Poems entered for the competition must be relevant to either Peace or Reconciliation. In addition, each year we invite authors to consider a different theme. Although this is not obligatory it raises an issue that is topical. This year the COP26 international conference will be held in Glasgow in November and climate change is a major threat to peace and security, so this year the theme is Peace and Climate Change.
Poems might include ideas how global warming will change people’s lives, how I feel about climate change, why global warming is taking place, why it makes people leave their home and migrate, my carbon footprint, what I do to reduce climate change, what will happen if we don’t act now to stop climate change, who suffers most as a result of climate change and so on.
Below you will find some ideas that might help students generate ideas for poems and pictures.
How we can all help tackle climate change
See five easy ways at https://theconversation.com/5-ways-families-can-help-tackle-climate-change-126512
Another 12 ways at https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-you-can-stop-global-warming
Does Climate Change Cause Conflict?
This video shows Oxford Climate Society students and Oxford University staff discussing the question “Does Climate Change Cause Conflict?” in November 2020.
Boris Johnson Warns Security Council about Threat of Climate Change
Boris Johnson made these remarks about the threats caused by climate change at a meeting of the UN Security Council on 23 February 2021.
Flooding across western Europe caused by climate change
More than 120 people died in July 2021 and hundreds went missing after record rainfall caused the worst flooding in parts of Western Europe for many decades. Some politicians in Germany say the extreme weather is the result of global warming and they’re calling for more urgent action to counter climate change. This BBC report was broadcast in July 2021.
Climate change, peace and security
This video seeks to analyse why climate change matters for peace and security. The film examines the connection between climate change and conflict, before demonstrating some of the difficulties in undertaking this research, explaining the main SIPRI working streams before concluding by considering the current picture of climate change, peace and security. Video produced by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute in 2017.
Why is tackling climate change vital to peace?
Climate change is changing the world we live in. It affects every aspect of life in and represents a central obstacle to peace and to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This video, produced by the Economist Intelligence Unit in June 2021, explains how climate change is seriously hindering progress towards achieving the UN SDGs and shows why tackling climate change is vital to peace.
What is the link between climate change and conflict?
In this video, Thomas Ritzer, Political Affairs Officer within the Policy and Mediation Division of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), talks about the possible links between climate change and conflict and how the UN is addressing the issue.
Why politicians have failed to tackle climate change
This 9 minute video was produced by the Economist in May 2020.
Climate, Peace and Security: The Time for Action
A video produced by the European Union