Jesuit schools in Britain took part in a global campaign encouraging pupils to voice their concerns about the future of the planet.
Students from Wimbledon College, St Joseph’s Primary School in Hurst Green, Lancashire, and St Aloysius’ College in Glasgow penned messages about climate change and environmental damage for the ‘Letters to the Earth’ initiative.
It was part of an international movement involving the wider Ignatian family, co-ordinated by the Society of Jesus’s Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat and educational organisation Fe y Alegria.
The exercise was carried out in the run-up to COP30, which is being held in Brazil from 10-23 November and where Jesuit campaigners will raise awareness of the impact of climate issues, particularly on those living in the Global South.
More than 500 letters were collected at Wimbledon College – these were displayed in the school’s chapel before being posted off to local politicians.
And at St Jospeh’s, pupils from all years engaged in thoughtful reflection on the state of our planet, expressing what they love about Earth, shared feelings of gratitude, and voiced their concerns and fears for its future.
“This meaningful exercise encouraged empathy, environmental awareness, and a deeper understanding of their role in caring for the world around them”
Jules Gibson, Community Engagement Manager at Jesuit Missions said: “Students have been writing these letters as a creative effort to gather messages of concern, hope, and vision for the future ahead of COP30 in Belém.
“The aim has been to amplify the voices of people, especially young people and vulnerable communities, who will be most affected by climate change.
“This meaningful exercise encouraged empathy, environmental awareness, and a deeper understanding of their role in caring for the world around them.”
In addition to the correspondence from Britain, thousands of pictures and letters were collected by the Fe y Alegria network across Latin America, and hundreds more from students in other countries around the world.
More news
Jesuit Missions’ Companion in Hope supporters gather for Jubilee Mass
Jesuit organisations look back at the positives and negatives of COP30
How COP30 offered some signs of hope to climate-vulnerable countries
