Time to #strikewithus and Mobilize Against the US War Machine

Swedish 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg takes part in a march for the environment and the climate organized by students in Brussels, February 2019. Credit: Liv Oeian / Shutterstock.com.

By Nancy Price
Co-chair, Earth Democracy

From September 20th to the 23rd, a series of actions and meetings will bring youth and people of all ages together to demand transformative action to address the climate crisis, and to mobilize for peace and against the US War Machine. Here’s how to join, endorse, and support these important actions.

The Global Climate Strike: September 20

On Friday, September 20, the next Global Climate Strike will take place and you can participate in various ways.

After Greta Thunberg walked out of her school on a Friday to Strike for the Climate, students all over the world have joined her in Friday walkouts. Earlier this year, Greta and 47 youth activists from around the world issued an emergency call to everyone of all ages to join them in a mass intergenerational mobilization on Friday, September 20, to demand actions to keep global warming under 2 degrees Centigrade to avert as much as possible global catastrophe for people and the planet.

On September 20, millions of people around the world are expected to walk out of their workplaces, homes, and schools to join young climate strikers. Strike events are added every day to the country maps worldwide and to the US map.
    
September 20 will be the world’s largest ever climate mobilization, when many millions will take to the streets in rallies, marches, and other activities to demand action by local and national governments. We must be the leaders, when our elected representatives refuse to lead.

Whatever you do—support your child or grandchild to walk out of school, walk out of your job, or simply join a protest or rally—we know that the more people join together we can build the movement to bring about real and lasting change in energy and climate policy.  

Here’s what to do:

• Find an action near you on the map here.
• If you don’t find an event near you, get started planning to host a strike event here and you can tune in to training sessions for how to host a climate strike here.
• Find information, and a variety of resources, including media and art here.
• Be sure to order your Climate Justice+Women+Peace cards and WILPF Climate Justice+Women+Peace and People and Planet before Profit banners, WILPF sashes and buttons now.

UN Climate and Peace Events

On Saturday, September 21, the UN is hosting a Youth Summit.

On Monday, September 23, the UN is hosting the Climate Action Summit. UN Secretary-General António Guterres is calling on all leaders to come to the UN with concrete, realistic plans to enhance their nationally determined contributions by 2020 in line with reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent over the next decade, and to net zero emissions by 2050. He calls the effort a “race to the top” among countries, companies, cities, and civil society that is needed to achieve the objectives of the 2015 Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. What will President Trump and our UN Ambassador’s response be to this challenge?

September 20-23, the People's Mobilization to Stop the US War Machine is a series of actions planned while the  UN General Assembly meets. “The US War Machine threatens our very existence as it gobbles up more fossil fuels than any other institution, spewing greenhouse gases and driving climate chaos. It destroys the land, water, and air, and threatens the life of every species with its war games, weapons tests, military bases built in sensitive ecosystems and dumping of depleted uranium and other toxins. And, with nuclear weapons now on hair-trigger alert, the US War Machine has moved the doomsday clock dangerously close to midnight.”  Endorse the People’s Mobilization here.

• Friday, Sept. 20 – People’s Climate Strike. Starts at Union Square at  noon to bring messages connecting militarism and the climate crisis.
• Saturday, Sept. 21 – Puerto Rico Independence March starting at 11 am at 59th St. Columbus Circle and marching to Dag Hammarskjold Plaza at the UN. It’s time to decolonize Puerto Rico.
• Sunday, Sept. 22 – People’s Mobilization to Stop the US War Machine and Save the Planet, Herald Square, 2 pm.
• Monday, Sept. 23 – Forum: “A Path to International Peace: Realizing the Vision of the United Nations Charter.” Location: Community Church of New York 40 East 35th St., New York City, 10016. Time:  6:30 pm. You must register in advance.

The Climate Challenge and COP25

Alarmingly, the authors of a recent article, "Scientists Have Been Underestimating the Pace of Climate Change," write that we may have much less time to address the climate crisis than we think – maybe only 10-12 years to end our dependence on fossil fuels. Can those national leaders the UN Secretary General brings together on September 23rd rise to this challenge?

Moreover, the UN’s best guess is that unchecked climate change could produce a billion climate refugees this century. As Bill McKibben declares: “Think about that for a moment — a billion people whose lives would be utterly, permanently, devastatingly upended.” Already, we are witness to millions of climate refugees fleeing from food insecurity and famine due to drought and loss of water for household needs, and from disastrous weather events and floods. If the ferocity of hurricanes, tornadoes, and disastrous floods increases, where will our climate refuges seek safety?  

COP 25 Challenge: As you join an event on September 20, keep in mind that wherever you live, these days of mobilization at the UN and in New York City are the prelude to what must be even greater organizing in December. December 2-12 is when the 25th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP25), the decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), meets in Santiago, Chile. Remember, the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement is voluntary. What will our demands be in December and what will be the outcome of this meeting? This could be our last chance to put people and planet before profit!