The call goes out
The following email was sent to 350.org organizers around the world.
Dear friends,
We are taking to the airwaves — together.
Since it began 3 years ago, the 350.org network has developed a reputation for bold grassroots action — action that’s powered by the web and new forms of media. The campaign we’re about to invite you to embark on falls somewhere within that description, but it also reconnects us with two much older forms of media: our voices and the radio.
For two weeks starting on the 21st of November we will unleash a wave of radio broadcasts around the world (we’re calling it “350 Radio Wave”) all on the topic of the climate crisis and the growing movement to solve it. We want the voices of local climate activists — that would be you — to be the stars of these broadcasts.
So why radio, and why now? Actually, this is where my home comes in.
I come from South Africa. It is here in the city of Durban where, in just a couple of weeks, government delegations from around the world will be gathering for the next 17th annual UN climate change summit. It is also on this continent, Africa, that we face the most severe threats from climate change, and those threats are becoming devastating realities for many already. It was drought that triggered the famine in the horn of Africa — but it’s not just drought that we face. With increased floods, sea-level rise, and generally unpredictable seasons, Africa is uniquely threatened. Of the 28 countries countries in the world that the UN lists as most vulnerable to climate change, 22 are in Africa.
So we’re not asking you to get on the radio and talk just about doom and gloom, famine and floods — we’re also inviting you to talk about the creative, beautiful, people-powered movement that we are building together. With countries gathering for the UN climate meetings on the African continent, what better time to raise our voices together using the tools that that matter most here — radio and song.
In preparation for Radio Wave, we’ve collaborated with some of the the most popular and talented musicians in Africa to create a song for the movement. It’s called “People Power”, and it’s about the climate challenges we face and the solutions we’re building in response. With the help of this song, we’ll share the stories of our movement to create a wave of radio broadcasts the world-over — calling for our fellow citizens to join the movement and calling on governments to act.
We have created resources and guides for how to reach out to local radio stations and even some pre-recorded public service announcements (PSAs) and podcasts that you or your local stations can use if helpful too.
As the realities of climate change set in, the world needs your voice now more than it ever has before. We can’t wait to hear it.
Onwards,
Samantha and the 350.org team
