Announcements

"Australians have contributed to the causes of climate change, maybe not as much as some, but we will certainly be affected by the political instability caused by not attending to the consequences in our region," said Jill Finnane, coordinator of the Pacific Calling Partnership, which is hosting the meeting with Mr. Tong.

"For the people of Kiribati and our other low lying Pacific nations, 'dangerous climate change' is not something spoken of in the future tense. Rather 'dangerous climate change' is what they confronted yesterday and today." she added.

"Catastrophic climate change is what our neighbours confront if we the international community fail to act."

Media Enquiries: Jill Finnane: 0417 237 572 and Louise Robards: 0403 027 098

When:  9.30AM – 11.00AM, Saturday 21st June 2008

Where: Edmund Rice Centre, 1st Floor, 9 Alexandra Avenue Croydon. NSW

Background:

Pacific Calling Partnership builds ongoing relationships with the Pacific region to promote awareness of Australia's “ecological debt” to the low-lying island nations, and acts to support their residents.

Our island neighbours in the Pacific are at the frontline of climate change. Families are already facing rising sea levels, extreme weather events, collapsing eco systems and the contamination of freshwater with saltwater.

If we do not rise to this challenge entire peoples could be without a home within our lifetimes.

Australia must respond to the threat of climate change through the framing of a human rights discourse. Climate change is primarily and profoundly a human rights issue with economic and environmental implications.

It is in our immediate neighbourhood of the Pacific that the nature of our response will be defined.

The Pacific Calling Partnership was formed in 2006 at Edmund Rice Centre in Sydney in collaboration with the Catholic Education Office Wollongong, the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, and a number of other individuals and supportive groups. Other partners who have since joined include the Franciscans, Punake Pacifik, Voice of Melanesia, Pacific Wave Arts Association and the NSW Ecumenical Council.

The partnership has worked to build up awareness in the Australian community of the urgent situation facing our neighbours and to build links with them so that we can work together to face the crisis our region confronts.

Patrons of the Partnership are the President of the Federation of Oceania Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Peter Ingham, and Bonita Mabo, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands activist.

The Partnership is coordinated by the Edmund Rice Centre.

The Pacific Calling Partnership is committed to providing hope and opportunities to overcome the threat being faced by our neighbours. 

It raises awareness in the wider community about the effects of climate change on Australia's low-lying island neighbours in the Pacific and the Torres Strait.

This is done through education in schools and community groups, building links with people from affected islands and their locally based communities and forming relationships with other organisations and initiatives concerned about climate change.

We encourage those who take part in our programs to actively respond to the calls from our neighbours.

We have produced a range of education resources that are being used by church and community groups and which schools can implement into their curriculum.