Earth Democracy

By Nancy Price
December 2021

Women Mobilizing for Climate Justice, Gender Equality and Feminist Peace!

Here’s your opportunity to hear the inspiring first-hand reports from WILPF International and CODEPINK women who attended the United Nations Conference of Parties (COP26) — Climate Summit, Glasgow, Scotland, October 30 - November 12.

If you missed the Sunday, November 21 report back– “Women Mobilizing for Climate Justice, Gender Equality and Feminist Peace,” organized by WILPF International’s Environmental Working Group, now’s the time to watch the YouTube recording here, and share it with your colleagues and networks! 

This report back is essential viewing. It is moderated by Bianca Mugyenyi, Canadian Foreign Policy Institute, and speakers: Ida Arneson (Sweden), Roslyn Cook (WILPF UK), Tamara Lorincz (WILPF Canada), Michelle Benzing (WILPF Germany), Nancy Mancias (CODEPINK), Jodie Evans (CODEPINK) and Alexis Canari (WILPF Germany/Peru).

The speakers had a variety of different experiences at the Climate Summit. You will get a unique “you are here” experience and gain information to bring to the Earth Democracy discussion and the next steps in 2022, so that we can create a world based on climate justice, gender equality, and feminist peace. 

At COP26, many promises were made, from commitments to end deforestation to pledges to achieve “net zero” emissions by 2050. But what do such promises really mean? What proposed solutions – Cap and Trade, Carbon Sequestration, Carbon Credits, and more – really accomplish, and are these just more corporate-proposed false solutions? 

Will these “solutions” be enough to mitigate the devastating effects of the climate and ecological crises we are now facing? Can we keep global warming from passing 1.5 degrees Centigrade, 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, before catastrophic tipping points are reached from which people and the planet cannot recover? Or have we passed the 1.5 benchmark already? Furthermore, how were feminist, anti-militarist perspectives featured in this year’s much-anticipated COP? 

Over the course of two weeks at COP26, women and young people, people from island countries facing rising seas, developing countries, and countries of the South expressed their concerns with banners, signs, and panel presentations, demonstrating the connection between the climate crisis and militarism– highlighting the devastating impact of first world countries military carbon bootprint  (Please put the carbon bootprint image here). 

Once again, repeating what has happened at earlier Summits, the world’s military escaped being held accountable for its carbon “bootprint.” Remember, the U.S. Department of Defense is estimated to emit more CO₂ than over 120 separate countries. 

Now, we must mobilize women in the US and our WILPF International Sections to put peace and equality at the center of climate justice in advance for COP27 in Egypt, 2022. 

We must converge in a global movement to reduce carbon emissions– utilizing a variety of strategies, campaign tactics, and actions to urge the U.S. and other countries to commit to Move the Money to Human Needs campaign, and decarbonize the planet well before 2050, so that our communities, people, and planet can survive and thrive. 

Don’t fail to listen to the inspiring YouTube report back here. 

Stay tuned: The Earth Democracy team will be developing Action Alerts, social media messaging, and eNews updates so you may stay informed and engaged.