WE CAN

Published 2011/07/08 at 10:16 am

Listening to and supporting young people as they respond to climate change

Mothers and children for Climate Action Now

“We CAN is a diverse group of women, young people and children campaigning for action on climate change now. “Our role is to give government a mandate and to say we, the voters, do care about the planet.”

Its goals include showing MPs that there’s a demand for action from groups other than ‘typical’ environmentalists, by: their physical presence outside the House of Commons; generating media coverage about climate change issues; connection MPs with children who are the generation who will be most affected if MPs don’t act now; and to empower and give an opportunity for action to those who feel they want something done.

Some of the Actions undertaken by We CAN include :

We CAN held a successful children’s screening for the Age of Stupid on in March 2009. The cinema was full, linked live to the ‘grown-up’s premiere’ in Leicester Square and was followed by speeches from environmentalists

We CAN held a children’s rally outside parliament on 23rd of March 2009. The children were dressed as endangered animals and they entered parliament and met with their MPs to express their concerns.

In October 2009 a group of coalitions including We CAN protested against lack of decisive action by government on climate change policy by storming the Houses of Parliament.

One minute to save the world: an international film competition to get people involved in the issues of climate change, and then to take the films to Copenhagen. See http://www.1minutetosavetheworld.com/aboutus/

We CAN reacted to events and joined with others when they felt they could help to make a difference. So We CAN attended vigils, marches and others meetings or wrote to the press. These included: A children’s climate rally at the Houses of Parliament so that children could exercise their right to lobby their representatives in parliament.

We Can brought children to Parliament dressed as endangered animals such as polar bears, to convey their message to the government. “A leopard, a parrot, a kangaroo, two butterflies and a rabbit are standing with a whole load of other animals on the small green opposite the St Stephen’s entrance to the House of Commons. They are, I have to admit, the sweetest protesters I’ve ever seen (particularly a slightly sleepy polar bear who is clutching her bottle in one hand). They’re here because climate group We Can has brought its children to Parliament dressed as wild animals for its latest message of frustration with the government.” See http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2009/mar/23/we-can-parliament-climate-protest-animals-children.

On 13th January 2009 We CAN participated in a picnic at Heathrow airport to peacefully protest against the government’s proposal for a 3rd runway at Heathrow Airport. The Guardian filmed one of We CAN’s founding members Rebecca Frayn taking her children to exercise their democratic right to protest peacefully. See http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2009/jan/13/heathrow-picnic-protest

Other initiatives include :

Peaceful Protests an article by Kate Morris (founding member of We CAN) in Easy Living magazine:

http://www.easylivingmagazine.com/Blog/Default.aspx?postid=875&blogid=10

Sister Act: Behind the closed doors of Britain’s all-female power groups

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/sister-act-behind-the-closed-doors-of-britains-allfemale-power-groups-864651.html

Kitchen cabinet: The group that aims to turn yummy mummies into banner-waving eco-activists

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/kitchen-cabinet-the-group-that-aims-to-turn-yummy-mummies-into-bannerwaving-ecoactivists-828168.html

Rebecca Frayn, founding member of We CAN is listed in the Environment section of London’s 1000 Most Influential People 2009: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/influentials08/article-23563019-details/Environment/article.do?ICO=influentia

We CAN also attended

Stop Climate Chaos

Power Shift

Kingsnorth – The Miliband Protest

Climate Emergency Debate Stop Climate Chaos Planning Meeting

Climate Rush and held a number of We CAN dinners where thye approach influential and successful women to get them to support their endeavors.

“We CAN is delighted and very grateful to receive funding from APE. We will use it to do everything we can to put pressure on politicians to take responsibility for dealing with climate change and to promote the need for politicians to work together rather than continue to put individual political advantage ahead of the planet’s survival.” We CAN