It's been almost two years since the well, pretty devastating United Nations Copenhagen summit on climate change. The failure to deliver a new global treaty on climate, disorientated all the logical tactics and necessary steps forward to reaching the ever urgent 350 ppm.
A year later at the following negotiations in Cancun, young Europeans gathered aware that in post-Copenhagen times, public rallying for policies that reflected what science demands was more necessary than ever. It was time to scale up our organising and action. And so, the ideas of 'Power Shift Europe' began to mushroom.
Taking inspiration from what we'd seen from other global youth organising and mobilisations from India to the USA to Australia, Power Shifts across Europe would be a way for youth groups to bring people together nationally for 1, 2 or even 3 days to help develop organising skills on climate and to take visual, exciting action on climate together. Power Shift Europe would be a way to kick-start new energy for our passionate, vibrant movement to safeguard people and future generations.
Since that meeting in Cancun, the idea spread like wildfire. People took the idea back home and began to develop ideas for their own Power Shift events which while would be connected, would be nationally and culturally unique. And a Power Shift Europe 'tour' embarked for peer-led training on how to make Power Shifts happen, followed by the birth of ArtShift who also toured to support Power Shifts in developing the creative side of their events making them memorable and beautiful.
Beginning with the momentous September 24th Moving Planet, Power Shift exploded in Germany, Russia and Ukraine – with parades, music and day long trainings on story-telling as a tool for engaging people into the issue of climate change. This was closely followed by Sweden and Serbia this weekend just gone with high-profile speakers and flash dances, with France and Italy now getting revved up for their moments to shine this weekend. Youth across Europe have been working away days and nights, collaborating to really inspire new action on climate change at home – going well beyond the annual UN summits.
And it doesn't stop there. Regional Power Shifts have been taking storm across the USA and also in Brisbane and Perth Australia too, and the UK and Austria looking to hold their events early in 2012 with many treats up their sleeves. Since we can't wait for the seriously lagging politics to work itself we're gathering and organising across the globe to create the space and culture for common-sense climate solutions. Power Shift events have begun to change the meaning of 'power' and have been bringing it back to the people to make our transition for our clean, just future. We're beginning to feel the heat from that wildfire.