Act now for climate justice... plant a tree

Tuesday, 18 October marked the countdown of 40 days to COP17. A group of interfaith members celebrated by planting two golden shower trees at the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) offices in Durban.

President of the World Conference on Religions for Peace (WCRP), Paddy Meskin participated in the tree-planting exercise. She is leaving for the USA carrying a message from the youth of Durban, the host city to COP17, for the youth of USA.

The ‘40 Days to COP17’ tree planting celebration was part of an initiative to plant one million trees around the world before the conference as part of the “We have faith - Act now for climate justice” campaign.

The campaign encourages people to plant trees to offset the carbon loading in the atmosphere. Planting trees is a fantastic way of ensuring that we value and enjoy our natural environment and protect it and enhance it for future generations.

Meskin said the campaign had a petition, with the aim of getting millions of signatures from around the world. Waste reduction and recycling initiatives as well as producing a bound book with messages from the youth were other initiatives.

“The messages can be drawn, they can be painted, they can be written and they will say, ‘to the leaders of the world from the youth of the world, please give us a legacy with which we can live’,” she said.

A mass rally will be held at the Mr Price Kings Park Stadium in Durban on November 27, the day before the international COP17 climate talks start in Durban.

For more information, visit www.wehavefaithactnow.org.