As the world gets hotter, basic freedoms are under ever greater assault around the globe. These trends are about to collide in dramatic fashion at the upcoming United Nations climate summit, which this year takes place in Egypt, under the iron rule of General El Sisi. Just a decade ago, Cairo’s Tahrir Square was synonymous with a hopeful, youth-led movement for liberation and democracy. Today, journalists are routinely arrested and thousands of political prisoners languish behind bars.
With Egypt on the frontlines of climate impacts and of escalating repression, this panel discussion will tackle tough questions about the relationship between meaningful climate action and political freedom. Is it possible to have one without the other? What are the responsibilities of those choosing to attend the summit, in a context where local environmental organizations face continual harassment and criminalization? What pressure can be brought to bear in this microcosm of the intersection of climate and justice, especially in Egypt’s debt negotiations and the government’s drive to attract foreign capital in areas like green energy?
Hear from Sanaa Seif, activist and sister of Alaa Abd El Fattah, one Egypt’s highest profile political prisoners, as well as celebrated writers, journalists, and activists Omar Robert Hamilton, Sharif Abdel Kouddous, and Bill McKibben. This discussion will be co-moderated by UBC faculty members Mohammed Rafi Arefin and Naomi Klein from the new Centre for Climate Justice.
No registration is required. View the livestream here.
This event is presented in partnership with The Intercept.
