Dear Friends,

As we prepared for our journey to COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, I was reminded of another journey at another time, which was the visit by Mary to Elizabeth in the gospel of Luke (LK:1, 63-64). What is clear from the story is that it’s about relationships and the relationship takes place in the context of a journey. The encounter bears witness to the urgency of the journey: “Mary went with haste” as it does for all of us now.

In a society where women were oppressed and denied their rights, Mary and Elizabeth create the “space” where they can share their stories, their experiences of God, and their hope hopes for a better future, and where they dare to prophesy and proclaim their respective visions of Liberation. Likewise, at this time in our history we religious women have found in our faith the hope and strength to struggle for justice, for dignity and the right to participate in the creation of a better future for all people. The journey we took to COP27 was for the people we represent who do not have voices. We made ourselves available for the journey, showing solidarity with and encouragement to women and girls in difficult circumstances, especially those furthest left behind in our world.

UNANIMA International, in partnership with many organizations have been on a journey together for the past year and we are convinced of the need to coordinate, collaborate, and communicate on the issue of climate change – including at various UN and International Events. We witness a world that is in a fragile state, where there are poor, overlooked, and neglected women, children, and girls. As a group, we want to see change. We want to raise our voices and proclaim that things must be different.

Unlike previous COPs, this one was not aiming for a single negotiated outcome but for action at the national level. Many of the long-term veterans at COPs were saying “this is no longer just a function of what the global community agrees, it’s how can the global community working together advance national interests and national agendas.”

Religious communities, religious leaders, and civil society have played a significant role over many years in addressing climate change and climate justice, which requires deep transformation within our communities and our societies. We already know what changes are needed to diminish long-term harm to our planet. However, like Greta Thunberg and other young activists keep saying, change in action demands deeper changes in attitude – a change of heart.

And ending as I began with the visitation experience and our unique journey to COP27, we were prophetic in our speech, courageous in our actions, and achieved what we set out to do. Significant highlights for me were the personal conversations with environmental ministers and policy analysts in which I conveyed the stories of women, children and girls affected by the climate catastrophe in the many countries where members of UI minister in. This sacred journey we undertook on your behalf and on behalf of those furthest left behind in our world was a most privileged one.

In addition to the main round table component of the side event, the NGO co-organizers had a video exhibit featured at the COP27 venue. The video exhibit played video clips of grassroots voices and experiences with climate change, as well as play excerpts of the film The Letter: A Message for Our Earth. You can view the virtual landing page for the video exhibit at this link.

Importantly, history was made when the Parties agreed to a fund on Loss and Damage at the conclusion of the conference. While the implementation and financial details of the fund are still to be determined, this is a step in the right direction for those most affected by climate change and disasters. Much of the progress made at COP27 focused on the effects or impacts of the climate crisis rather than the causes – fossil fuel phase outs, decreasing emissions, etc. The Sharm El Sheikh Implementation Plan, the outcome document of COP27, excludes language on these important issues and could be strengthened by more substantive language around gender and climate, climate mobility, and climate-induced homelessness. You can read more about UNANIMA International’s experience and our Executive Director’s reflections in the Global Sisters Report article, here.

To read UNANIMA International’s COP27 statement, visit our website here and check out our social media pages where the statement was launched. Be sure to follow our social media pages and blog for the latest updates on outcomes of COP27 and for more information about post-COP27 events and initiatives from UNANIMA International!

Each year, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP) takes place on October 17^th at the United Nations. IDEP is an important day for advocacy on the subjects of poverty, human dignity, and solutions that can break the cycles of economic injustice that millions of our planet’s most vulnerable people face each day. The Day represents a safe space of meaningful participation for people whose voices are unheard and whose life stories, when told by others, are reduced to hardships – without showing all the courage it takes to fight poverty. It is a space to share not only the struggles they face in their lives but also their aspirations for the future. The IDEP holds space for a joint reflection on the commitment to end poverty by 2030, strengthening the continued partnerships and dialogue between civil society, Member States, communities and other stakeholders.

This year, IDEP’s theme ”Dignity for All in Practice: The commitments we make together for social justice, peace, and the planet.” An official IDEP program took place at the UN in the ECOSOC Chamber as well as virtually. UN Secretary-General António Guterres (via video message), UN General Assembly President Mr. Csaba Kőrösi, and International Movement ATD Fourth World President Donald Lee were among the many excellent speakers at the event. Moreover, one of the most consistently impactful parts of the IDEP is the inclusion of people with a lived experience of poverty. Andrew Holohan, an activist with a lived experience of poverty from Ireland delivered especially powerful remarks. Musical pieces and performances were also featured throughout the event. You can view the recording of the IDEP event here, we highly encourage you to check it out!