Climate for Peace programme – Service Civil International
The Goal
The main goal is to mainstream the perspective of climate justice and sustainable living across all SCI activities (not only workcamps, but also training sessions, international meetings, communication efforts etc.). This way, each time a volunteer joins such project, they have the opportunity to experience these ideas in practice.
The idea behind Climate for Peace is explained in the Position Paper, along with ways to get involved in the programme.
Climate for Peace workcamps and workcamp guidelines
The main focus of the Climate for Peace programme is on workcamps. These are the types of activities that connect all SCI branches and partners. Every year thousands of volunteers are reached through hundreds of workcamps and each project is an opportunity to practice sustainable lifestyle.
In order to help SCI volunteers and workcamp coordinators implement ideals behind Climate for Peace in their workcamp practice, workcamp guidelines were developed. The document provides practical ideas about sustainable living practices, content of the study part as well as type of work part that can bring us closer to climate justice and sustainability. Activists are encouraged to include this perspective in existing projects or develop new projects incorporating the main points of focus. Based on this criteria workcamps can be labelled as a Climate for Peace project in the workcamp search engine and additionally promoted through various communication channels.
Every branch is encouraged to include elements of Climate for Peace in their workcamp coordinator training. Workcamp coordinators can also find a collection of knowledge and informal education activities in the “Climate for Peace Toolkit”. Additionally anyone can get a feel of how such an activity can look like by watching documentaries presenting model project projects, e.g. “Nonviolence Needs Nature”.
GAIA MicroGrants
In order to foster grassroots activities focused on issues around climate justice and sustainable living, SCI offers seed funding (of up to 500€). Formalities are brought to the necessary minimum and reporting is designed to encourage self-evaluation and further learning.
With every phase the focus of available funding windows changes slightly depending on the issues that prove to be most relevant – from innovation for sustainability in workcamps, to climate change adaptation, to sustainable food systems. Special preference is given to project from the Global South, because countries of this region are most vulnerable to climate change impacts and funding for similar activities is not as easily available. Also every project organizer is encouraged to consider the sustainability of their initiative – maintaining the results even beyond the activity.
It is crucial for accomplishing the goal of the programme to make it visible across the movement – both in terms of promoting the opportunity (as this way we communicate the importance of climate justice and sustainable lifestyle to SCI as a movement), as well as implemented projects (through which we disseminate knowledge about existing solutions, which are within reach of SCI activists).
Prominent examples of implemented project were collected and presented in the “Climate for Peace Inspirations” booklet, which is distributed through SCI web page, social media and newsletters.
You can also become part of the Climate for Peace programme. To learn how to get involved visit http://www.sci.ngo/climate-justice-campaign/join-climate-for-peace or contact via email to climate4peace@sci.ngo. Also if you want to share your pictures or comments on this programme, please don’t forget to put this hashtag: #climateforpeace
If you want to stay informed about developments in the Climate for Peace programme, subscribe to the weekly newsletter: bit.ly/SubscribeFridayUpdates.