To raise awareness of the impact of climate change, representatives of churches, ecumenical organisations and the United Nations (UN) stood together in the sea in Apia, Samoa, in prayerful solidarity with those vulnerable to rising sea levels and extreme weather events.
The prayer was conducted on Thursday 4 September, as part of the OurVoices.net international campaign of people from diverse religious and spiritual backgrounds who are urging world leaders to agree to a strong climate treaty at the UN climate talks in Paris in December 2015. Participants in the prayer included representatives of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Samoa Council of Churches (SCC), the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) and the UN.
Many of those praying were in Samoa taking part in the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Summit, focusing on a group of countries that remain special cases for sustainable development in view of their unique and particular vulnerabilities. Former Granada ambassador to the UN, Dessima Williams, commented that such global actions of solidarity are a reminder that “people around the world care deeply about those impacted by climate change.”
She invited others to offer Solidarity Sea Prayers and to send their pictures to info@ourvoices.net for sharing with world leaders. OurVoices.net is a multi-faith project which aims to build a multi-faith movement calling for action on climate change. This campaign focuses on the power of prayer and meditation as an essential contribution to change, giving support to negotiators’ having the courage, generosity and imagination to reach a meaningful deal.