Road to Paris—Sunday, Dec 6—Blog 6
Joan Brown,osf
This post will be mostly pictures of Sunday at the People’s Climate event that was moved to a neighborhood in Paris. The colorful citizen event held many tents with local food, transition town initiatives, clean energy, fun for children, art, and much theatrics. I was at a booth with Franciscans International, trying to stay warm and nurse my LOSS of VOICE (it is much better). There were also presentations in a school location. Many, many people, young people, families attended….great energy.
Artistic depiction of Statue of Liberty holding 
a sign that says “Freedom to Pollute” as the economically poor and displaced from climate change huddle about.
Young person carrying a chair for an event where many chairs formed a circle of those not represented to offer an alternative COP.
The tree of life with prayers for earth healing for climate change with ribbons attached. Some of the ribbons were those gathered at the Parliament of World Religions in November. Many people on site were writing prayers and attaching to the tree. I found the French people so open to doing various activities throughout the day. They were most interested in the Franciscan booth and many wrote prayers there also. Children loved the tree.
Many theatrical displays were very funny, including this one about a world promoting plastic with a giant shopping card carrying a dumpster full. The theatrics engaged the children to come up with solutions to using plastic, which of course the masters of plastic found disturbing. The French humor and theatrics were marvelous to get the message forth.
Franciscans gathered in a circle of silence around a globe to meditate and prayer for healing of the Earth and for the negotiations at COP. Many people are praying. Everyone counts on the spiritual energy to move us closer to climate justice.
All needs were taken care of at the gathering in alternative ways, including sister bodily needs with dry composting toilet that will eventually become soil. I found this amazing and never would be allowed in the US. So many young people helped with the entire event and were on hand for this event to brush any saw dust into the appropriate spot after each use. Glorious!