When I started my internship at Hazon at the beginning of the summer, I had no idea what the People’s Climate March was, let alone know that I would be devoting most of my time to it.
For those of you who haven’t heard about the People’s Climate March yet, it’s being held in Manhattan on Sunday, September 21, 2014, two days before the emergency climate summit called by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in which he is urging world leaders to take serious action against climate change. The March will be a platform for all of us to show our support for a treaty to prevent climate change and to put pressure on leaders who can make a difference.
Over the past ten weeks, I have put together a website for the Jewish Climate Change Campaign filled with content I helped create about the March, listened in on numerous conference calls, and emailed countless people about why they should participate. Through all of this, I have come to care deeply about this cause and this March. I have seen how Jewish people involved in different communities have come together, united for this one cause and the chance to change the course of history. I have also seen how members of different faiths have worked seamlessly together in order to make an impact.
The collaboration of all of these different groups is a true testament to the ways in which we can put our differences aside in the face of such an important problem. Climate change affects everyone, and will affect everyone’s futures. And we can do so much more together than we would ever be able to do alone. Working alongside those that may have different views from your own shows the importance and prominence of an issue, and why it is so important for us all to support this cause by showing up to the March. I hope you will join us on September 21.