How your parish can unite in prayer, action and hope with young climate leaders from around the world. Together, let’s restore our common home.

Homes , food and peop le ’ s ab i l i ty to earn a l i v i n g are be i ng destroyed by the cl imate cr is i s and the pol l ut i on of our land , oceans and forests .

We all share this pain. But it is poor and vulnerable communities who have contributed the least that are affected the most right now.

To ensure everyone can flourish we need to restore God’s precious gift of creation, enable people to adapt to a warming world and stop the climate crisis from getting worse.

This isn’t an easy challenge. But around the world, young people are already leading the way.

In this booklet you will read the stories of inspiring young climate leaders who are already working with their communities to revive our common home.

But they can’t do it alone. They are counting on all of us to stand with them. In prayer, in solidarity – and in action.

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Unite your parish in prayer, action and hope with young climate leaders from around the world.

Together, we can make sure that during 2020 parishes around the country are praying, speaking and acting for our common home. Together we can ensure the Government puts people and planet at the heart of every decision it makes.

Each diocese has been partnered with a young climate leader or group to be inspired by and walk with during 2020. Find out more about them by reading their profile in this booklet or visiting cafod.org.uk/climateIt’s easy to unite the generations, young, old and everyone in between. Here’s how to kick off your year of prayer and action.

Before:Step one: Choose a date when your parish can pray and act. You might ask everyone at Mass, or just one group like the Confirmation or Seniors’ group.

Step two: Order resources. You’ll need a prayer poster which features the young leader(s) partnered with your diocese. You’ll also need enough prayer and action cards for your group.

Order these for free at cafod.org.uk/shop or call 0300 011 5680

On the day:Step three: Share the story of your young climate leader(s) with your parish at Mass or another moment. Use the short talk on page 11.

Step four: Ask everyone to complete a prayer and action card.

Collect the cards in.

Step five: Display your parish’s prayers on the poster as a reminder to pray for your young leader(s). You can add more throughout the year.

After:Step six: Collect the petition cards and send back to CAFOD, along with the form on the back page of this booklet. We’ll send these to the Prime Minister!

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Why is 2020 important?

Pope Francis reminds us in Laudato Si’, his letter to the world on climate change and the environment, that the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor are one.

For too long the cry of the Earth has been ignored. We have pushed creation beyond its limits. Profits and easy lifestyles have been made at the expense of creation and the voices of poor and vulnerable communities have gone unheard.

These problems are interconnected. One can’t be solved without the other.

We must avoid solutions to the climate crisis that create poverty, and the earth mustn’t suffer through tackling poverty.

For everyone to flourish we need to address these issues together: help people adapt to a warming world, stop the climate crisis from getting worse and restore nature.

This year we are asking the UK Government to make sure that people and planet are at the heart of all the decisions they make.

2020 is a year of big international summits. It’s a chance for world leaders to put the Earth on a path to recovery.

Towards the end of the year, world leaders will gather in Glasgow for the global climate talks. As the host, the eyes of the world will be on the UK. But we won’t be credible leaders unless we get our own house in order first.

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UNITED NATIONS CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE

NOVEMBER 2020

I work at a university in the centre of the rainforest. I am responsible for the 300 young people who live and study at the university, from all over Peru. We inspire them to treasure the natural world – to keep the forest alive because of the clean air it gives us; to protect the crystal-clear water.

We live in harmony with nature. We hunt in the forest for fresh meat and if we want fish, we go to the river. This is our market. The Amazon is our heritage.

The present-day economy is one that devours everything. Young people are taught to consume, consume, consume. Companies continue to take what they want, and many people have not thought about the future of their children.

There are communities who have already lost everything: trees, rivers.

I tell our students, “You have the power to stop all of it. You can learn to live a conscious life, a simple life. Our shadow is a gigantic tree, and every morning you hear the songs of thousands of little birds. Do you want to defend that?”

Please pray for me to continue growing, to serve better and to keep moving forward. The prayers will make us feel supported and help us every day.

Delio is partnered with the dioceses of Birmingham, Cardiff, Clifton, Menevia, Northampton, and Plymouth.

Delio, 29, teacher>

Delio Siticonatzi Camaiteri

P eruv i an Amazon

Your young climate leaders

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Lima, Peru’s capital, is the second largest desert city in the world, after Cairo, in Egypt. Low, sandy mountains close in around it. A vibrant, bustling city, Lima also faces many challenges.

The mountainous district towards the north of Lima is Lomas de Carabayllo. The Lomas are a chain of mountains known as Lima’s “green lung”. In a hyper-arid city, the hills of the Lomas capture precious fog rising up from the Pacific coast, nurturing all kinds of natural life.

But the Lomas are under threat from ‘land traffickers’. Mining companies also threaten to invade this natural environment, intimidating community leaders.

These mountains are home to some of the last remaining green spaces in northern Lima, which are at risk of disappearing entirely.

The eco-brigades project was set up in four local schools. Meeting each week in their schools, the eco-brigadiers learn about different topics including biodiversity and why the Lomas is a fragile eco-system. They have started to forest the Lomas with small trees and plants to help protect the land. At their schools they have been creating gardens in unused spaces.

Week by week they learn more about climate change, reducing the risk of disasters and protecting the Lomas. They take being environmental leaders and protectors in their community very seriously.

“Planting here in the Lomas is very important because the plants give us oxygen. And looking after the plants is very important, particularly if we are unwell, the plants can provide medicine. And plants also provide fruit.” Milagros, 10, eco-brigade member.

The eco-brigades project is partnered with the dioceses of Hexham and Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Leeds, Hallam and Nottingham.

Four local schools, the eco-brigades>eco-brigades

P ErU

When I was a child we knew exactly when the rains would start and stop. The farming and harvesting period aligned perfectly with the rains. Now the weather patterns are very irregular and sometimes quite severe, and the farming yields are much lower than before.

I never experienced flooding as a child, but a few years ago it came right to my doorstep. People died. Houses and businesses were destroyed. It was a life-changing moment for me. It was the catastrophic impact of the climate crisis.

I’m a lay missionary working with students. We’ve been organising workshops about environmental protection in schools and parishes for years. We’ve organised a lot of tree planting – and then entrusted young people to act as guardians of the trees.

We helped one another to understand that by taking care of the trees and helping them grow, they are sharing in the creative mission of God. And we helped them see that a healthier environment brings benefits for us all.

In 2020 I will be working to get climate issues into the high school curriculum and training children and young people to become stewards of the environment.

I read a lot about climate change and scientific predictions. They make me anxious, but at the same time they push me to act.

Pray for the young people in my country. That they find hope in the future amid their daily struggles, for our government to serve the people and protect the environment, and for peace in our country.

Richard is partnered with the dioceses of Brentwood, Southwark and Westminster.

Richard, 33, lay missionary>

Richard Apeh

N i ger i a

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My parents really helped to shape my world view. They instilled in us an understanding that the most meaningful expression of our faith was to love our neighbour. As co-ordinator for the Pacific Climate Warriors in Wellington, I see people as guardians of each other, and as guardians of the earth.

I was in Samoa in 2012 when Cyclone Evan tore through our island and took 14 lives. Many families are still recovering from the loss of family members and damage to their businesses. But Cyclones are getting stronger, sea levels are rising.

Our ancestors nurtured and respected the land and sea for centuries. Our elders and ancestors did not contribute to this climate crisis, yet it is us, their children who now bear the brunt. Our histories, cultures and spirituality are interwoven with creation which is why this is a threat not only to our lands, but our very identity as Pacific people.

We don’t have the luxury of “climate activist fatigue”. The catastrophe that people fear in the future is what we’re experiencing now, so we remain resilient.

I think human beings will solve the climate crisis, but I worry that it will be at the cost of my people. I worry that the ambitious action needed will only be taken after actual islands and countries have been lost. I refuse to let that happen, and that’s what convinces me to continue.

Please pray for the Pacific Climate Warriors and all indigenous communities fighting for climate justice. Let’s pray that our leaders will have the courage to take ambitious action for the Pacific and all front-line communities.

Mary is partnered with the dioceses of Lancaster, Liverpool, Salford, Shrewsbury and Wrexham.

Mary, 28, Pacific Climate Warrior>Mary Moeono-Kolio

NEw ZEALAND

Colombia had an ongoing armed conflict for more than half a century. Marginalised groups such as Afro-Colombian, indigenous and small-scale farming communities, often in rural areas, have been most affected. But as some in the country seek peace, these communities play an important role.

In the North-west of Colombia, the Atrato river flows through Colombia’s Pacific rainforest, one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. The river is a source of life for many Afro-Colombians and indigenous communities living along its banks. But the environment has suffered badly as a result of illegal mining, logging and the armed conflict. It is often dangerous for local communities to protect their environment.

In 2017, the Constitutional Court recognised legal rights to the Atrato river in a landmark case. The Court ordered the government to protect the river and stop the gold mining and logging which has led to huge deforestation.

The ruling also established the ‘Guardians of the River’, who in turn encouraged groups of Young Guardians. They organise rubbish collection, raise awareness about the river, organise sport and leisure activities and clean the Doña Josefa ravine which flows into the Atrato River.

“I have a message for the people of the UK and I want you all to listen to me. Look after the environment, look after what you have and make good use of what God gave us. As a Guardian of the Atrato river, I know I'm doing that.” Heylis, 15, Young Guardian.

The Atrato River Guardians are partnered with the dioceses of Portsmouth, Arundel and Brighton and East Anglia.

Atrato River Guardians>

Atrato River Guardians

Co lomb i a

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A short talk for your parish or group Hello everyone, my name is [your name]. I’m here to tell you a bit about why we are gathered here today and about CAFOD. CAFOD is the Catholic charity that supports some of the poorest people in hard to reach communities around the world. People who are facing drought, conflict, disease and injustice.

You have probably heard on the news that we are facing unprecedented changes to our climate and environment.

Homes, food and people’s ability to earn a living are being destroyed by the climate crisis and the pollution of our land, oceans, and forests. This is the biggest threat humanity faces, and the time to act is running out.

Although this impacts all of us, it is the poorest people that are the worst affected. As Pope Francis reminds us in Laudato Si’, his letter to the world, the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor are one.

For us all to flourish we need to renew God’s precious gift of creation, help people adapt to a warming world and stop the climate crisis from getting worse.

As Catholics, we know there is an alternative. We can lead the way to a brighter future. One where future generations can look proudly back on the past and say, the Church stood up for what was right.

Young people around the world are already leading the way. They have heard the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor and are mobilising their communities to protect their future. By protecting their land, they protect us all.

There may even be young people in our parish right now who are leading us, living out our vision for a renewed world.

But these young leaders need our help. They can’t do it alone. They need all generations to unite behind them.

As part of CAFOD’s climate campaign, Our Common Home, our diocese has been asked to pray and to act in solidarity with [name of your young climate leader(s)].

[Mention name of your young leader(s) and hold up poster] is leading the way in [their country] and inspiring others in their community. [Please read a few lines here about their story from this guide].

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Today, we have an opportunity to pray and act in solidarity with [name of your young climate leader(s)] to help restore our common home.

I have [handed out/will be handing out cards] for you. On one half of the card there is a space for you to write a prayer for [name of young climate leader(s)]. Once you’ve written your prayer, I will stick it onto this poster [hold one up as an example] and others can add theirs throughout the year [on our notice board].

This will be a reminder this year of our personal commitment to [name of young climate leader(s)] and our own need for ‘ecological conversion’, as Pope Francis puts it.

But political action is also vital. So, on the other half of the card there is a petition to the Prime Minister.

2020 is an important year.

World leaders will gather in November in Glasgow for the global climate talks. As the host, the eyes of the world will be on the UK. But we will only be credible leaders if we get our own house in order first.

Please sign the petition on the card asking the UK Government to make sure that people and planet are at the heart of all the decisions they make.

Let’s make the most of this important opportunity.

And the Bishops have dedicated 2020 as a Year of the Word, 'The God Who Speaks'.

From God’s first act in Genesis to the elders of Revelation acclaiming God ‘created all things’, scripture consistently reminds us that God reveals his love for us in creation and entrusts it to us. We must protect it.

So during this year, we will hear about what [name of young climate leader(s)] is doing in their community to renew creation, and we will pray and act as one family.

I’d like to end by saying a prayer for [name of young climate leader(s)]. Please bow your heads. [you can use the prayer on page 12 as an example]

Climate breakdown is not the legacy we want to leave to future generations. Your support will help [name of young climate leader(s)] know that we stand in solidarity with them and that we are united in hope for a world in which everyone can flourish.

Thank you.

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Suggested prayer for your young climate leaders

The fire of hope

Loving God, we thank you

for the opportunities we have

to forge strong and lasting bonds

with [name of leader(s)]

and other young climate leaders around the globe.

Lord God, you are love,

and in love we reach out,

allowing ourselves to be touched

by the joys and griefs

of all your people.

Light within us the fire of hope,

and a passion for change.

May the story of [leader(s)] move us

from indifference to care,

from distance to deep connection,

So that together,

we might all find the joy

of living alongside each other

as one human family

in our common home.

Linda Jones/CAFOD

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Light within us the fire of hope,

and a passion for change.

May the story of [leader(s)] move us

from indifference to care,

from distance to deep connection,

So that together,

we might all find the joy

of living alongside each other

as one human family

in our common home.

Add i t i ona l op portun i t i es for you to stand i n sol i d ar i ty w ith your young cl imate leaders :

n Pray for your leaders weekly at Mass – there are intercessions at cafod.org.uk/climate

n Join a worldwide prayer chain ahead of the global climate talks in Glasgow. Sign up for a time slot at cafod.org.uk/climate

n Write to your MP and share the story of the young climate leaders you are supporting. Email mpc@cafod.org.uk for advice

n Hold a creation service during the Season of Creation in September

n Explore Laudato Si’ with a free film resource made for parishes. Visit ourcommonhome.co.uk

n Keep an eye on CAFOD’s website for events and mobilisations you will be able to join in 2020

Please sign up to receive CAFOD campaign emails so we can keep you updated on the leaders throughout the year. Sign up at cafod.org.uk/campaignwithus

CAFOD, Romero House, 55 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7JBTel: 020 7733 7900 Email: cafod@cafod.org.ukCharity no 1160384 and a company limited by guarantee no 09387398 Photos: CAFOD Illustration: Rachel Summers Printed on paper from well-managed forests CAF6367

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