Durban: we have faith

Monday, December 19, 2011

  • 5196Students of Durban's Ridge Park High School dance up a storm at the We Have Faith climate rally.
  • 5436Durban schoolgirls party in the stands at the We Have Faith climate rally.
  • 5958Gospel musician Juliani, of Nairobi, performs an energetic set at the We Have Faith climate rally in Durban.
  • 6292Leaders of the dozens of faiths and denominations gather before walking on to Durban's Kings Park Stadium.
  • 6315South African Council of Churches General Secretary Rev Pataki, right, in red stole, chats with other faith leaders before entering the We Have Faith rally.
  • 6375Leaders of many faiths and denominations swarm onto Durban's Kings Park Stadium for the We Have Faith climate rally.
  • 6394Norwegian Church Aid General Secretary Atle Sommerfeldt, right, joins other faith leaders for the We Have Faith rally in Durban.
  • 6583South Africa's 'green bishop', environmentalist Bishop Geoff Davies, tells the We Have Faith rally that climate change is 'horribly real' and that millions of people will suffer if it is not curbed.
  • 6806Archbishop Desmond Tutu gives a poignant but humourous warning of the dire effects of climate change on the whole world.
  • 7010A brightly-dressed singer accompanies vocal ensemble Ladysmith Black Mambazo at the We Have Faith rally.
  • 7149Archibishop Desmond Tutu, UNFCCC executive secretary Christiana Figueres and COP17 president Maite Nkoana-Mashabane accept a 200,000-signature petition demanding leaders sign a fair climate deal.
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  • 7650Long into the day, people at the We Have Faith climate rally keep dancing and singing.
  • 7309An emotional Christiana Figueres, UNFCCC executive secretary, promises to present the We Have Faith petition demanding climate justice to COP17 leaders.

Images from Durban's We Have Faith rally – an inspiration for the UN climate change talks. The rally took place on Sunday 27 November, the day before the COP17 started, and kicked off with inspiring speeches by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a host of other faith leaders, and Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.