wfn.org | WACC: Statement marking the end of the UN Climate Change Confer

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

As the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen comes to an end,
WACC calls on media professionals and communicators worldwide to take
up the challenge of climate justice, amplify the voices of
marginalized people and communities and to ensure that equity and
mutual accountability are at the heart of any response to climate
change.

> Full statement...

There is only one Earth. It is embarked on the heavenâ??s seas and
Earthâ??s creatures are its only sailors. If the ship is damaged
beyond repair, all is lost.

Humankindâ??s wisest leaders and most knowledgeable experts agree that
climate change is todayâ??s most serious global environmental problem.
For that reason, how we respond to climate change has become an
ethical benchmark that defines our responsibilities toward each other
as human beings, toward future generations, and toward all of
Creation.

Climate justice is a visionary principle that will help us to
alleviate the unequal burdens created by climate change. It calls for
the fair treatment of all people through policies and projects that
address climate change and the structures that create and perpetuate
inequalities.

Climate justice is closely related to communication justice. In the
acrimonious ongoing debate on climate justice, the voices of those
most directly impacted by climate change are often unheard, or reduced
to the status of colourful bystanders.

A striking example was seen in Copenhagen, where Indigenous Peoples
had a strong presence. Their message was â??First, respect our
rights!â?? Indigenous peoples around the world are directly and
critically impacted by climate change and, therefore, by the outcomes
of the climate change conference. Food sovereignty, health,
traditional knowledge, land rights, resources, cultural integrity and
well-being are all at stake.

The people of the global South ­ among them the poor, and especially
women and children ­ are also at grave risk. Responsible
communicators have been focusing on these marginalized people, urging
local, contextualized news coverage.

As a global body, WACC bears testimony to the immediate threat that
climate change poses to many of our members, especially those in the
Pacific, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Famine, drought, irreparable
harm to water sources and the rising ocean levels are not theoretical
threats.

Communicators can make a difference. The UN Climate Change Conference
in Copenhagen is the beginning of the struggle, not the end. WACC
calls on media professionals and communicators worldwide to take up
the challenge of climate justice.

Amplify the voices of marginalized people and communities. Ensure that
equity and mutual accountability are at the heart of any response to
climate change. Together we can prevent the ship from sinking!

> Dennis Smith

> President, WACC