Sustaining All Life
Events at COP27 Blue Zone
Sustaining All Life is offering events in the COP27 Blue Zone (the governmental area), as well as the Green Zone, including:
- short presentations (30 minutes)
- listening circles on various topics and for different constituency groups (90 minutes)
- introductions to our work (1 hour)
SHORT PRESENTATIONS
Exhibit 45 (Shared with Sustain Our Abilities and Nurses Across the Borders)
🌱 Healing Climate Trauma
Blue Zone Exhibit 45, Sustaining All Life
Monday, November 7, 11:30 am - 12 pm
Awareness of the climate crisis grows as does the existential threat it poses for humans and all life on Earth. This talk will share grass-roots tools and strategies for facing and healing from this trauma.
🌱 Strategies to Build Solidarity: Activism That Works in the Long Term
Blue Zone Exhibit 45, Sustaining All Life
Tuesday, November 8, 11:30 am - 12 pm
Acting against the climate crisis requires coordinated actions. We can develop strategies that allow us to act even in the midst of disagreements or discouragement. There is much more that unites us than separates us, although it may be difficult to notice.
🌱 Que pouvons nous faire face au chagrin climatique?
Blue Zone Exhibit 45, Sustaining All Life
Wednesday, November 9, 11:30 am - 12 pm
Nous avons besoin d'occasions de pleurer ouvertement sur les dommages causés à la Terre. Cela permet de libérer l'énergie et de libérer notre pensée. La guérison du deuil climatique peut nous donner l'énergie et l'ambition dont nous avons besoin pour répondre de manière appropriée à l'urgence climatique.
🌱 Sustaining Ourselves as Activists
Blue Zone Exhibit 45, Sustaining All Life
Wednesday, November 9, 11:30 am - 12 pm
Thursday, November 10, 11:30 am - 12 pm
To build and sustain a strong climate movement we must have a place to share and heal from feelings about the climate emergency, the damage we experience from oppression, and any discouragement we feel about taking needed action.
🌱 Emotional Resilience in the Climate Emergency
Blue Zone Exhibit 45, Sustaining All Life
Friday, November 11, 11:30 am - 12 pm
Current crises can trigger feelings of despair, fear, and hopelessness from painful experiences early in our lives. Doing emotional healing work to free ourselves from the effects of past hurtful incidents prepares us to emotionally handle the deepening crisis of the climate emergency.
🌱 What Can We Do about Climate Grief?
Blue Zone Exhibit 45, Sustaining All Life
Saturday, November 12, 11:30 am - 12 pm
We can listen to each other’s stories to help each other heal. We can listen to the stories of the populations suffering the most from the effects of climate change to learn the impacts so we are proponents for change. Climate change affects real people. Often those stories aren’t heard and people are slow to react to implement real solutions because they are in denial. We can change that by making sure that many voices are heard.
LISTENING CIRCLES
In listening circles we come together with others who have similar backgrounds or experiences to take equal turns listening to one another about challenges and successes or experiences of oppression in our climate work. In the confidential, non-judgmental space of listening circles, we can release painful emotions and heal from past and present experiences that have left us struggling. With our minds cleared, we become more engaged, confident, and effective in our work.
🌱 Youth Listening Circle
Blue Zone P117, Sustaining All Life
Tuesday, November 8 - Friday, November 11, 1 - 2 pm
Young People are often at the forefront of positive changes at any COP. Young people can find laughter in the face of crisis and stand strong for our future and the world we love. Facing climate change takes a toll on us. The COP is a stressful and overwhelming place and we need spaces to express and share this emotional burden to able to keep doing our vital work efficiently. This daily listening circle will provide a regular meeting place (first week only) for young people at the COP to meet, share our hopes and fears, and have some fun.
🌱 African Listening Circle
Blue Zone P117, Sustaining All Life
Tuesday, November 8, 2 - 3 pm
Africa accounts for less than 4% of global emissions and yet is suffering the most. In this listening circle, African participants will have the opportunity to be listened to awarely about climate change in their countries. Participants will be led by an experienced Listening Circle leader as they take equal turns to listen and be listened to. Sustaining All Life (SAL) brings the tools and understandings of peer counseling to those working to stop climate change. These include the exchange of listening time between peers, and facing the emotional impact of the climate emergency.
🌱 Loss and Damage—From Grieving to Action (Finance Day Listening Circle)
Blue Zone P117, Sustaining All Life
Wednesday, November 9, 11 am - 12 pm
Addressing the historic injustices that have resulted in the disproportionate impact of the climate emergency often brings up strong emotions. Having a safe and supported place to share those emotions lets us begin to heal the emotional hurts that interfere with our thinking about and acting to end these injustices. We are better able to build and strengthen alliances and enjoy working together.
🌱 African Listening Circle
Blue Zone P117, Sustaining All Life
Wednesday, November 9, 2 - 3 pm
Africa accounts for less than 4% of global emissions and yet is suffering the most. In this listening circle, African participants will have the opportunity to be listened to awarely about climate change in their countries. Participants will be led by an experienced Listening Circle leader as they take equal turns to listen and be listened to. Sustaining All Life (SAL) brings the tools and understandings of peer counseling to those working to stop climate change. These include the exchange of listening time between peers, and facing the emotional impact of the climate emergency.
🌱 More Bad News? (Science Day Listening Circle)
Blue Zone P117, Sustaining All Life
Thursday, November 10, 11 am - 12 pm
Every day scientists give us new and more detailed information about the developing climate emergency, and much of it is bad news! We need a safe place where we can express the many emotions that come up for us as we face what is happening. Simply talking about our feelings can take the sting out of them. Sharing our feelings and listening to others’ helps us realize we are not alone. It gives us a chance to release painful emotions and clarify our thinking.
INTRODUCTORY LECTURES
🌱 Introduction to the Tools of Sustaining All Life
Blue Zone P117, Sustaining All Life
Thursday, November 10 and Friday, November 11, 2 - 3 pm
Participants will learn about our natural ability to heal from hurtful experiences using the process of emotional release. They will be paired together to listen to each other in equal turns with respectful, non-judgmental attention. In the safety and confidentiality of these short “sessions,” we can access past hurts and current upsets, including experiences of oppression and environmental injustice; and the burnout, discouragement, and stress sometimes felt in working on the climate emergency. When we do this, we tend to think more clearly about the climate crisis and have more courage, stamina, and confidence that we can succeed in our efforts.