33^rd Sunday of the Year

In a recent article, (‘Billionaires and lobbyists have seized control of our national narrative’, Sydney Morning Herald, October 30, 2024), author, Tim Winton wrote that people are fed up with the cosy paralysis of those in power in the face of the gravity of the climate emergency. They only get excuses and time wasting when we need action. The dominant narrative of our day is selfish and self-destructive as we are told stories urging us to pursue endless consumption and pitiless competition powered by the fuels that are killing the world. It is irrational, unscientific and immoral. We need a new and honest narrative about the fragility of our biosphere and our dependence on it to flourish and live decently and justly. It is a story that prioritises empathy and solidarity over individualism and ruthlessness. It is in our hands!

In this webinar, Edmund Rice Centre Senior Manager Advocacy and Research Corinne Fagueret speaks about the history of Pacific climate advocacy with Dr Wesley Morgan, a research associate with the Institute for Climate Risk & Response at UNSW who has written widely on climate change and international relations in the Pacific islands. Dr Morgan has over a decade’s experience living and working in the Pacific islands, where he worked as Pacific Policy Advisor with Oxfam, and taught postgraduate courses in diplomacy at the University of the South Pacific. Dr Morgan is also a fellow at the Climate Council and a research fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute (Griffith University).

Dame Meg Taylor was the former Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum and a current member of the Pacific Elders' Voice. In this episode of A Just(ER) Generation, she shares reflections on her distinguished career, her dedication to the Pacific, and valuable insights drawn from her multifaceted experiences—not only as a leader but also as a young athlete. Dame Meg Taylor DBE is a Papua New Guinean lawyer and diplomat and a well known figure and thought leader from the Pacific. She was the PNG Ambassador to the US, Mexico and Canada from 1989 to 1994, worked with the World Bank and in 2014 was appointed Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum a position which she held until 2021. This episode was recorded on 8 December 2023.

(C) Edmund Rice Community Services, 2024