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Pathway to Paris

Music is a universal language and climate change is a global concern

December 12^th, 2015

On December 4th and 5th, the co-founders of Pathway to Paris, Jesse Paris Smith and Rebecca Foon, brought together a collection of notable artists, activists, academics, musicians, politicians, and innovators to sound the clarion call for “peace, compassion, respect, equality, justice, love, human rights and a fight for the survival of our planet.”

For Jesse and Rebecca, as musicians and climate activists, the evening was about “bringing together all of our voices to highlight our love for this world and to galvanize climate action”.

Photo: Tibetan exile and musical legend, Tenzin Choegyal, brought poetry to the stage

Patti Smith performing a spoken word piece, with Jesse Paris Smith on piano, and Rebecca Foon on cello

Tenzin Choegyal and the audience sharing a moment

Building a Global Movement

As governments convened in Paris for the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to agree on a new global climate change agreement, Jesse and Rebecca wanted to create an event that would somehow convey the urgency for us all to coalesce and build a global movement for climate justice, recognizing that climate change and its challenges interconnects us all.

As a strong supporter of the global movement towards a future that is zero-carbon and sustainable, UNDP was extremely proud to be a partner in the Pathway to Paris’s events, and to share a stage for the evening with Thom Yorke, Patti Smith, Flea, Bill McKibben, Naomi Klein and Vandana Shiva (and others).

350.org’s founder Bill McKibben, remarked that the evening wasn’t solely about entertainment: “the job of these musicians is to turn you into warriors for the fight ahead. We have to fight and fight hard.”

“The musical genius of Pathway to Paris was to showcase the human voice, from the sweet, keening cries of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke to the defiant, prophetic refrains of poet and singer-songwriter Patti Smith, who, together, bookended the concert and served as its headliners.”

Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Warren Ellis (Dirty Three, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds)

Flea and Warren Ellis conveying the urgency of the cause through the power of the music

Naomi Klein delivers an impassioned speech

Dr. Vandana Shiva lighting up the stage and calling on the audience to: "reclaim our commons through care and solidarity"

Merging social movements

Owing to the imperative for all of us to come together in the face of this challenge, UNDP recognises the value of partnering with social movements, leveraging the power of collective action.

With over $2.3 billion in climate change projects across 140 countries, UNDP is on the ground supporting countries’ efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. These efforts include support for expanding the use of clean and renewable energy, a greater focus on forests and avoiding deforestation, and an increase in investments in climate change adaptation for those countries already experiencing impacts.

On December 4, Pradeep Kurukulusariya, Head of Climate Change Adaptation Programming at UNDP spoke about his personal experiences on the ground, and what adaptation to climate change means, especially for vulnerable populations – the poor, women, and indigenous peoples. He talked about how UNDP is supporting climate-resilient economic development and sustainable livelihoods.
As the UNDP representative introducing the concert on December 5th, Jo Scheuer, Chief of Profession, Climate Change & Disaster Risk Reduction, spoke about the global resonance of the issue of climate change, as well as the need for optimism.

Pradeep Kurukulasuriya, Head of Climate Change Adaptation Programming UNDP, welcomes and introduces the event

Jo Scheuer, Chief of Profession, Climate Change & Disaster Risk Reduction at UNDP, preparing as the concert hall fills for a second night

Two Events, three purposes

While negotiators in Paris worked to come to an agreement, Pathway to Paris delivered “[o]n all counts—as balm for a terrorized city, as a cry for political engagement with the most urgent of planetary crises and as a fundraiser for 350.org, which is helping to lead that charge…”

Thom Yorke and the beginning of "Atoms For Peace"

Patti Smith’s closing remarks reminded us that "People have the power to dream, to vote...don't forget it, use your voice."

From left to right: Patti Smith, Flea, Bill McKibben, Naomi Klein and UNDP's Jo Scheuer on stage for the finale

From left to right: Bill McKibben, UNDP's Jo Scheuer, Tenzin Choegyal, Jesse Paris Smith, Warren Ellis, Thom Yorke, Flea and Vandana Shiva

From left to right: Rebecca Foon, Jesse Paris Smith, Patti Smith, Thom Yorke, Flea, Tenzin Choegyal,Vandana Shiva, and Warren Ellis

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Beyond Paris

For COP21, the decisions and commitments that were agreed upon, and the actions that will be undertaken in the years and decades to follow, will impact all of us. Just as climate change is a global challenge, so must our response be a global response. UNDP’s partnership with events like Pathway to Paris, and merging the power of intergovernmental organizations with the passion of social movements, is critical for building long-term support for the Paris agreement.

The UNDP Office of Development Studies notes that the global natural commons are one of the top 10 most urgently needed global public goods; this message was underscored at the Pathway to Paris events by speaker Vandana Shiva, who strongly called on participants to: “reclaim our commons through care and solidarity”.

For our increasingly interdependent human community, mechanisms like COP21 and UNDP’s related climate change work are essential for providing these global public goods efficiently, equitably, and adequately.

The time is now.

For more information, visit the Pathway To Paris website, or their Facebook page. To purchase the LIVE @ Le Trianon album (with all proceeds going to 350.org, UNDP and the fight for climate justice), visit: pathwaytoparis.com/album

Footnotes

Text: Jesse Paris Smith, Rebecca Foon, & Andrea Egan –supplemental excerpts from Sandra Steingraber/EcoWatch / Photos: Andrea Egan, UNDP, ProspektMira.org, Alexandra Chunina (instagram.com/noise_jam)

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Pathway to Paris

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