BELÉM, Brazil, Nov 14 (IPS) – Farmer and climate activist from Nigeria, Melody Areola, beats the heat in Belém and makes farmers’ rights heard in climate discussions. As the UN climate conference COP30 in Brazil nears the end of its first week, activists like Melody are raising their voices.
Ignoring the humidity-induced heat on Wednesday evening, she chanted slogans and addressed the crowd of activists and participants. “No burping, no eating,” she said loudly, as the group repeated her chants.
“Any international agreement must be about people and revolve around people,” she says.
Activists come from different parts of the world, but consistently deliver the same message: the foundation of a just transition cannot be based on lies and false solutions. They call out the fossil fuel industries and demand climate justice with human rights, food security based on local knowledge and support for locally based solutions.
“A just transition depends on real solutions from people on the ground,” said Nona Chai, program coordinator at the Just Transition Alliance. “We need to move away from fossil fuels and industrial agriculture.”
After a few years of limited protests at COPs, Belém is preparing for a major protest on Saturday.
A group of youth activists held a silent protest in the main corridor of the Blue Zone on Wednesday. With their mouths taped shut, they carried signs with slogans such as “Adjustment Justice Now,” “We Demand Government-Based Adaptation Finance Now,” and “Public Ownership, No Access.”
Faith-based protest groups demonstrated with long blue cloths as a ‘River of Hope’ to show the call of the earth. “It’s a moral call to action to the leaders here,” said Laura Morales of the Laudato Si’ movement.
Ana Sanchez, a community organizer, actively participates in several protests and connects climate justice to the Palestinian cause.
“There can be no climate justice without Palestinian liberation,” she said. “The carbon emissions from bombs dropped in Gaza are greater than the annual emissions of 100 countries. We must connect climate justice with Palestinian liberation.”
In Belém, protests by indigenous communities are growing day by day. They demand recognition of their country and knowledge as a system for climate adaptation. This morning (Friday, November 14), a group of indigenous people blocked the main entrance for some time while silently protesting.
Although their protest was peaceful, a breach of the premises by demonstrators earlier this week prompted the UNFCCC to send out a message of reassurance.
“Please note that there is a peaceful demonstration taking place at the main entrance to the Blue Zone. There is no danger.”
And with each new protest, safety becomes more and more visible. Wearing riot gear and shields, they stand guard as many of the more than 56,000 accredited delegates take selfies in front of the audience.
IPS UN office report
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