Royal City Rag

Joanna Defoe is with the Canadian Youth Delegation at the climate talks in Copenhagen. She sent the following message and asked that it be circulated as widely as possible.

Dear Friends,
 
I apologize for keeping so quiet from Copenhagen.  The truth is that this negotiation has been a total whirlwind.  The politics alone can take up 24 hour in the day just to follow. But on top of the negotiation analysis, there is so much at stake that the emotions run strong throughout the conference center.  Any moment it is possible to hear or read about someone’s impassioned plea for leadership.  There is a large number of savvy, coordinated, young people that are so tired to see their calls for leadership ignored. Just the other day, my friend Teryn made a very brave speech to Canada’s lead negotiator calling on even civil servants to show greater leadership.
 
I have a lot more to debrief and process from this experience, but the most pressing thing worth writing to friends about concerns what you can do to help break the negotiation deadlock.  The most pressing thing is to sign up for a candle light vigil tomorrow.  I am asking that you consider joining myself and millions of other people who are participating in a global candlelight vigil for a real deal at Copenhagen.  The tone of this action is very appropriate for the political climate we are currently in.
 
I would like to say this confluence of leaders and policy makers is leaving me charged with hope.  The truth is that my biggest hope lies in community back home, and their ability to develop a political base that ensures that a more fair climate policy can be put forward.  We still have time – there is one week left.
 
In solidarity and with love from Copenhagen,
 
Joanna

Guelph’s Candlelight vigil for a real deal on climate change takes place on December 12 at 4.30 p.m. in St Georges’s Square. If the weather is too cold, the vigil will move into Old Quebec Street. Musicians James Gordon, Dave Sills and Chris Mills will be playing. Please bring candles and flashlights.

This family friendly event is part of an unprecedented mass mobilisation on climate action, The World Wants a Real Deal and sponsored by Transition Guelph, the TckTckTck campaign and other local NGOs and environmental groups. The participants will join hundreds of other events in countries around the world as part of a global day of action. They will urge world leaders to take bold and immediate steps to sign a fair, ambitious and binding climate deal in Copenhagen. 

According to Sally Ludwig from Transition Guelph,  “It is clear now that many citizens of Guelph want to see real action on climate change from our leaders in Copenhagen. The time is past for rhetoric and delay. Climate change is happening now. We need a real deal now. To uphold Canadian values of social justice, we want to show our support of efforts to avert catastrophic climate change, live simply and sustainably on the Earth and equitably with our neighbours around the globe.”
 
This global mandate comes at the mid-point of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen where world leaders are meeting to sign a new climate treaty. Candlelight vigils will begin Friday night at embassies, consulates, and iconic places worldwide. On Saturday, in Guelph and in major cities in countries around the world, hundreds of thousands of people will gather to sign their names on message walls and petitions in support of a fair, ambitious, and binding climate deal. Then on Sunday, the air will reverberate with this growing demand for climate justice and action when faith communities around the world ring bells and sound ceremonial horns in support of a Real Deal.
 
Transition Guelph is a group of concerned Guelph residents who have come together with the shared vision of building resilience and sustainability into our community in response to the challenges of peak oil, accelerating climate change, and global economic instability. Visit their website at www.transitionguelph.org 

TckTckTck is an unprecedented global alliance made up of leading international, national and local organizations addressing environment, development, poverty, human rights, health and humanitarian issues. Representing hundreds of millions of people from all walks of life, it represents faith-based groups, youth groups, trade unions and individuals all calling for a fair,  ambitious and binding climate change agreement in December 2009 in Copenhagen. The world is ready!  Visit their website at www.tcktcktck.org