An article by Annia Klein, CIDSE Communications Officer
From November 10 to 22, CIDSE was in Belém for COP30—not only for the official COP space, but also for the Peoples’ Summit and, last but not least, to bring to Brazil our 60th anniversary celebration, cherishing a community of people working for change.
As CIDSE delegates landed in Belém, we could feel the heat. But not only the heat from the forest and the weather—the heat from the people, from the local communities, faith communities, and leaders who converged in Belém to demand change. Not only from Brazil, but from Latin America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. We saw this demand for change during COP. Even if not fully reflected in the negotiations or the final result, we experienced a convergence of people tired of a system that delivers too slowly, people who cannot afford to wait while those most vulnerable face the consequences of climate change—or should I say the consequences of delayed action?
The Urgency for Systemic Change
CIDSE came to Belém not expecting complete transformation overnight, but to prove that our collective work can drive the systemic change we urgently need. Multilateralism works. Cooperation works. But the current pace of action is dangerously misaligned with the urgency of the crisis we face. The change we see is positive, but incremental progress is no longer enough. We need the system to respond now, not later—to accelerate action that delivers real, lasting, and transformative change for those on the frontlines. It was in this spirit that CIDSE developed the Systemic Change Dialogues, to address the root causes of the problems we face today and to push for the urgency this moment demands.
Celebrating 60 Years of Community
In Belém, CIDSE also celebrated its 60th anniversary. We gathered around 70 people, including members, partners, and allies who have been part of this journey with us. It was incredible to see so many people together, building bridges across language barriers and cultural differences. As in Brussels, thanks to the Laudato Si’ Movement, we had a special river representing not only hope, but also justice. It travelled all the way from the Raising Hope conference in Castel Gandolfo to Belém.
The celebration started with opening remarks from CIDSE Secretary General, Josianne Gauthier, who welcomed everyone and set an atmosphere of transformation with inspiring words, translated into Portuguese by our friend Padre Dario Bossi, from Iglesia y Minería.
“We are grateful to be together in the heart of the Amazon to travel on this journey together, as symbolized by the River of Solidarity, to celebrate 60 years of community, relationships, and communion with partners, members, and new friends. We’re here to share the outcomes of the process that helped us prepare for Belém, and the messages from the voices that were gathered in the Systemic Change Dialogues, and also to form a bridge to what happens after we leave Belém. We will have a responsibility to share the stories with people at home and continue the work together“
Messages of Courage and Solidarity
This was followed by an incredible activity led by Lisa Sullivan from the Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns, CIDSE member organisation in the USA. She invited participants to discuss in different language groups and share their wishes for the upcoming years, then use this reflection to write on a paper boat—a boat that would later float on the river of justice that flowed among us during the night, reminding us of why we are doing this and why we need to keep fighting. The same exercise had been done at the CIDSE event in Brussels, bridging the demands from the Global North to the Global South towards the world we want to see in the future.
What started as a simple exercise became a moment of deep reflection for the years ahead. What do we want from our action, from our community, and from our own work in these spaces? What is the future we want to see and how do we navigate there? We contemplated these questions together, watching boats float along the river of justice, carrying messages from all corners of our world.
As we read the messages in the boats, our hearts felt the warmth of knowing we are not alone in this fight for justice. Many messages spoke of courage, action, resistance, hope, and the demand for spaces to listen and embrace local communities’ perspectives, to learn together, to create solutions, and to express gratitude. And many more.
The activity was followed by powerful testimonies from the organizers and participants of the CIDSE Systemic Change Dialogues in the run-up to COP30, presenting an open letter and a call to action developed together in community, including demands from activists, local communities, and grassroots movements from the Global South and North. We heard directly from the people who helped shape the Systemic Change Dialogues, from member organisations to allies from the Global South.
A Ritual of Passage
This moment was touching as Sister Rosita Sidasmed, Deputy Secretary at Red Ecclesial del Gran Chaco y Aquifero Guarani (REGCHAG) was invited to bless this ritual of passage—as these messages were passed from CIDSE to the actors on the ground, to the people who will carry these messages forward, not only during COP but throughout the whole year, during every moment, every manifestation, every advocacy act. We will be together shaping the course through this river of justice.
That’s what 60 years of CIDSE has built: not just an organisation, but a community that knows the fight for justice is long, often frustrating, and absolutely necessary. The heat we felt in Belém wasn’t just anger at inaction—it was the warmth of solidarity, the fire of determination, the hopefulness of our faith, and the passion that comes from knowing we’re not alone.
The River of Justice: Paper Boats Carrying Hope
The river keeps flowing toward justice, even when it feels impossibly far away. And we keep showing up—for each other, for the communities on the frontlines, for a future we refuse to surrender. Because that’s what the river taught us: you don’t have to see the destination to trust the current is carrying you there. The boats floating in our river of justice weren’t just symbols. They were proof that while governments stall, people are already building the future we need.
A heartfelt thank you to all who took part and shared these moments with CIDSE.
Additional resources:
- Flickr Album CIDSE at COP30.
- CIDSE Press Release: After COP30 — The World Cannot Ignore Belém’s Call for Climate Justice.
- CIDSE@COP30.
- CIDSE@Belem.
- CIDSE Systemic Change Dialogues towards COP30 and beyond
CIDSE contact: Annia Klein, Communications officer, CIDSE (klein(at)cidse.org)
Cover image credits: CIDSE.