15,000 March in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for International Day of Climate Action

Today in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, more than 15,000 young people marched to call for 350ppm, as part of the International Day of Climate Action on October 24. Here’s part of an email from one of the lead organizers of the action, Tinebeb Yohannes, cross-posted from 350.org:

One of the biggest events with over 15,000 participants for Climate Action took place at Yekatit 12 Martyrs Square at Sidit Kilo, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The event began with a procreation of marching band, the Ethiopian Police Federation, followed by students from more than 15 primary and secondary school in the city. After a welcome speech by our own 350 representative (Lily) an opening speech was made by the representative of H.E. Green Hero Girma Woldegiorgis, President of the F.D.R.E, Ato Assefa Kesito, followed by a brief presentation on climate change and its impact by Mrs Akille Assefa from the Ethiopian National Metrological Services Agency.

A short speech was also made by Ato Alemayehu Akalu, Director of Tenakebenaand Ginfle Cleansed Youth Association. The most impressive part was that the students that came to this event had used their own creativity to create unique and outstanding slogans and banners related with 350 and climate change. There was great media coverage from local (ETV, ENA and Ethiopian Environmental Journalists Association/EEJA/) as well as international media. Various guests were also present at the event including Grace Mwaura from African Youth Initiative on Climate Change from Kenya, 350 reporter and camera women- Emily Taylor, representatives of Forum for Environment and one of our 350 volunteers, Amrote A. Assefa, from Oxfam America.

About Phil

Phil has been a campus clean energy activist and helped organize Step It Up 2007, the largest national open source grassroots campaign to stop global warming. He is currently working on building an international movement, focusing specifically on mobilizing and educating people in Africa and the Middle East. His new project, 350.org, will stitch together a creative, powerful and unstoppable global movement pushing for bold and comprehensive action on climate change on the international level.

2 Responses to “15,000 March in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for International Day of Climate Action”

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1 DJ Oct 26th, 2009 at 9:59 am

This protest is orchestrated by the govt of Ethiopia, and they did it by bribing the people with food. Ethiopians have a lot more issue to worry about such as, human rights and finding food. Over 15 million are facing starvation right now (govt number of 6million is also under reported.) The Ethiopian govt is the most dangerous element threatening the existence of Ethiopia.
When you live in a democratic country you can worry about Climate Change, but when your people are being abused and starving to death, you can put that issue on the ‘back-burner’