ActionAid is calling on all walkers and runners around the world to lead the debate on climate change and its effects on the most vulnerable communities. It is Earthwalk 2021, an action in which people from all over the world come together to draw attention to the issues discussed at COP26. A United Nations event, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, will bring together world leaders, as well as scientists, businessmen, academics and activists, until 12 November.
ActionAid is an international organization working to end poverty in 43 countries. In Brazil, it has been carrying out projects since 1999 to guarantee the right to food, gender equality, popular participation and education.
The first edition of the Global Walk took place in 2020 to claim a more just and sustainable world for all, especially after the effects of COVID-19. A distance of 121,711 kilometers was covered, which is equivalent to three laps around the world.
To participate in the 2021 edition, interested people only need to access the website of earthwalkRegister and feed the page with kilometers traveled daily. Also, of course, posting on your social networks using the hashtag #CadaPassoConta. There’s also an option to connect your fitness app to the website and have it automatically feed in your steps. Groups of friends who are already in the habit of taking group walks can also participate, as long as the safety measures against COVID-19 are respected.
Today expeditions calling on hikers are being activated in 31 countries around the world: South Africa, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burundi, Cambodia, Ethiopia, France, The Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Haiti, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, Liberia , Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Palestine, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Spain, Thailand, Kenya, United Kingdom, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Let’s walk together around the world to draw attention to the communities most affected by climate change, who have the power to decide on the future of the planet.
In addition to Earthwalk, ActionAid will create a series of public interventions during COP 26 in Glasgow so that voices from around the world can be heard in conversations between world leaders. Images from the march, collected from around the world, will be projected in an open-air area with a large dissemination in the host city. The action seeks to draw attention to the dire social consequences that climate change is causing.
For example, in a recent survey released on 19 October, the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization revealed that temperatures in Africa rose above the global average in the past year. Which shows a profound impact on life on the continent. Scientists predict that the continent’s three major ice caps, including Mount Kilimanjaro, will cease to exist by 2040. Due to droughts and floods, the number of people living in food insecurity has increased by almost 40% in 2020 compared to 2019. Climate disproportionately affects the poorest populations. And the picture repeats in Brazil, which is facing a water crisis and could be entering a period of energy crisis that has hit the country with climate change.
In August this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a landmark report to debate the topic. Historic because, for the first time, the IPCC clearly demonstrates a direct link between human action and increased temperature and climate change. Even in Brazil, where frequent heavy rains and droughts have dire consequences, especially for the most vulnerable. ActionAid closely monitors the impacts of the climate crisis on the communities it supports.
