Letters From the Global South exhibition & workshop

Facts, figures, and graphs can only go so far in explaining what is happening as a result of the climate-nature crisis. But the impact on children in communities already living through this harsh reality tells much more of the story. They speak of the fear, urgency, and sense of abandonment that is experienced—and is becoming the everyday reality of life for so many—in ways we can’t (yet) imagine.

Children’s messages from across the Global South are at the heart of a new touring exhibition and workshop—Letters from the Global South—that’s been created to amplify their voices and connect with communities, here, in the UK. The letters, photos, and artwork from communities in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and Pakistan are an urgent call for action from those most deserving of being heard.

This new project has been created by Zero Hour, Muslims Declare, and IFEES/Eco-Islam (Islamic Foundation for Ecology & Environmental Sciences) and brings to life illustrated explanations of the scientific principles behind the Climate and Nature Bill—the mechanism for locking climate and nature science into law—and ensuring that the UK plays its full role in tackling this global crisis.

Meaningful conversations

It’s hoped that these pieces of artwork—and sincere, innocent words—will encourage meaningful conversations about the climate and ecological emergency amongst communities that are under-represented in the environmental movement and UK political processes. The voices of Global South communities are all too often side-lined, and the Letters from the Global South exhibition and workshop offers an innovative approach to addressing that.

Visiting cities and towns across the UK nations over 2023, each event will be focused around a ‘bespoke workshop’ that fits the unique needs and abilities of the group. Through Letters from the Global South, community members can connect with each other, and develop initiatives they would like to run together. As their reach grows, they can develop the tools to add to the call for a national response, based on their community experiences, and centred around the principles of the CAN Bill.

Letters from the Global South blends art, reality, and science to bring about a deep sense of how the loss of nature and climate change feels—rather than focussing (only) on what measurable effects it’s having. For community groups, places of worship and schools, the touring exhibition offers a new and unique way of engaging attendees in an interactive event. If you would like the exhibition to come to your town, we would love to hear from you.

Collaboration and engagement

All that’s needed is a community space that will welcome the exhibition and workshop for a day—and the commitment of local campaigners to work in collaboration and to promote the event widely to people and community groups who do not consider themselves to be engaged in climate activism. It’s as simple as that.

We will travel to you and set up the exhibition and workshop in your community space and, if budget and availability allows, we can also arrange light refreshments. Each event will include a facilitated 3-hour workshop where people can connect with one another, and begin to develop initiatives they would like to see running at a local level. For this Zero Hour project our aim is to broaden involvement in the climate and environmental movement from groups and organisations that are typically underrepresented; providing a way-in that suits specific sectors and demographics.

The Letters from the Global South workshop has been carefully designed to foster a supportive environment where everyone can learn and share ideas, questions, and experiences—and propose ideas to tackle climate change and restore nature, locally, in line with the principles of the CAN Bill. No prior knowledge of the environment is required; Letters from the Global South is specifically designed to work with local communities who are often overlooked in environmental conversations.

Want to find out more? Contact Alessandra Palange.

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