A week camping to fight the climate crisis
By Michela Colpo and Francesca Santangelo
From the 25th to the 29th of July Turin (Italy) hosted the Climate Social Camp, an international event that sees the participation of movements, collectives and activists from all over the world. The goal is to create a moment in which people can confront themself and discover different realities, with the aim of discussing the issues of global warming and climate change.
Among the participants, the international movements Fridays For Future and Extinction Rebellion, both focused on the fight for climate justice. In addition, numerous people representing MAPA, Most Affected Peoples and Areas, showed up to share their stories and raise awareness about how the fight for the environment affects everyone and not only a small part of the population. Michelin Sallata, from Indonesia, and Nansedalia Ramirez, from Mexico, were two of the many guests who made touching and important speeches.
The organization of the camp
The camp was in a park of Turin, where different areas were settled up, such as the camping area, three marquees for conferences, evening events and meals, and open spaces for workshops and relaxation areas.
During the week, mornings and afternoons were moments for debates and group activities, analyzing the theme of the climate crisis from many different perspectives, also thanks to the multiple guests who proposed and addressed different topics, such as antispecism, ecotransfeminism, work, migration. This helped to analyze the theme of climate justice and climate crisis through a 360-degree analysis, raising awareness and educating about environmental problems from multiple angles, and spreading information about realities connected to a more ethical and sustainable development.
The camp was an event accessible to all: meals were vegan and gluten free, designed to be as inclusive and sustainable as possible, and a psychological support desk was also set up.
Fridays For Future at the Campus and the Friday strike
Throughout the week, a series of afternoon conferences organized by Fridays For Future took place at the Luigi Einaudi Campus of the University of Turin. This ended with the meeting “The great blindness: how to tell about climate change in the media”, a round table that saw some of the directors of the most famous Italian newspapers, such as La Stampa, La Repubblica and Il Corriere della Sera, discussing with activists about how in these days the media deal environmental issues and topics such as greenwashing.
The Climate Social Camp ended with the Friday strike, the symbol of the environmental movement Fridays For Future. The march started from the park and ended in Piazza Castello, where a last meeting was held to involve tourists and citizens to listen to the speeches of the participants of the camp.
Our magazine “.eco” followed the whole event: we want to mention the honorable behavior of the participants, who preserved the original state of the park without polluting it, and also to the environment of mutual respect and cultural exchange that was maintained during the whole event. This positive and predominantly young atmosphere, of lightness but also social commitment, could remember the festivals of the 60s and 70s, such as the famous Woodstock. But in this case, the music, the chats, and the new friendships are only the outline of the greater final goal: the fight for respect and rights of all living beings and of our planet.
World mobilization and strike week for the Earth from 20 to 27 September, announced by Fridays for future, while in New York on the 23rd António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, convenes the leaders of the planet for a summit leading to concrete actions for the climate. «Join the ‘Week for Future and Climate Justice’ of Fridays for future and take to the streets next to the young», this is the appeal of the Secretary General of the WEEC network Mario Salomone.
Guterres also appointed a special envoy, Mexican diplomat Luis Alfonso de Alba (in the photo), with the task of ensuring that every country in the world has the tools, vision and political will necessary for ambitious climate action, benefit of all aspects of society.
Tous nos points de repères sont entrain d’être chamboulés. Nous ne devons plus chercher à regarder le vieux sage pour trouver la voie, il faut au contraire chercher la jeune écolière en grève assise seule dans le froid. Nous ne devons plus chercher les princes, s’il n’y en a déjà eu, il n’y en a plus, c’est dans les classes moyennes que se trouvent celles et ceux qui nous sauvent.
From the young Swedish student Greta Thunberg, the successful example of how the message on the urgency of change can reach hearts and consciences. She deserves all our applause and support. From his courageous gesture a movement is born that mobilizes groups of young people all over the world. The events of “Fridays for future” and the global strike of March 15th are a sign of hope that must leave its mark. This is why the WEEC Secretariat invites all the people involved in the defense of the environment and all the members of the largest international network of environmental educators to join, to be in the front line and to give maximum support to the campaign for the respect for commitments against global warming. «Greta» said among other things the WEEC Secretary General Mario Salomone «spoke also to the great people of the Earth, COP24 and the WEF of Davos. They heard her, but it is not said that they listened to her. It is up to all of us to help extinguish the burning house fire. Women and men of every generation side by side».