Bang the drums and wave the flags: the Caravan of Hope is in Durban

Pascoe Sabido

29 November 2011

First came the noise: singing and clapping; then the brightly coloured flags filled the view. The Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) 'Caravan of Hope' finally arrived at the People's Space in Durban, South Africa, in time for this year's UN climate conference. Its message, 'One Africa... One voice', is a call for Africans to stand united in the face of climate change and demand a strong binding agreement in line with climate science.

Beginning in Burundi, the caravan had snaked its way through Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and finally South Africa, with members from countries as far North as Egypt and Tunisia.

Piling into one of KwaZulu Natal University's lecture theatres (doubling up as the People's Space for the next two weeks), flags continued to flutter amid the fanfare. Speakers - among them a farmer, a fisherman and a grandmother - told stories of the environmental change they've witnessed first hand, of pride in the caravan for making it all that way, of the support received from African leaders as they passed through. But above all, the message was of unity and one voice - stick together and governments can demand ambition, finance, technology and be listened to; the rest of the global South will stand with them. The alternative is not far from the lips of those present: one banner read 'Keep Africa safe... science based 1.5ºC'.

Zuma and the South African government have a pivotal role if Africa's to stay united, but their track record gives little cause for optimism; so does their current tactic of parroting EU positions. Ethiopia's President Meles Zenawi is the other deal breaker, being the official spokesperson for African governments on the international stage. Yet his track record - brandished at the UN climate negotiations in Copenhagen - suggests selling out for national interest.

Without unity and accountability, Africa stands to lose the most. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, addressing activists here, said even 2ºC would mean incineration for the continent. And UN research shows current emissions reduction pledges have set the world on course for 5ºC average warming and around 8ºC in Africa. The caravan campaigners know the best way to avoid such eventualities is to hold their governments to account. That's why they collected over two million signatures while on the way to Durban. 

But it's not just about Africa; it's about the entire world. PACJA's coordinator, Mithika Mwenda spelt it out: "Climate Change is like the Titanic" he said, "The rich think they will be okay but they won't. Africa has little adaptive capacity and resilience, so it will sink first like the third class cabins... but everyone sinks in the end." There's no standing on the sidelines, our fate is collective and entangled in each other's.

As the speeches came to a close with cheers and applause, the noise rising from the packed hall was almost deafening. But down in the conference centre, and away in Africa's capitals, is anyone listening? The task for each of us is to amplify our call - one Africa, one voice, we all stand together in the fight against climate change.