“Change the System, Not the climate”

December 26, 2010

Report from the International Forum on Climate Justice – Cancun, Dec. 5-10, 2010

For six days between Dec 6th and 10th hundreds of Mexican and International organizations collaborated to hold the International Forum on Climate Justice (IFCJ) in Cancun, Mexico. This event ran parallel to the official 16th meeting under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – commonly referred to as COP-16.

The IFCJ events were held at Super Manzana 21 (Manzana = Block) in Cancun, a complex that included a gym, cultural centre and some open land where large meeting tents were pitched. Opening day (December 5th) began with a couple of panels that were introductory in nature, structured to accommodate a varied knowledge base among those in attendance. John Dillon from KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, spoke on the second panel addressing the topic of ‘Free Trade and Climate Change’. Not surprisingly, the Canadian tar sands debacle came in for more than one mention! Following this panel John also chaired a small group discussion that looked at the international financial system and its responsibility for the climate crisis. The three panels held on December 6th focused on natural resources, forests, and indigenous nations.