough to drink, but families ere not enough to drink, b are often left enough food are often left without enough food to eat.

Last year the failed, most of extreme like drought lasted for mo

Last year the harvest failed, mostly because of extreme weather like droughts that lasted for months and floods.

floods.

Around the UK, children and young people have been creating incredible pieces of art showing that their eyes are on the government this year. They have been drawing, painting and finding other ways to create eyes. One group at Farnborough Hill school collected unwanted clothes from every student in their school and created a giant eye with them.

Some schools have gone even further, not only creating eyes but getting in touch with their local MPs. Year 6 pupils at English Martyrs’ primary school in Newcastle have written to the Prime Minister telling him they are watching his actions this year as the UK hosts COP26.

St Thomas Aquinas primary school in Bletchley also shared their amazing eye artwork and they wanted to take their message further. The pupils are proud to be part of a worldwide effort to tackle climate change and help others around the world and this is central to the work of their School Council and EcoCommittee. A year 6 student pointed out that “we need to put ourselves in the shoes of the poorest communities and act based on this.”