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The Road to Copenhagen Climate Justice Hearing in Ghana
"All the faces we have captured in the video, the over 10,000 real signatures we have stored, the thousands of youth and students we have inspired and the honourable chiefs and Elders we have engaged with, are all looking forward to only one ACTION, which is to end poverty and climate change NOW!"
Abibimman Foundation on behalf of the Ghana National Youth Coalition on Climate Change (GNYCCC) embarked on a “CLIMATE JUSTICE POVERTY HEARING” project dubbed “The Road to Copenhagen". The project was sponsored by the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) under its Climate Justice Programme and supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) – Ghana.
A road caravan travelled through some selected communities in eight (8) out of the ten (10) regions of Ghana. The ‘Hearing’ started from Tumu in the Northern part of Ghana and ended in Tema Manhean (Tema New Town), shores of the Atlantic Ocean in the South.
The primary objective was to generate over 50,000 messages and signatures from opinion leaders, women, children, students, youths, farmers and citizens whose voices need to be heard from rural and urban communities, on the effect of Climate Change on their livelihoods, farms etc.
The campaign also aimed at providing Ghanaians and the world a special platform and opportunity to stand up for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and take actions that send clear and powerful message to governments and leadership to pause on the TALKS and urgently take ACTION.
The messages and signatures gathered will be presented to the government of Ghana and are expected to enhance Ghana’s position on the UNFCCC at the upcoming UN Conference on Climate Change for world leaders at Copenhagen (COP 15).
THE JOURNEY
As the team travelled from one place to another, we observed that development projects in Ghana are not evenly distributed. Roads, housing, standard of living and lack of basic facilities demonstrated real prevalence of poverty in Ghana.
We seized every opportunity to take pictures of interesting sights and situations. People are not only struggling and surviving in poverty but are also highly at risk of major environmental and health disaster in Ghana.
Whilst some people felt suspicious and uneasy divulging information about their situation, others were more than willing to give extra information. The former was because they think nothing good will result from the hearings.
So far we have stated the problem of climate change in physical terms as testified by the community members. But more importantly, the problem of rising green house gases, global warming and climate change is more about economics, social relations, traditional beliefs, human behaviour, power structure, community ownership and political will.
The climate hearing team witness with utmost despair the deplorable economic situation in all the places visited. Unemployment, school drop out, lack of basic necessities, abuse of dignity, poverty and inequality, often push people to ignore the signs on the wall and damn the future.
THE CHALLENGES
Really addressing climate change situation in Ghana will mean that citizens need to embrace drastic lifestyle changes. It requires rethinking the essence of development, and determining which paths are sustainable. Fundamental changes in how economies of society are organized and run must be made if we are to avoid global catastrophe.
Will the ordinary citizen and the civil society organization be carried along by Government, the the fashioning of a comprehensive frame work policy on climate change in Ghana? Would the private and industrial sectors of the Ghanain economy who are the worse offenders, be willing to contribute substantially to mitigation intervention? Will the youth community and advocates, like the GNYCCC be included in key negotiations?
One major challenge, however, was the assurance we were often pressurized to give concerning the impact of the hearings on the communities visited.
Even though we always sounded very optimistic and confident, the people still have doubts regarding how prompt intervention of Government and responsible authorities would be.
All the faces we have captured in the video, the over 10,000 real signatures we have stored, the thousands of youth and students we have inspired and the honourable chiefs and Elders we have engaged with, are all looking forward to only one ACTION, which is to end poverty and climate change NOW!
Read the full report here: GHANA - SUMMARY REPORT ON CLIMATE POVERTY HEARING.pdf
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