In early October a number of Sixth Form students had the opportunity to meet a group of Extinction Rebellion Faith Bridge members who were participating in the Camino to Cop26 walk. The purpose of the walk from London to Glasgow over the space of two months, arriving in time for the UN Climate Conference, is to engage with communities along the route and spread the word about the global climate and ecological emergency.
Students asked the walkers about their reasons for participating, whether they had been involved in previous protests and the role of faith in their activism. Despite coming from different backgrounds, all the walkers had similar responses – they felt that the walk was something they were compelled to do and that religion was not an important part of their commitment to the cause, but it united them. They described the walk as a pilgrimage.
The group had also brought the “Coat of Hopes” on their 500-mile journey. This is a community-created coat to which people they meet can add patches. They had already received an amazing collection of patches, portraying different feelings about the climate crisis. The students also had the chance to try on the coat and hear the song about the uplifting sense of purpose it brings.
This was an insightful experience and hopefully the pilgrims are successful in their journey.
Libby Crossley
Year 13
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