On Saturday 15th November we hosted our cardboard carnival to show unity with the Global Day of Climate action and as part of our wider planet over profit campaign. The event was in collaboration with Friction Arts, the Brum Climate Coalition, Woodcraft Folk, and many more local groups at the Edge, Digbeth. We would like to take a moment to thank all those who attended, from activists, community members and the organisations who helped make the day happen. Despite the cold outside, the warmth was evident as over 100 people attended to show their support, socialise and channel their inner child with some arts and crafts! The day started at 10am with sessions that included banner painting, shadow puppets and drumming lessons to create content for the carnival. This was followed by lunch provided by the amazing change kitchen and a live video call with local representatives at the COP30 in Benin.
We then marched through the streets of the city centre for the carnival and finished the day with some powerful speeches outside of St Phillips cathedral.
Although the day was lighthearted and jubilant the intention of the event remained clear: to show our solidarity with the efforts of the indigenous and marginalised communities within the discussions around climate change. COP30 is an important milestone as it marks 10 years since the Paris agreement and is supposed to set the stage for a unified global effort in tackling environmental disruption. However, representation of the most impacted voices is often left out of the debate resulting in outcomes that exasperate inequalities and leave those who have contributed the least to this crisis experiencing the worst of it.
We put this event together to make our stance clear and stand with those who protect the forests and demand accountability from decision makers. To see the collective effort of all generations and backgrounds at the carnival, united through our humanity and dedication to the care of our planet was truly inspiring.
As a local cooperative, we are committed to creating spaces where the power of the people can thrive and thank all of you for your support along the way.
We look forward to seeing you at our next event.
Written by Shania Holness, Graduate placement volunteer
