Mercy 5 Student Climate Justice Day (Parramatta and Nth Sydney Congregations)

On 30 May students from OLMC Parramatta, Monte Sant Angelo and Catherine McAuley, Westmead gathered at Monte in North Sydney to learn about the issues surrounding Climate Change and our closest neighbours in the Pacific Islands.

Tebby Tiannere talking to students from Catherine McAuley, Westmead

Two special guests, Tebby (Boraueanimakin) Tiannere and Seimilla Filioma, from Kiribati and Tuvalu respectively, joined the students to talk about how climate change is affecting their communities. The young Pacific Leaders were visiting as part of the Edmund Rice Centre’s Pacific Calling Partnership emerging leaders exchange programme, spending two weeks in Australia (19 May - 4 June) doing intensive advocacy and media training at the Edmund Rice Centre in Sydney

Tebby and Seimilla generously shared their stories with the students and discussed the vulnerability of their country’s environment to rising sea levels. The rising tides, salt water inundation, storm surges and droughts are affecting native food sources, water supplies and the subsistence farming practices of the people, eroding the shoreline and threatening their homes.

Jill Finnane from the Edmund Rice Centre talking about the relationship between Climate Change and Food

The students were challenged to think about how industrialised nations economic and industrial practices have and are continuing to impact on global warming. The discussed what responsibilities Australians have to seeing the human face of climate change and advocating for the people of the Pacific Islands to ensure their culture and lands will maintained for future generations.

Tebby and Seimila’s message was one of hope for the future for their countries and the students from the Mercy 5 Schools were very keen to help and create actions in their schools about this important issue.

 Messages to:  Kate Anderson - Mercy 5 Co-ordinator