Climate Train
In the most extensive country consultation yet
in advance of any of a United
Nations Framework on Climate Change Committee UNFCCC’s Conference of
the Parties (COP) meetings, a Climate Train will depart on a month long journey
across South Africa on Friday.
Under the
banner – Mobilization, Dialogue & Climate Justice - the ambitious
outreach programme is aimed at consulting communities in 16 towns and the
surrounding countryside on their climate hopes, aspirations, experiences and
solutions. Addressing climate change is a crisis of global proportions that affects
life – in all its forms - now and for unborn generations. This crisis requires
a cooperative faith, moral and spiritual approach beyond the scientific and
political interventions if we are to deal effectively with mitigation and
adaptation strategies to climate change, which we call climate justice.
Indalo Yethu, the
South African Environmental Agency, in collaboration with the British Council
and COPART, with the support of the Department of Environmental Affairs, the
Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) and the Embassy of the Republic
of Germany, have joined forces to make the Climate Train journey a reality. The
climate train presents a multi-pronged vehicle to highlight the impact of
climate change on communities, while documenting responses, expectations and
solutions in the towns along the way. It is also a resource
hub showcasing low-carbon technologies and presenting information and learning
experiences regarding climate change mitigation, adaptation, and innovation.
The train is scheduled to arrive in Durban on the 27th of
November, just in time for the events ahead of COP17, where it will be parked
at the station for visits by delegates, learners, the public and activists. The specially retrofitted train
departs from Cape Town station at 9pm on Friday and will be sent off by amongst
others Environment Minister Edna Molewa and a representative group of
inter-faith and indigenous leaders, given their crucial role in helping to
change behavior and values to ensure South Africans meet the challenges posed
by climate change individually and collectively. Friday’s launch will
be filled with art, industrial theatre and music, centred on climate change and
climate justice topics.
It will not be all
about fear of the future. The specially decorated train has three special
carriages for interactive events, learning and entertainment:
·
The Knowledge Carriage: A resource centre setup with
learning materials and learning tools to create space to spend time applying
and developing all of what is absorbed during the interaction with the Climate
Train. The resource centre will showcase green technologies, biodiversity map
and climate change resilience practices through interactive displays and
learning tools
·
The Conference Carriage: A space to host roundtable dialogue
sessions, conferences, seminars, film screenings and theatre performances.
·
Creative Carriage: This carriage will be a learning
space where creative cultural practitioners, artists and others can work on
projects along the journey and will perform poetry and threatre. It will offer
a full range of materials and tools for creative engagement.
I am very excited to be joining the Train and to create artworks with found materials from JHB to Durban....
Schools, activists and members of the public are invited to come and share in the films, industrial theatre, and round table discussions on climate and environment topics. Off the platforms there will be tree planting to off-set the carbon footprint of the journey, guerilla gardening, social sculptures, music, poetry and art as well as lively town hall meetings and Earth Forum discussions on people’s relationship with the earth.
Schools, activists and members of the public are invited to come and share in the films, industrial theatre, and round table discussions on climate and environment topics. Off the platforms there will be tree planting to off-set the carbon footprint of the journey, guerilla gardening, social sculptures, music, poetry and art as well as lively town hall meetings and Earth Forum discussions on people’s relationship with the earth.
Among the initiatives along the train route would also be the introduction
of a climate charter discussion, aimed at finding an African response and
contribution – especially listening to the wisdom, values and indigenous
communities’ language to make our values and rights audible in the climate
discourse. While the time before COP17 is too limited to conclude a credible
consultation, it is hoped that voices along the route would be able to feed
into a longer term process to inform an African People’s Charter. Last month,
the Economic Justice Network (a programme for the Fellowship of Christian
Councils in Southern Africa), Indalo Yethu, the Council of Churches and the South African Faith Communities’ Environment
Institute (SAFCEI) launched a partnership after a two-day conference that
deliberated on the urgent joint action needed to prepare our communities for
climate change and the far-reaching decisions to be considered at COP17. Under
the banner of “We have Faith – Act Now for Climate Justice”, a collection of
South African faith and civil society leaders signaled their intention to have
their collective voice loudly heard by being the first to sign what they hope
will be a multi-million signature petition to be presented to COP17.
While there is an overall focus to ensure a united voice among South
Africans, the train would specifically highlight the plight and struggles of
vulnerable groups, such as the children, youth, women, the working poor and
indigenous communities. . Our roundtable conferences at stations would also
tackle burning topics for each region/town.
SPECIAL INVITATIONS TO THE MEDIA:
·
Indalo Yethu CEO June Josephs-Langa will give a
special background briefing on the Climate Train on Friday, 28 October, on the
train at Cape Town station’s Platform 24 – at 16h00 pm. Programmes for the first few legs of the
train would be released the54re. Please RSVP for the press conference (details
below)
·
Journalists are welcome to attend the launch
ceremony scheduled to take place between 18h00pm and 21h00pm.
·
The train has limited passenger capacity, but we
are able to host a few journalists on a rotational basis on legs of the
journey. Media houses could indicate their interest via the contact details
below.
·
Please find below the train itinerary - which may
be subject to minor changes in the latter part of the journey.
·
Attached are also the programmes for the first two
stops of the train – Cape Town and Worcester.
Please contact Christelle Terreblanche for more information, to RSVP for
the briefing or to indicate interest to hop on for a leg of the journey.
T: +27 – 832266458
Itinerary: 28 October – 10 December 2011
Departure Station
|
Dep. Date
|
Dep. Time
|
Arrival Station
|
Arr. Time
|
Arr. Date
|
Remarks
|
Activities
|
Johannesburg
|
25/10
|
Cape Town
|
26/10
|
||||
Cape Town
|
28/10
|
21.00
|
Worcester
|
00.00
|
29/10
|
3 hours journey time
|
|
Worcester
|
30/10
|
22.00
|
Beaufort West
|
04.00
|
31/11
|
6 hours journey time
|
|
Beaufort West
|
31/11
|
21:00
|
DE AAR
|
0:35
|
01/11
|
||
De AAR
|
01/11
|
21.00
|
Kimberley
|
05.00
|
02/11
|
8 hours ourney time
|
|
Kimberley
|
03/11
|
22.00
|
Klerksdorp
|
02.00
|
04/11
|
4 hours journey time
|
|
Klerksdorp
|
05/11
|
22.00
|
Krugersdorp
|
01.00
|
06/11
|
3 hours journey time
|
|
Krugersdorp
|
07/11
|
22.00
|
Johannesburg
(Nasrec)
|
23.00
|
07/11
|
1 hour journey time
|
|
Johannesburg
(Nasrec)
|
10/11
|
23.00
|
Pretoria
|
01.00
|
11/11
|
2 hours journey time
|
|
Pretoria
(Centurion or Pyramid or Pretoria North)
|
13/11
|
05.00
|
Naboomspruit
|
08.00
|
13/11
|
3 hours journey time
|
|
Naboomspruit
|
14/11
|
22.00
|
Polokwane
|
01.00
|
14/11
|
3 hours journey time
|
|
Polokwane
|
16/11
|
22.00
|
Louis Trichardt
|
02.00
|
17/11
|
4 hours journey time
|
|
Louis Trichardt
|
19/11
|
06.00
|
Johannesburg
|
07.00
|
20/11
|
13 hours journey time
(Maintenance check in JNB)
|
|
Johannesburg
|
21/11
|
22.00
|
Standerton
|
01.00
|
22/11
|
3 hours journey time
|
|
Standerton
|
23/11
|
22.00
|
Ladysmith
|
02.00
|
24/11
|
4 hours journey time
|
|
Ladysmith
|
25/11
|
22.00
|
Pietermaritzburg
|
03.00
|
26/11
|
5 hours journey time
|
|
Pietermaritzburg
|
27/11
|
07.00
|
Durban
|
09.00
|
27/11
|
2 hours journey time
|
|
Durban
|
10/12
|
20.00
|
Johannesburg
|
09.00
|
11/12
|
13 hours journey time
|
