By the year 2050, civilization will be well on its way to unraveling. Our planet is predicted to warm by as much as 4 degrees Celsius by 2050, which would wreak havoc on every aspect of our lives. Accelerating climate change is happening right now and it not only impacts our weather, but also how we live, where we live, what we eat and even whether we have anything to eat. The climate crisis is not only a problem for environmental activists — it is one for every person on earth that believes in the survival of the human race.
Since climate change affects all of us, it serves as the perfect backdrop for the converging crises on our planet:
- Almost half of the world’s population lives on less than $2.50 a day while the richest 1 percent controls half of the planet’s wealth. In the United States, one of the world’s wealthiest nations, almost 20 percent of children live in poverty in households plagued by food insecurity.
- The American mainstream media heralds an “economic recovery” but this really only applies to corporations, whose pockets are bulging while everyday people are stuck in temporary and low-income jobs with zero benefits and little chance at upward mobility. Workers remain voiceless with only 11.3 percent of workers belonging to labor unions compared to 35 percent only 50 years ago. Meanwhile, youth unemployment is at an all-time high of 20 percent.
- The Obama administration continues to tear families a part by deporting thousands of workers, students and other valuable members of our society. In 2013, 368,644 undocumented immigrants were deported and Congress failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform or a fair and reasonable path to citizenship.
- Governments around the globe are intent upon destroying our planet in the name of profit. Currently, Congress is attempting to fast track the multinational Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement which was crafted in secret negotiations. The agreement would give corporations unprecedented power and would have a chilling effect on environmental protections, Internet freedom, workers rights and more. Congress is also hungry to approve the final phase of the Keystone XL Pipeline which promises to pollute our water supply, accelerate global warming and ruin Indigenous communities.
All of these crises are systemic — and the system does everything in its power to make us believe that we do not deserve better and that our destruction is inevitable. Do not believe the hype: Everyday people all over the world are rising up and fighting for justice — and despite all odds, victories are hardly impossible. With the power of the people, battles against the almost war in Syria, Monsanto in Europe and the fast tracking of the TPP have been won.
While we are powerful fighting in our separate spheres, imagine how powerful we would be if we fought together? The Global Climate Convergence is a new education and direct action campaign uniting people in an intentional and organized way from a broad spectrum of grassroots social justice movements including anti-poverty, labor, peace, economic, racial, Indigenous, immigrant and environmental justice groups as well as Medicare for All, sustainable food and natural health advocates and Occupy Wall Street networks among others.
Our first initiative is Earth Day to May Day: 10 Days to Change Course. These 10 days spanning from April 22 to May 1, 2014 will feature coordinated actions, rallies, marches, festivals, arts and culture, free organic food, civil liberties and organizer trainings, People’s Movement Assemblies, a global solidarity fast, and more, in communities across the country and beyond. Now is the time to reclaim Earth Day from corporate cooptation and to reclaim the history of May Day, a workers holiday that is suppressed by governments who thrive off of the exploitation of disempowered workers.
History shows us that we can succeed with as little as 3.5 percent of the population engaged in struggle. It’s not enough to be a part of the 99 percent — we need you to be a part of the 3.5 percent who is actively working for social change. Do you believe that global economic and ecological transformation is possible and necessary for a better tomorrow? The world is waiting for people like you. Click here to join the Global Climate Convergence as we fight together for People, Planet and Peace over Profit!