by Alan Channer
In just a few short weeks, all the nations of the world will come together in Dubai to address the mounting challenge of climate change at COP28. IofC International will be represented at COP28 by several individuals from the Initiatives for Land, Lives and Peace (ILLP) programme, each committed to applying the practice of honest dialogue and the values of Initiatives of Change to the urgent needs of mitigating and adapting to climate change.
According to a recent BBC article entitled 'Deep divisions ahead of crucial UN climate talks', discussions in Dubai are likely to be driven 'in large part not by a desire to protect the planet from global warming but by international rivalries, domestic politics and squabbles about cash'. As Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UN body which organises the climate 'Conference of the Parties', put it, 'The elephants in the room are trust and collaboration'.
Initiatives of Change International (IofCI) has had a long-standing presence at UN climate COPs, thanks to its consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations and the expertise of individuals in the ILLP. This year, IofCI joined more than 30 other peacebuilding NGOs as a signatory to a landmark policy document on the nexus between climate change and peace. The initiative was facilitated by the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform, which was a collaborating partner in the 2023 Summer Academy on Land, Security and Climate workshop at Caux. The document, which has just been launched, will serve as a gathering point and call to action in Dubai on 3rd December, a day themed around 'Relief, Recovery and Peace'.
Watch this space!