After a summer marked by record heat, droughts and fires in Europe, as the European Union weakens its climate policy under pressure from member states, the civic movement Rise for Climate and its partners invite citizens to come together in song to restore strength and joy to the climate movement.
When? This Sunday, September 7, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Where? Place de l’Albertine, next to Brussels Central Station
The event will feature a giant participatory choir Sing for the Living, mini-concerts by committed artists, a Brazilian percussion and dance performance, and inspiring speeches by former IPCC vice-president Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, film director Nic Balthazar and singer-songwriter Getch, co-founder of Rise for Climate.
Objectives: to remind everyone that defending the climate, biodiversity and humanity also means building a just and desirable future for all, and as a warmup for the CLIMATE MARCH on Sunday, October 5 (meeting at 12 p.m. at the Brussels North Station), organized by the Belgian Climate Coalition ahead of COP30 in Brazil.
Faced with political rhetoric calling for an “environmental pause” and policy measures that undermine the European Green Deal, we reaffirm the urgency to continue the fight against climate change. Citizens, youth, scientists, artists, and civil society organizations call on government leaders for greater ambition and courage to address the climate crisis and the degradation of the planet.
➡️ Let’s transform despair into action and action into hope! Join us for an afternoon of discussion, mobilization and collective creativity, the first step towards the national climate march on October 5.
Program:
From 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.: Participatory choir with 3 songs prepared via the site www.singfortheliving.com (more than 600 registered to date):
- “Tshotsholoza”, a traditional African song of encouragement, hope and unity presented by choir directors Jonas Likandja and Tister Ikomo
- “Sing for the Climate” by Nic Balthazar to the tune of Bella Ciao
- “We are One” by singer-songwriter Getch
as well as the song Fioul sentimental by comedian Bruno Coppens to the tune of Foule sentimentale by Alain Souchon
From 2:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.: speeches by
- Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, climatologist and former vice-chair of the IPCC
- Benjamin Clarysse, President and Nadia Cornejo, Vice-President of the Climate Coalition
- Christine Mahy, Secretary General of the Walloon Network for the Fight against Poverty
- European Environmental Bureau, the federation of European environmental NGOs, will provide an update on the European Green Deal
From 3:15 p.m. to 5 p.m.:
- In defense of the Amazon and indigenous peoples, Aline Dalvi of the cultural association Espirito Mundo will introduce the Baque de Mulher company, performing a Brazilian dance and percussion show
- Singer-songwriter Getch will perform his best songs for the climate
- DJ KEVVV and dancer Gaby Flores will get the crowd dancing salsa and bachata
Press contacts: Larry Moffett (EN) 0495 534340, Kim Lê Quang (FR) 0499 43 93 50
Concerts: Getch (FR, EN) 0478 65 65 89
Choir: Fanny Hellebaut 0471 58 20 01