The World Council of Churches has joined an international campaign aimed at raising awareness of climate refugees around the world.
The ‘Postcards from the Frontline’
campaign, launched by the Environmental Justice Foundation in collaboration with virtual to real postcard app creator Bypost this week, is calling for action to help the millions of people forced from their homes due to weather-related events.
CAMPAIGNING FOR CLIMATE REFUGEES: The Environmental Justice Foundation’s ‘Postcards from the Frontlines’ website.
A report from the Norwegian Refugee Council says more than 31 million people fell into this category in 2012 alone – an average of about 86,000 a day. Climate refugees are still not recognised by any international law.
Using the free bypost app, the campaign enables people to send a free postcard from their phone or desktop to the UN Secretary-General’s office in New York. The postcard will arrive as a physical card.
Organisers are hoping that 100,000 cards will have been sent by 10th December – Human Rights Day – when a public response will be sought from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Dr Guillermo Kerber, the World Council of Churches’ programme executive in the area of care for creation and climate change, has called on churches to join in the campaign.
“The WCC and its churches have on their main agenda to support the vulnerable communities facing the impact of climate change,” he said. “Forced displacement because of climate change is a concern for churches, especially in regions such as the Pacific, South East Asia and Africa…”
The WCC has some 345 member church denominations representing more than 500 million Christians from Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other traditions.
To send a postcard or to find out more, head to www.ejfoundation.org/postcards.
