Parish Bulletin Messages
The week before your workshop
Workshop on Development and Peace’s new campaign Create a Climate of Change!
Responding to the call of Pope Francis to take urgent action on curbing climate change, Development
and Peace has launched a new campaign: Create a Climate of Change! This campaign calls on all
Canadian Catholics and people of good faith to take concrete action to help reduce climate change,
which is having the most devastating impacts on the poor and vulnerable in the Global South. Come
learn how you can be a part of this campaign and make it a success at a workshop on (DATE) at (TIME
and LOCATION). For more information, contact (CONTACT NAME and INFO).
The week before you start the campaign in your parish
Climate change is an issue of justice!
The most poor and vulnerable in the Global South suffer the most from the impacts of climate change,
yet they are the ones who contribute the least to the carbon emissions that are warming the planet. Did
you know that Canada has carbon emissions that are 150 times higher per capita than
Ethiopia, one of the countries in the world that suffers the most from drought conditions exacerbated
by climate change? Pope Francis reminds us of our responsibility to act in his encyclical Laudato Si: “The
pace of consumption, waste and environmental change has so stretched the planet’s capacity that our
contemporary lifestyle, unsustainable as it is, can only precipitate catastrophes, such as those which
even now periodically occur in different areas of the world. The effects of this imbalance can only be
reduced by our decisive action, here and now.” Take part in Development and Peace’s campaign Create
a Climate of Change to do your part! Learn more at devp.org/climateofchange.
Second week of the campaign in your parish or week the Action Sheet is distributed
What you can do to Create a Climate of Change!
Development and Peace’s new campaign asks us to take action on climate change. There are many ways
in which you can contribute to reducing the carbon emissions that are causing global temperatures to
rise and are creating climate related disasters such as droughts and typhoons. Even small changes in
your everyday life can make a big difference. Did you know that one bus replaces 50 cars on the road?
Or that fruit produced locally will use 10-20% less gas in its transportation? By reducing your carbon
emissions you are showing your solidarity with the most poor and vulnerable in the Global South
affected by climate change. To learn about how you can Create a Climate of Change, visit
devp.org/climateofchange.
1425 René-Lévesque Blvd. W., 3 rd Floor, Montreal (Quebec) H3G 1T7
Tel: 514 257-8711 Fax: 514 257-8497 Toll Free: 1 888 234-8533
info@devp.org | www.devp.org
The week before you hand out the Action Card
Let’s make Canada a climate leader!
In December, world leaders will be meeting in Paris at the United Nations Climate Change Conference
(COP21) to negotiate a binding and universal agreement on the world’s climate. For this agreement to
be effective at avoiding future climate-related disasters, the global temperature can’t rise more than 2°C
over the coming years. In order to achieve this, however, countries like Canada will need to transition to
renewable energies, and move away from fossil fuels. Sign Development and Peace’s Action Card, which
will be distributed on (DATE), asking the Prime Minister to sign on to an agreement at COP21 that sets
the target to keep the rise in temperature below 2°C and to be a leader in achieving that target. On the
card, you can also share with the Prime Minister your own personal action to help reduce climate
change. The survival of our planet and its people is at stake!
A week or two before your Climate Vigil
Be part of our Climate Vigil!
Be part of the Days of Action and Prayer for the Climate from October 23-25 by participating in a climate
vigil on (DATE and TIME). As part of Development and Peace’s campaign Create a Climate of Change,
vigils are being organized all across Canada that weekend. The vigil will be (describe activity – i.e. walk
with candles; artistic activity; etc.) to raise awareness on the issue of climate change. It will be a
moment to pray and be in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in the Global South who are currently
experiencing the worst impacts of climate change. We will also pray for our leaders who will be at the
COP21 negotiations in Paris, so that they come to an agreement that will address climate change and
support countries in the Global South in adapting to the impacts of climate change.
A few weeks before starting your discussion group
Discussion group on how to live simply
The Development and Peace parish council is organizing a discussion group on how to live simply. The
group will be using the guide Living with Limits, Living Well! which was prepared by the Jesuit Forum for
Social Faith and Justice and published by CCCB Publications. This workbook will guide the group in
engaging on the interconnectedness of poverty, inequality, globalization, ecology and spirituality. It is a
great way to begin a spiritual reflection on Pope Francis’ call to move away from a ‘throwaway culture,’
that is based on over-consumption. For more information about the discussion group, contact
(NAME and CONTACT INFO).
1425 René-Lévesque Blvd. W., 3 rd Floor, Montreal (Quebec) H3G 1T7
Tel: 514 257-8711 Fax: 514 257-8497 Toll Free: 1 888 234-8533
info@devp.org | www.devp.org