Same old…?
Posted on 04. Jun, 2010 by annac in United Kingdom
The polar bear one is the oldest one in the book...
Every day that passes at the UN it gets a little harder to write a blog. I mean there’s lots going on of course, in fact we have now started to talk about substance here in Bonn which is a good step. But this process definitely does not move quick enough for our 24/7 idea of news!
Having been doing this for a year now it’s starting to sometimes feel like we are on constant repeat. We visit the same venues, we hear the same speeches from parties, we got to the same meetings (I write the same blogs….)
The process moves so slowly that we are still facing the same issues. Maybe we could just do the same actions, it would be easier…drag out the same props, no need to paint new banners.
In fact since the negotiators here seem to be such fans of repetition I was thinking about conducting a survey to find out what their favourite action of the past few years has been, then to save the effort we could just put it on again.
I won’t of course! Because it is changing this process, it is shaking things up, it is getting creative that makes coming here ok for me.
Actions are what makes this process bearable, I’ve said before (of course!) that it is taking action, making my voice heard, feeling like I can change things, that feeds my soul.
But with the process going so slowly we’re really beginning to have to think way outside of the box to come up with new ideas to make these issues exciting (well vaguely more interesting…).
However the more effort it takes, the more energy it requires, the tireder I seem to get, and I find myself getting slightly jaded.
The length of the struggle definitely takes the enthusiastic shine off me sometimes.
This is why I always like to take a little time out at the UN to think about why I am doing all of this. So this morning I did this and went to take part in a discussion about the climate justice movement and youth.
Justice is the reason I return to the UN time and time again.
But while I was there we got discussing how social movements always talk about the struggle for justice as an old struggle, one that we have been fighting for many, many years.
Then my friend made a point that has stayed with me.
The struggle may be old, but for every person who joins the movement it is new.
I realised we should never forget that.
I wrote the other day about how many new people there were around the UN
This is a new struggle for them.
Every time I come here it is a new struggle.
As more and more people join the movement there are more and more new struggles.
And from new struggles we might find new solutions.
And while we wait I’m just going to have to get even more creative with my actions….
Which is fine with me, because as tired as I get creativity always feeds my soul.
why my picture? what are you trying to say?
Polar bear is the oldest in the book. The pic of you is just an nod to the Italian we love and miss.
andrea is also the oldest in the book…