Families Lay Claim to Their Children’s Future

Click to read the article in Turkish

Parents for Future and Our Kids Climate family groups have come together and penned a letter, or rather a manifesto, addressing the delegates attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25).

Undersigned by 228 groups from 28 different countries, the open letter has made a touching call to the delegates to take action to protect the health, hopes and future of their children before it is too late.

Two family groups from Turkey, namely Parents for Future Turkey and Bodrum Climate Emergency Call (Bodrum İklim Acil Çağrısı), are also among the 228 groups that have signed the letter.

In the weekly column of bianet entitled Everything Depending on Weather (Havaya Bağlı Her Şey) and penned by Can Tonbil every Friday, we are publishing the full letter of parents who have come together with the aim of laying claim to the future of their children:

Our letter to the COP25 Delegation

"Our children are the greatest love of our lives. Despite this, they are being handed a broken world on the verge of climate chaos and ecological breakdown. As parents, seeing this is agonizing.

"Climate-related disasters are happening right now and children are losing their lives, their health and their futures because of climate chaos. From tropical cyclones in Africa and Asia and flooding and mudslides across parts of Europe and Brazil to raging fires made worse by drought in California and in Australia; families and communities in every corner of the world are being affected. The Greenland ice sheet is melting at never-before-seen rates, and a state of climate emergency is rapidly becoming the new normal.

"We write this plea as parents – to delegates of the UN climate summit in Madrid, COP25 who will be negotiating on behalf of us and our children.

"This UN climate summit is a crucial opportunity to come together to demand ambitious climate action in line with keeping global temperature rise below 1.5C. With every passing minute of political inaction, the climate crisis deepens, risking the lives, health and future of more children. We are at a critical junction in time, where every tonne of carbon emitted takes us closer to dangerous climate tipping points which could unravel human civilization within our own and our children's lifetimes.

"Powerful vested interests like the coal, oil and gas industries – fighting to keep their business model alive – are using their power and influence to obstruct the necessary political action. Current political commitments put us on track to a catastrophic 3–4C global temperature rise.

"We cannot accept that this is the world we are handing over to our children.

"Public demand for action is at an all-time high and science has never been more clear about what's at stake if we don't embrace the solutions that already exist, stop burning fossil fuels and transform our societies. Millions of children have led the way with the school-strikes in showing resolve to fight the pending catastrophe and now we, the parents, are also rising up to protect all our children and demand climate action. Together we will do whatever it takes to protect them. Addressing the climate crisis is not the responsibility of our children – it's our job as adults and parents to act to try to give our children the future that they deserve.

"We are at a turning point in the story of our species and you, the delegates of this influential UN climate summit, have an opportunity to choose what happens next. We demand a safe future for our children – for all children – and for future generations. To secure that we need decisive action in Madrid.

"We are looking to the delegates of this summit to show brave leadership and act together rather than waiting for individual countries to lead. If we all jump at once – onto a new path – it will be safer for everybody. This is a moment of hope that must not be wasted.

"Many of the delegates at COP 25 are also parents and we appeal to these delegates in particular. These delegates are parents who, due to their professional skills, are capable of being real heroes for all the children of the world. So, our appeal to delegates is to take those minutes right before making a decision at the summit and stop, close your eyes and picture your children's faces. Then envision the future you want for your grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Will you do what it takes to make this future a reality for our children who will inherit the earth?

"We know that you can and we trust that you will."

Global

·         Parents For Future Global

·         Our Kids Climate

Australia

·         Australian Parents for Climate Action

·         Persistent Presence Fridays For Future

·         Grandparents for Climate Action Now, Blue Mountains New South Wales

·         What Will We Leave Our Children?

·         Extinction Rebellion Families Sydney

·         Extinction Rebellion Families SEQ

Austria

·         Parents For Future Österreich

·         PFF Burgenland

·         PFF Oberösterreich

·         PFF Südburgenland

·         PFF Vienna

·         PFF Vorarlberg

Belgium

·         Families For Climate Vichte

Brazil

·         Familias Pelo Clima

Canada

·         Canadian Parents for Climate Action

·         Parent 4 Climate Victoria BC

Colombia

·         Familias X El Clima

Finland

·         Aktivistimummot (Activist Grannies Finland)

·         Ilmastovanhemmat - Climate Parents Finland

France

·         Parents For Future France

·         Unis Pour Le Climat

·         Parents Call For Climate

·         Grands Parents pour le Climat

·         Parents de XR France

Germany

·         PFF Germany

·         People For Future, Germany

·         People for Future Hochtaunus

·         People For Future Kiel

·         Workers4future, Germany

·         PFF Altkreis Halle

·         PFF Augsburg

·         PFF Bensheim

·         PFF Bielefeld

·         PFF Bonn

·         PFF Borken

·         PFF Bremen

·         PFF Bruchsal

·         PFF Cuxhaven

·         PFF Darmstadt

·         PFF Deggendorf

·         PFF Dinslaken

·         PFF Dortmund

·         PFF Dresden

·         PFF Dülmen

·         PFF Eisenach

·         PFF Erfurt

·         PFF Erlangen

·         PFF Essen

·         PFF Euskirchen und Nordeifel

·         PFF Ganderkesee

·         PFF Gelnhausen

·         PFF Gera

·         PFF Göppingen

·         PFF Göttingen

·         PFF Günzburg

·         PFF Haßfurt

·         PFF Hamburg

·         PFF Hameln

·         PFF Hannover

·         PFF Heidelberg

·         PFF Heilbronn

·         PFF Herford

·         PFF Herzogenaurach

·         PFF Höchstadt

·         PFF Holzminden

·         PFF Jena

·         PFF Karlsruhe

·         PFF Köln

·         PFF Kreis Gütersloh

·         Adults/PFF Leverkusen

·         PFF Lindau (Bodensee)

·         PFF Luebeck

·         PFF Magdeburg

·         PFF Mainz

·         PFF Marktoberdorf

·         PFF Moers

·         PFF Mülheim

·         PFF München

·         PFF Niedersachsen

·         PFF Nürnberg

·         PFF OG Bornheim/Swisttal/Weilerswist

·         PFF Oberhavel

·         PFF Oldenburg

·         PFF Osnabrück

·         PFF Ostalbkreis

·         Omas gegen Rechts

·         PFF Recklinghausen

·         PFF Rems-Murr

·         PFF Rostock

·         PFF Schwerin

·         PFF Schleswig- Holstein

·         PFF Schwäbisch Hall

·         People for future Siegburg

·         PFF Sinsheim

·         PFF Sömmerda

·         PFF Sonthofen

·         PFF Teltow-Fläming

·         PFF Trier

·         PFF Uckermark

·         PFF Uelzen

·         PFF Untertaunus

·         PFF Viersen

·         PFF Weinheim

·         PFF Werl

·         PFF Weserbergland

·         PFF Zwickau

India

·         Parents For Future India

·         Fridays For Future Parents

Irland

·         TuistíDonTodhchaí - Parents for Future Ireland

·         Elders for Earth Cork

Israel

·         Parents for Future / Parents for Climate Israel

·         Parents For Climate Hadera

·         Parents for Climate Haifa

·         PFF HaSharon North

·         Parents for Climate Jerusalem

·         Parents for Climate Kadima-Zoran

·         Parents for Climate Ness Ziona

·         Parents for Climate Tel Aviv

·         Parents for climate Tivon

·         Parents' Organization for Education in Jerusalem

Italy

·         Parents For Future Italia

·         PFF Arezzo

·         PFF Bari

·         PFF Belluno

·         PFF Bologna

·         PFF Ferrara

·         PFF Forlì

·         PFF Milano

·         PFF Pisa

·         PFF Pistoia

·         PFF Roma

·         PFF Tirol

·         PFF Torino

·         PFF Val Nure

·         Extinction Rebellion Families Italy

Kenia

·         Kenya climate parents

Mexico

·         Padres por el futuro Monterrey

·         Unión Neoleonesa de Padres de Familia

·         GoGreen SierraMadreInstitute

·         Green Moms Instituto Nezaldi

·         Padres por el Futuro

·         Green Moms Centro Educativo Nobel

·         Mamás y papás por el clima

·         Green Team Himalaya International School

·         Green Team Israelita

·         Cecvac green team. Comité ecológico Interescolar

·         Sin Rastro MX

The Netherlands

·         Mothers Rise Up Netherlands

New Zealand

·         Millions of Mothers

Niger

·         Gray2Green Movement

Norway

·         Grand Parents Climate Campaign

·         Foreldreløftet

Poland

·         Rodzice dla Klimatu (Parents for Climate)

Portugal

·         Parents For Future Portugal

·         PFF Lisboa

·         PFF Beja

·         PFF Beja

·         PFF Bragança

·         PFF Portimão

·         PFF Porto

·         PFF Palmela

Spain

·         PFF Barcelona

·         PFF El Masnou

·         Asociacion region de Murcia limpia

·         Familias por el Clima León

·         Madres por el Clima

·         Madres Por el Clima Canarias

·         Madres por el clima La Rioja

·         Madres por el Clima Sevilla

·         Madres por el Clima Madrid Sierra Oeste

Sweden

·         Parents For Future Sweden

·         Föräldravrålet

Switzerland

·         Genitori per il clima

·         Eltern fürs Klima Luzern

·         Grands-parents pour le climat

Turkey

·         Parents For Future Turkey

·         Bodrum İklim Acil Çağrısı

United Kingdom

·         PFF UK

·         PFF Oxford

·         PFF Brighton & Hove

·         PFF Dorset

·         PFF London

·         PFF North London

·         PFF South East London

·         PFF Sunderland

·         PFF Warwickshire

·         Bristol Schools Climate Action

·         FACE Family Action on Climate Emergency

·         Little Ninja

·         Mums for Lungs

·         MothersRiseUp UK

·         Mothers Rise Up West Midlands

·         Mothers and babies of Extinction Rebellion

·         Rising Up! Manchester Families (XR)

·         Extinction Rebellion Families UK

·         XR Families London

·         Extinction Rebellion Families Haringey

·         Extinction Rebellion Islington Families

·         XR Families Oxford Group

·         Families For The Planet (XR Stroud)

·         Extinction Rebellion Families Hackney

·         Extinction Rebellion Families Bristol

US

·         PFF Seattle

·         Utah Moms for Clean Air

·         Climate Dads

·         Climate Action Families Seattle

·         Sierra Club's Climate Parents

·         Elders Climate Action

·         Families for a Livable Climate

·         Dear Tomorrow

·         ClimateMama

·         Mothers & Others for Clean Air

·         Mothers Out Front

·         350Brooklyn Families

·         Sunrise Movement Kids NYC

(CT/SD)