WE MAKE TOMORROW is a half day conference organised in anticipation of the COP28 climate protests that will be taking place around the world later this year.
Bringing together climate justice activists, trade unionists and social justice campaigners, the event will explore questions about how we orientate ourselves towards a more positive future for people and planet in the face of growing inequality, injustice, war and climate and environmental breakdown.
The fossil fuel industry and their friends in government are doing everything they can to delay real action on climate. COP28 looks set to be another green-washed corporate farce.
So how can we can bring about real change? Join us to discuss how we can strengthen links between people and between organisations so that we can help to build a movement capable of forging a just transition, at a local and a global level.
Whether new to the movement or a seasoned campaigner, everyone is welcome!
AGENDA:
10:45 – 11:15 – Registration
11:15 – 12:30 – Opening Plenary
12:30 – 1:30 – Lunch
1:30 – 2:30 – Workshops
2:30 – 3:45 – Closing Plenary
SPEAKERS:
Asad Rehman, Director, War on Want
Mus Dar, activist and campaigner
Kamran Shezad, Bahu Trust
Suzanne Jeffery – co-author of the Climate Jobs report
Trade Union speaker from Global South country (to be announced)
OPENING PLENARY
The opening plenary will be a discussion led by our panel of speakers. The panel will also be joined by a trade unionist and climate justice activist from a Global South country (watch this space).
WORKSHOPS
1. PUTTING JUSTICE INTO JUST TRANSITION – Asad Rehman, Director, War on Want
2. SYSTEM CHANGE: CLIMATE JUSTICE AND THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT
– Suzanne Jeffery, Campaign Against Climate Change, co-author of ‘Climate Jobs. Building a workforce for the climate emergency’
– Russ Kilminster, Green Rep, PCS Birmingham South Branch
– Colin Jordan, Climate Change Champion, Birmingham NEU
3. RE-IMAGINING BIRMINGHAM: TOWARDS A GREEN AND SAFE TRANSPORT SYSTEM
– Elizabeth Lawal , More Than A Moment
– John Munro, Better Streets for Birmingham
– Shivaji Shiva, Walk, Cycle, Play
4. ORGANISING SOLIDARITY WITH THE MILLIONS FLEEING CLIMATE CHANGE, WAR AND POVERTY
– Naeem Malik, Palestine Solidarity Campaign
– Harjinder Kaur-Aujla, Branch President, Birmingham UCU, BTUC Exec Member
– Dave Stamp, Midlands Immigration Support Team
5. RE-IMAGINING BIRMINGHAM: CREATING WARM HOMES FOR ALL – Libby Harris, Birmingham Friends of the Earth
6. PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLIES: GROWING DEMOCRACY – XR Brum Rebels
Participants will be able to choose and sign up to a workshop on on arrival at the conference. Numbers for some workshops will be limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
CLOSING PLENARY
The closing plenary will begin with a short film about the Birmingham Ark as it made its way to last’ year’s COP27 protest in Birmingham. The young people and children that made the Ark are from Friction Arts, Woodcraft Folk, Birmingham Youth Strike for Climate Corpus Christi RC Primary School, Paganel Primary School and Josterdal Skule in Norway. Some of them with be at the conference to answer questions.
The closing plenary will provide an opportunity for people to feed back from the workshops and interact with our panel of speakers. The conference will close following concluding comments from our speakers.
CHILDREN ARE WELCOME!
Although there will not be specific events for children, there will be kid’s arts and crafts based activities at the back of the main room that will run throughout the conference.
REFRESHMENTS: Complementary refreshments, ie coffee, teas, juice and biscuits will be available.
TICKETS:
– Standard adult tickets (£5)
– Solidarity tickets (£10). If you can afford to, please choose this option as this will directly help us to make the event as successful as possible.
– Concessionary tickets (£3). Available for students and others on low incomes.
– Children’s tickets (free)
(We have also made available some free tickets so that no-one is turned away due to hardship. These tickets are limited in number so please only choose this option if you are experiencing genuine hardship).
SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS:
Birmingham TUC
Birmingham Friends of the Earth
XR Birmingham
Footsteps (Faiths for a Low Carbon Future)
War on Want
Tipping Point
Campaign against Climate Change
Midland Arts Centre
The Active Wellbeing Society
Bahu Trust
Bee Friendly Brum
Better Streets For Birmingham
Biologists Against Environmental Catastrophe (BAECat)
Birmingham NEU
Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Birmingham Race Impact Group (BRIG)
Birmingham Unison
Birmingham Unite Community Branch
Birmingham Youth Strike for Climate
Climate Action Network West Midlands
Central England Quakers Climate Emergency Action
Divest WMPF
Friction Arts
Midlands Immigration Support Team
Midlands Region PCS
Northfield Arts Forum
Stand Up To Racism Birmingham
Peace Hub
West Midlands Climate Coalition
ACORN Birmingham
You can find more information on this leaflet 
