Global Day of Action

The Global Day of Action (GDA) is a traditional and important event at UNFCCC COPs. The primary action is a mass march of international and national community, labour, women, youth, academic, religious and environmental organisations and activists. It demonstrates civil society’s common determination to address climate change.

GDA 2011

This year’s Global Day of Action will take place on Saturday, 3 December, and is an opportunity to demonstrate to governments around the world people’s common determination to prevent catastrophic climate change. C17 will mark the day by coordinating a non-violent mass march in Durban that welcomes all interested civil society organisations wanting to participate.

The march will demonstrate that addressing climate change is as urgent for the people of Africa as for those of the North. Behind a common lead banner, it will combine the diversity of formations and opinions within civil society. Organisations participating in the march will define and display their own messaging.

Participants are asked to gather from 08h30. The pre-march rally will begin at 09h00.

The Route

Participants are invited to gather at Botha’s Garden/ King Dinuzulu Garden (near the corner of Julius Nyerere Street and Dr Pixley Kaseme Street). The march will follow a route past the ICC, the site of the United Nations climate change negotiations, converging en route with faith community members (who will rally at Diakonia Centre, 20 Andrew’s Street, Durban).   Pausing at the entrance to the ICC, the GDA march will end at the Old Pavilion site (corner of OR Tambo parade and KE Masinga).

More information:

As world leaders struggle to reach agreement at the COP17 negotiations, the COP17 civil society committee (C17) is issuing a rallying call to all South Africans to join civil society, organised labour, faith-based organisations, artists and musicians in a peaceful march through Durban on Saturday 3rd December.

Ordinary people from across Africa and the World are coming together to make sure their voices are heard. Some of those most affected by the impacts of changing climate will be taking part in the march including peasant farmers from across the continent and hundreds of women from South African rural communities.

C17 Global Day of Action committee convenor Desmond D’sa: “World leaders are discussing the fate of our planet but they are far from reaching a solution to climate change. If they fail to make progress we will see drought and hunger blight our country and continent even further. We call on all South African’s to march with us this Saturday and remind our leaders they must come to a fair climate change deal that avoids runaway climate change.”

Participants are invited to gather from 8:30 am at Botha’s Garden/ King Dinuzulu Garden (near the corner of Julius Nyerere Street and Dr Pixley Kaseme Street) for the pre-march rally to begin at 9:00am. Speakers will include South African and international community representatives, Bishop Geoff Davies, Bandile Mdlalose, and C17’s Desmond D’sa.

The march will follow a route past the ICC, the site of the United Nations climate change negotiations, converging en route with faith community members (who will rally at Diakonia Centre, 20 Andrew’s Street, Durban). Special needs groups and children will join the march at Speakers Corner.

Pausing at the entrance to the ICC at about 13:00, speakers will present short speeches, before statements gathered from participating groups and organisations are collectively handed over to UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres. Speakers will include Zwelinzima Vavi (representing labour), Nnimmo Bassey (representing Africa), Bishop Davies (representing faith communities), Aluwani Nemukula (representing youth) and Constance Mogale (representing women).

The GDA march will end at the Old Pavilion site (corner of OR Tambo parade and KE Masinga).

Media are advised that the best photo and interview opportunities will be at the rallying point and as the march approaches the ICC.

PLEASE NOTE: After negotiations with the City of Durban, the starting point of the march has changed. It was previously advertised that the march would start at Curries Fountain, however it will now begin at Botha’s Gardens.

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