VIGIL OUTSIDE YOUR LOCAL BARCLAYS ON 12th FEB

On 12^th February we are asking people to hold vigil for an hour outside their local branch of Barclays bank to mark Racial Justice Sunday, which is on 13^th February.

Why? Funding ongoing fossil fuel extraction is manifestly unjust and racist. The emissions from continued fossil fuel use are having the greatest adverse impact on black and brown people in deprived communities across the globe who have least contributed to and benefited from the cumulative emissions that have brought us to this state of emergency. Barclays has invested £4.1 billion pounds in fossil fuels since January 2021 and £110 billion since 2015, and they plan to continue investing. This is a simple action that everyone can get involved in – get together with friends, church community members, your local group or step into your courage and go alone with a placard. Write your own or email us for a flyer / poster you can print out.

A VIGIL OUTSIDE OF PARLIAMENT FROM 6th TO 20th MARCH

A new coalition called Beyond Fossil Fuels Together has the demand that the UK calls a halt to investment and subsidies of fossil fuels and the licensing of exploration, development and production of fossil fuels in the UK. They are holding vigils and fasts as part of this. Members of CCA are supporting the coalition and invite you to join in with a continuous day and night vigil outside Parliament for the two weeks from 6^th to 20^th March 2022. A website and a Facebook page will be live shortly with further information – we’ll add the details when we have them, in the meantime save the dates and spread the word.

VIGIL OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT EVERY WEDNESDAY

From the beginning of January CCA has been holding a small weekly prayer vigil outside Parliament, sometimes alongside others from different faith traditions. We would welcome you joining us every Wednesday that Parliament is in session at Carriage Gate at any time between 11am and 3pm to pray that MPs hearts and minds are opened to the reality of the climate and ecological crisis and the need to act now. Please email us at christianclimateaction@gmail.com for further information and for the link to the WhatsApp chat to liaise about practical arrangements. There are also regular vigils in a number of other towns and cities across the country that you can join. Find out more about these here.

WHY VIGILS?

Our vigils are first and foremost acts of prayer. We pray for the Earth, lifting our broken fossil fuel dependent world to God for transformation, and we pray for those who make the policy decisions that could bring about this transformed world. In their location outside Parliament and in other prominent places, these acts of public prayer and witness to our abiding love for God’s Creation are also powerful acts of protest, demanding that those in power respond to the climate emergency by doing what is right and just. Our vigils are an opportunity for outreach and give us the chance to engage members of the public in constructive conversations. 

If you feel called to set up your own local vigil we have some great resources to help you. There is a lot of information available, including a simple starter pack, here and the Saturday Session talk which Olivia Venning and Caroline Harmon gave about the local vigil they organise in Loughborough can be accessed from here.

And as with all our actions, please send us photos and a short description so we can amplify the message on our social media and website.