Loss and Damage Day
Join us at 8am by Zoom:
Thur 22 Sept is Loss & Damage Action Day: a day to call on rich countries and big polluters to pay up for this loss and damage they continue to knowingly cause. An international day to stand in solidarity with those living with the worst impacts of climate breakdown,
Green Christian are holding a short contemplative prayer session on Zoom at 8am at the start of the national Loss and Damage Day Thur 22 Sept. This will be led by Green Christian Chaplain, Revd Andrew Norman.
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We hope you will join us and other faith communities around the UK in prayer, reflection and action to mark the day. We are inviting you to join us in five activities between now and 22 September – please read on for details.
Actions to take at any time
· Hold a discussion with a screening of the five-minute film ‘The Global Story of Climate Change Loss and Damage – and Who Should Pay for It’ to help people understand what loss and damage is and why it matters – here is a guide to help you plan a discussion event, online or in person. And here’s some talking points to help you lead a discussion.
· Write to your MP, asking for their backing for UK support for a loss and damage fund paid for by polluters – our friends at Make Polluters Pay will be providing a template to help with this once the new prime minister is announced.
On Loss and Damage Action Day, 22 September:
Join Green Christian’s online morning prayer session
Join the walk of witness to Parliament Square
People of all faiths and none will be walking from St John’s Church, Waterloo, to Parliament Square to make our message heard. Along the way, we will stop close to Shell’s headquarters to bear witness to the destruction being caused by Shell and other fossil fuel companies. You are welcome to join us for all or part of the walk.
10:30 Meet at St John’s Church, Waterloo (map). There will be time to meet other participants, write messages on placards for those who want to, and we will then hear prayers and reflections from different faith traditions.
11:30 Walk to the Shell Centre on Belvedere Road (map). We will hold a silent vigil for the victims of climate breakdown, with flyers to hand out to passers-by to explain what we are doing.
12:15 Walk to Parliament Square, where we will gather under the Gandhi statue (map) for prayers and speeches.
Sign up here to tell us you’re coming and to receive any further updates about the day.
Hold a vigil in your community
Lots of people still don’t know how bad the climate crisis is, or how fast it is escalating. We need to bring this to the attention of a lot more people and build support for a loss and damage fund.
We’re encouraging local faith communities and climate action groups to hold a silent vigil or other action in a public place, with placards and flyers to explain what you are doing. We already know of actions taking place in Edinburgh, Reading, Rotherham and Nottingham (led by local Global Justice Now groups) and a vigil in Manchester (led by Manchester & Warrington Quakers). Sign up here to link up with them. To tell us about an action somewhere else, please email office@makepolluterspay.co.uk.
You can download a flyer and placards from the Make COP Count website, along with a guide to organising an interfaith vigil.
Join the 12-hour fast
Led by Go Dharmic, people of all faiths and none are holding a one-day fast on 22 September as a way to show solidarity, bear witness and raise awareness of the loss and damage caused by climate breakdown. Some of the people fasting will spend the day in Parliament Square in London; others will fast where they are. Find out more here, and tag @GoDharmic and @fftcnetwork on social media with the hashtag #PayUp4LossAndDamage to tell us why you’re fasting.
Spread the word on social media
If you use social media, please post in support of Loss and Damage Action Day on the 22nd. Our key messages are:
· Climate breakdown is here, and it’s hitting the poorest hardest
· Fossil fuel companies are still making huge profits while the world burns
· The UK should pledge support for an international loss and damage fund paid for by the biggest polluters.
Look out for social media posts from @fftcnetwork and @MakePolluterPay, and please use the hashtag #PayUp4LossAndDamage.
We know loss and damage is still an unfamiliar term for lots of people. We’ve put together some answers to common questions about what it means and what we’re calling for – please see the attached ‘talking points’ document. You can also find some stories of loss and damage from people around the world on the Make COP Count website.
This July has given many of us in the UK a glimpse of the reality of the climate crisis. We hold in our prayers all those who are suffering its impacts, wherever they are in the world. We cannot allow the governments of the rich world to stand by any longer. Please join us in calling for an international loss and damage fund, in whatever way you can.
Read our article bereaved and baptised connecting climate grief with loss and damage.
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