Our Executive Director and chair of the tcktcktck campaign, Kumi Naidoo, writes from the Rainbow Warrior II in Copenhagen. Kumi is pictured above (second from the left) with the ship's captain and crew.
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
Sitting in the Rainbow Warrior, which is presently anchored in Copenhagen, I am pleased to mark my first month with Greenpeace. I can think of no better place to do it, on board a ship that is synonymous with hope. I feel pleased, proud and privileged to be spending the night onboard with the crew, and earlier this evening I also met and
talked with some 150 dedicated Greenpeace volunteers camped a few metres away from the ‘Warrior’. Tomorrow, I look forward to spending the night with the crew of the Arctic Sunrise, also docked in Copenhagen.
It is a refreshing break from pacing the halls of the Bella Center, an all-too-brief respite and opportunity for reflection.
We are all here to bear witness to the momentous events unfolding at the Copenhagen Climate Summit. The summit has thrown me into the middle of the biggest challenge we face, it has thrown me into a maelstrom: the struggle to avert catastrophic climate change. A baptism of fire, but also an incredible opportunity for me to meet so
many more Greenpeace people, all of you doing what you do best.
We have just passed the halfway mark of the climate negotiations. We now eagerly await the arrival of over 120 Head of States. We have played a central role in getting them to the Summit, to creating the conditions in which they felt compelled to take personal responsibility for the outcome.
Now seems like a good moment to take a breath, to acknowledge all the hard work we’ve done and the things that we’ve achieved so far. The tireless dedication of Greenpeacers - whether staff, activists or volunteers - is amazing and so inspirational. My admiration and gratitude goes out to you all who have worked so hard on achieving the powerful actions, to realising this campaign with all of its tactics coming to a single focused objective.
The outcome is far from certain, and we may not get the fair, ambitious and legally binding treaty we so desperately need. May our energy be sustained for the next few days; they will be a defining moment for the future of our planet. And, we will stand by our core values: confrontation in a peaceful and creative way.
Let’s ensure that our voices continue to be heard loudly and clearly, independently and together with our allies in the tcktcktck campaign.
We must maintain the momentum.
We can, we will, we must continue our campaign for Climate Justice.
-- Kumi
>> Read Kumi's open letter to Barack Obama - delivered just now.
Kumi spoke at a press conference earlier today - play the video below to watch him.
Click here if you're having problems watching the video.