YOUTH STANDS FILM ON CLIMATE JUSTICE
Catholic Development Commission in Malawi (CADECOM) and Jesuits Center for Ecological development (JCED) jointly hosted a training from the 16th of June to the 18th June 2023 equipping youth from different perspectives including Parishes under Blantyre Archdiocese with exclusive skills on how to take care for creation in order to achieve a safe and conducive environment. The training was held at St. Amando Parish, TA Dambe, in Neno, where the setting was greener vegetation flourishing and eco-systems are co-existing. The training was viable for 3 days from Thursday June 16 to Sunday the 18th where all the participants were camping in harmony.
Setting was picked on purpose for the trainees to appreciate the beauty of nature, and to serve as a motivation to the grooming youth to be stewards of taking care of the environment. The training was designed to reach out to the youth in all dimensions, physically, mentally and spiritually.
To begin with reflections: a couple of moments of silence, individually everybody was answering to the questions; who is at fault? Who is to blame? Who has destroyed what God created?
After the moment of silence, the trainees answered the questions with collective answers that; it is us who has destroyed what God created through lifestyle, greed and also being ungrateful, and later answered to the question what are we going to do to fix what we have already messed.
“Call for young people towards taking care of creation”
It is allegedly said that taking care of the environment is not just a responsibility but it’s a calling from God, it was Gods purpose creating us to take care of creation.
Among other age groups youths were the ones chosen for this training because they are vibrant, they are victims to suffer the climatic changes more comparing to the elderly, they are the next generation and they still have more time to live.
“The climate is supposed to be older according to the way God created things, but we have made climate look younger by destroying it, we have to live according to the mission God has for us”
Another concept which delt quite a lot with the spiritual dimension was; Laudato si which also turned to be a dominating theme of the training, which was translated as; Care of Creation, themed after the later Pope Francis of Assisi wrote to the Catholic church as well as the whole world about taking care of the environment, when they took time to reflect on Laudato si, they also reflected on the canticle prayer asking each one individually why is mother nature crying? The later and the prayer also taught us to be seeing nature as our siblings, as our own family so that we can understand better on how to love and take care of it.
The youth took it To the Streets
After a day or two the youth felt too equipped to take an immediate action on climate justice, this had driven them down to the streets of Neno with angry songs on their lips, the such of “aima ima m’mbaliwo adula mitengo” meaning those ones standing on the sides looking at us now are the ones cutting down the trees and “Mtengo wambuye ukusowa odzala, mtumeni ine awo akukana”. Meaning there is a need to plant Gods tree, send me since the rest are refusing.
They made stops on markets and public places to proclaim the good news and teach the citizens on the importance of taking part in taking care of the creation. The youth pulled multitudes and brought the to their attention through art and other talents, at the stops the youth displayed their talents for instance, Acrobatics, traditional songs and dances, poems etc.
On the last day of the training the youth signed pledging forms that declared their commitment to themselves as well as to God on what they will do and contribute in taking care of the environment and climate, the climate justice championship commitment form reads,
“Climate justice is about individuals, organizations or community that actively advocates for and promotes climate justice actions. Climate justice champion play a vital role in raising awareness about the inequalities of climate change and working towards equitable and sustainable solutions.
Mother Earth is crying because of our poor and sustainable practices and behaviors. The cry of Mother Earth and the Cry of the poor call for an urgent action to change the degradation narratives. This urgent need for actions requires coordinated and ambitious actions by organizations and individuals in promoting the care for our common home. Everyone can make a difference when it comes to climate change. Our vision is to bring people together from all backgrounds to take action in caring for the environment. It starts with a commitment to be transformed and to be ecologically converted to care for mother earth. Blantyre Arch diocese needs a movement of people who wants to take up this role of promoting care for creation having done the orientation in climate justice Championship”
Upon declaring to be a champion and adjusting to this commitment you automatically have had joined the climate justice championship movement.
The youth made their vows on the pulpit in the presence of the Archbishop of the Arch Diocese of Blantyre his grace Thomas Luke Msusa, The DC for Neno district, Community leaders, Forest protection Committees, CADECOM, JCED and a catholic congregation present. It was then when the present participated youth were clowned climate justice Champions.
By: Jabulani Mandala, CADECOM-BT
