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Hold Polluters Accountable” Faith and Justice Network, Director
Tells African And Faith Leaders.
Careysburg-Liberia; “Hold Polluters accountable for their actions, and make them pay for what they have destroyed, we Africans can’t bear the burdens for their actions.”
These were the words of Rev.Dr. Tolbert Thomas Jallah Jr, the Regional Executive Director of Faith and Justice Network, at the just-ended African Faith Leaders Regional Conference on Climate Change held in Careysburg.
Addressing African Faith Leaders at the conference organized by the All Africa Conference of Churches and the Liberia Council of Churches, Rev. Jallah said as African leaders and faith actors prepared to attend the upcoming Conferences of the Parties(COP) they should focus on advocacy and policy influence, awareness and education, implementation of sustainable practices and humanitarian aid and relief.
“Our people can’t continue to suffer because of the West’s poor policies, faith actors at COP29 should develop a common agenda to share a vision and action plan for faith-based climate advocacy, create cross_sectoral alliances to enhance our collective impact with multilateral institutions, and commit to Long Term Engagement that ensures sustained and consistent advocacy efforts, recognizing that climate justice is an ongoing struggle”.Dr Jallah adds.
According to Dr.Jallah, Africa is responsible for about 4 to 5 % percent of global Greenhouse Gas emissions into the atmosphere but in Africa, the average impact of Climate Change is huge and affecting lives.
“The United States and Asia continue to pollute the World in the industrialization of their Cities and communities. The production of aircraft, railway, and train, their actions have a great impact on the African continent.” Dr.Jallah said.
The FJN boos, narrated that industrialized nations are a problem for the world, and urged faith actors and organizations to amplify the call for climate justice by promoting sustainable practices and encouraging environmentally friendly practices within religious communities and beyond.
“We suffer because of the West greed, overproduction at the factories and industries but Africa is impacted by their actions and this continent has contributed too little,” Jallah adds.
Dr. Jallah, quoted Bishop Desmond Tutu, saying “if they think they will make, Africa a graveyard, when we die because of their actions we will go ahead and wait for them.”
The regional consultative meeting on climate change brought together faith actors from nine African countries including host Liberia, delegates deliberated on several issues surrounding climate change.
During the conference, participants discussed the Islamic Perspective of Climatic Change, Christian Perspective of Climatic Change, Theological Reflections on Climatic Change, Interreligious Engagements Critical for Climatic Mitigation, Unpacking the United Nations Framework Convention on Climatic Change, and panel discussion by stakeholders on leveraging faith actors’ moral authority to advocate for climate justice.
The consultative conference was held under the theme “The Welfare of the Earth is Our Welfare,” brought together over 50 representatives of civil society organizations, environmentalists, and Muslim and Christian religions from East and West Africa.
The Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, Liberia Bishop, Samuel Quire, delivered a keynote speech marking the end of the conference.
