Durban is playing host to the world right now. Well kinda. The United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change is taking place here. 190 some odd countries are represented. And the goal is to figure out how the world is going to combat the change in climate that is significantly impacting certain parts of our world right now and will come to affect all of us at some point (this is the same goal as the past 16 conferences as well). They say the conference is bringing more than 20,000 people into the city. I think this might be a bit of an
exaggeration, but it is surely bringing a lot of people. I have to admit, I am hoping to run into one of the Canadian journalists, but I have a sneaky suspicion that Lisa
Laflamme and Janis
Mackey Frayer have been sent to something that the Canadian government deems more important. Canada is getting a really bad rap down here as being one of the spoilers. Really, Canada and Japan are seen as the worst, for being countries that were once committed and have totally stepped back from the plate now. The Americans are seen as consistently saying no, so people know what to expect, but Canada has done an about-face. Plus, there is something different about when Obama says no versus when Harper says no. Anyways, I am not going to get too into the political, I mean I am a girl from Alberta, who has worked in the oil industry, so you might be able to guess that I am not quite aligned with Greenpeace, but I do believe that this is an issue that should matter to all of us and our government stepping back and not being involved in the discussion should not be an option. We, as Canadians, should demand more than that.
Ok, stopping with the political.
So Durban. We live on the beach front here in
Durbs. And we kept hearing about how much would be going on at the beachfront over the two weeks of COP17. I have to admit, it's not as big as I was expecting, but there are many displays and such along the promenade. On Monday, Ellie and I wandered down the promenade to see some of the things going on. Greenpeace has a solar theatre, there is a climbing wall,
Zorbs and, my favourite, a giant Baobab tree that is covered in mini-lights. The electricity for the lights is generated by a number of stationary bikes set up around the tree. Ellie and I hopped on two of the bikes and started to peddle. We were able to get some of the lights going, but needed more people on the other bikes. So Ellie quit with the bikes and tried some yoga.
One of the places we have noticed a big COP17 impact is our trip into work. Our bus route has changed and takes way longer now. It's annoying. Our regular bus route went through what is now the UN Precinct, so for security reasons, the People Mover Bus has to go all the way around the precinct.
Ergh. However, this weeks bus driver has been awesome and has decided to take a little mini-detour from the route to drop us closer to our office. Ngiyabonga bus driver.
There is also a huge police presence around our place now. Ellie joked that she is pretty sure the cops think that COP17 is a new directive from the SAPS requiring them to stand in groups of 17. I think the beach front now has more cops than it does tourists. Never felt so safe (right...). Actually, I saw the police doing great police work yesterday. I was sitting on our balcony when this guy was hightailing it from the beach car park. He ran across the road in front of our place, almost got hit by a car, and then the police started running after him. I think the police might have had some assistance from some of the parking attendants behind our building, but the guy came back in handcuffs. It was exciting. Then a guy (clearly a surfer) came up the little hill and was clearly annoyed. I think the running guy must have stolen something, probably a phone, from him while he was putting his surf stuff away. Anyways, that is my little crime story for today. Here's another beach front picture for you. Lovely wind chimes.
The other place that COP17 has really had an impact is at work. There was all kinds of speculation coming up to the conference about how it would impact our clients. Our greatest concern was with the impact on street kids. We were very concerned that the police would use a tactic (used last year during World Cup) of rounding up the kids and shipping them off to the outer reaches of the municipality and dumping them there. Luckily we have not had any reports so far of this happening and we are hopeful that our discussions and strongly worded suggestions regarding going to the media worked in convincing the police that this would not be an acceptable way of dealing with these children. So, here's to hoping they continue to respect the human rights of these kids and leave them be.
Something that has taken up way more time than ever anticipated is working with the Civil Society Committee for COP17. The Committee is a collective of
NGOs involved in the environmental movement. The Committee is the organizer of the Global Day of Action (3 December). The Global Day of Action has become a tradition for civil society of the host city of climate talks. The main event will be a march aimed at bringing awareness to the issues of climate change and calling on the leaders here in Durban to actually do something this time; to actually move forward in trying to curb climate change. So, you would think in a city like Durban, with a serious march history, this would not be a particularly difficult event to organize - wrong. Since applying for a march permit months in advance (and don't even get me started about the distinction between application versus notification), it was only this week that we received a response from the municipality. And the response - you can march, but not on the route you proposed (i.e. not on the route that is
always used for big marches in Durban). Instead, you can march on the periphery of the city centre and you can stay away from the UN Precinct, even though you have an agreement with UN representatives to hand over a memorandum outside the International Convention Centre. Interesting. So, I have been battling, along with my colleagues. Meetings galore with the municipality, leading up to this decision and now hours and hours spent working on asserting our clients' right to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly. I mean, it is interesting, but it is so frustrating! For someone who grew up talking municipal politics around the dinner table, I am disgusted with how things work here. It's just the constant round and round and round discussions and changing the rules of the game every couple of days.
Ergh.
The march is scheduled to take place Saturday. We filed court papers challenging the administrative decision regarding the route yesterday. It will be heard tomorrow. I will let you know what happens and which route we march - ours or theirs. I am hoping to get to join in on the march and take part in a very South African pastime. Plus, I feel like I have really dedicated myself to this march and therefore should partake. So watch for me. I will be right up front. And I promise Mom not to get arrested.
A bit of a jumble today, but so it goes. Here's to our government stepping up to the plate (I know, wishful thinking) or at least not making us look worse than the US, China and India at these negotiations. And here's to the municipal government being ordered to respect the right of peaceful assembly here in Durban. Until next blog...
One of the places we have noticed a big COP17 impact is our trip into work. Our bus route has changed and takes way longer now. It's annoying. Our regular bus route went through what is now the UN Precinct, so for security reasons, the People Mover Bus has to go all the way around the precinct. Ergh. However, this weeks bus driver has been awesome and has decided to take a little mini-detour from the route to drop us closer to our office. Ngiyabonga bus driver.
There is also a huge police presence around our place now. Ellie joked that she is pretty sure the cops think that COP17 is a new directive from the SAPS requiring them to stand in groups of 17. I think the beach front now has more cops than it does tourists. Never felt so safe (right...). Actually, I saw the police doing great police work yesterday. I was sitting on our balcony when this guy was hightailing it from the beach car park. He ran across the road in front of our place, almost got hit by a car, and then the police started running after him. I think the police might have had some assistance from some of the parking attendants behind our building, but the guy came back in handcuffs. It was exciting. Then a guy (clearly a surfer) came up the little hill and was clearly annoyed. I think the running guy must have stolen something, probably a phone, from him while he was putting his surf stuff away. Anyways, that is my little crime story for today. Here's another beach front picture for you. Lovely wind chimes. 
The other place that COP17 has really had an impact is at work. There was all kinds of speculation coming up to the conference about how it would impact our clients. Our greatest concern was with the impact on street kids. We were very concerned that the police would use a tactic (used last year during World Cup) of rounding up the kids and shipping them off to the outer reaches of the municipality and dumping them there. Luckily we have not had any reports so far of this happening and we are hopeful that our discussions and strongly worded suggestions regarding going to the media worked in convincing the police that this would not be an acceptable way of dealing with these children. So, here's to hoping they continue to respect the human rights of these kids and leave them be.
Something that has taken up way more time than ever anticipated is working with the Civil Society Committee for COP17. The Committee is a collective of NGOs involved in the environmental movement. The Committee is the organizer of the Global Day of Action (3 December). The Global Day of Action has become a tradition for civil society of the host city of climate talks. The main event will be a march aimed at bringing awareness to the issues of climate change and calling on the leaders here in Durban to actually do something this time; to actually move forward in trying to curb climate change. So, you would think in a city like Durban, with a serious march history, this would not be a particularly difficult event to organize - wrong. Since applying for a march permit months in advance (and don't even get me started about the distinction between application versus notification), it was only this week that we received a response from the municipality. And the response - you can march, but not on the route you proposed (i.e. not on the route that is always used for big marches in Durban). Instead, you can march on the periphery of the city centre and you can stay away from the UN Precinct, even though you have an agreement with UN representatives to hand over a memorandum outside the International Convention Centre. Interesting. So, I have been battling, along with my colleagues. Meetings galore with the municipality, leading up to this decision and now hours and hours spent working on asserting our clients' right to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly. I mean, it is interesting, but it is so frustrating! For someone who grew up talking municipal politics around the dinner table, I am disgusted with how things work here. It's just the constant round and round and round discussions and changing the rules of the game every couple of days. Ergh.
The march is scheduled to take place Saturday. We filed court papers challenging the administrative decision regarding the route yesterday. It will be heard tomorrow. I will let you know what happens and which route we march - ours or theirs. I am hoping to get to join in on the march and take part in a very South African pastime. Plus, I feel like I have really dedicated myself to this march and therefore should partake. So watch for me. I will be right up front. And I promise Mom not to get arrested.
A bit of a jumble today, but so it goes. Here's to our government stepping up to the plate (I know, wishful thinking) or at least not making us look worse than the US, China and India at these negotiations. And here's to the municipal government being ordered to respect the right of peaceful assembly here in Durban. Until next blog...
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