A talk by Julia Edwards.

Over 40 people attended this inspiring evening held jointly with the Friends of the Earth on Monday 20th Feb in the church. We had the privilege of hearing Dr Julia Edwards , a Methodist mission partner who has lived and worked in Fiji since 2010 .

The pacific islands are at the forefront of the impact of climate change and Julia wove the facts and figures around the personal stories of individuals and communities in Fiji . One example was the village of Vunidogola who as the sea encroached on their homes were forced to move the whole village to a higher inland site and it is not just villages for whom this is a threat ,whole islands are under threat of being lost as are nation states such as Kiribati.

She highlighted how people who lose homes through land loss cannot claim refugee status as to be a refugee you need to identify persecution from someone. Above all she reminded us ‘that it is the same water that washes our shores’ . Walter Atwood then presented her with a peace candle to take back to her church in Fiji to let them know we are thinking and praying for them and hoping against hope that climate justice will prevail and as a world we will make peace with our planet.

Photos courtesy of Ric Lander Friends of Earth

The Peace Candle arrives in Suva, Fiji