As Bonn hosted the COP 23 in 2017, the city is our starting point. The pilgramage will launch with a service that is the celebration of the 70th anniversary of “World Council of Churches” as well as the blessing of the pilgrims. The way leads us through the big main coal regions of Germany from North Rhine Westphalia via “Mitteldeutsches Revier” to the brown-coal region of the “Lausitz” and then northwards to Berlin. On our way we will pass by “points of pain” where we experience the immediate and massive destruction caused by coal mining as well as “points of hope and healing” where people make a difference. We are visiting places not yet knowing which fate it will face in near future like the “Hambacher Forst”. All the way there is time to get in touch with locals and enough space for sharing, learning and reflection on a private base as well as in groups. The route is interrupted by some “action days”. Therefore we are staying for one day in different towns offering awareness talks to locals and information workshops for the pilgrims. Berlin is our political action stop-over. We aim to get in touch with politicians challenging their awareness for our purpose and hand over our petition to them to bring it into the negotiations of COP 24.
In Berlin we also hand over the Pilgrim rod to our colleagues and friends of the Polish “World Council of Churches” and the “Ecumenical Council and Catholic Climate Movement”. They then lead us through their country down to Katowice. During the pilgrimage in Poland the focus is mainly on the aspects of climate justice and renewable energy. By our action, this long pilgrimage, we demonstrate our solidarity to all people who are already suffering from climate change. We believe and are convinced that climate justice is possible! That’s our slogan “Geht doch! – Idźcie!” stands for.
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