FLEAT South Africa 2019

SAFCEI hosted a South African Faith Leaders Environmental Advocacy Training (FLEAT) workshop in Durban from 25th to 27th June.

We hosted our South African Faith Leaders Environmental Advocacy Training (FLEAT) workshop in Durban from 25th to 27th June.

Faith Leaders from across the country convened at the Gooderson Hotel for a 3-day workshop where they engaged in daily spiritual sharing; discussed links between faith and the environment, environmental challenges they are currently facing,  and what faith communities and civil society can achieve by working together; participated in an ecological-footprinting exercise and mapping community networks; and screened Becoming Visible (2018), a documentary by Janet Solomon on the offshore oil and gas development off the South African coastline and its effect on our marine life.

Desmond D'Sa, the 2014 Goldman Environmental Prize winner and leader of the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance joined the group to share his story of fighting toxic pollution in the Durban South community, and took the faith leaders on a "Toxic Tour" to visit communities affected by the Shell and BP South African Petroleum Refineries (SAPREF) plant.

The workshop concluded with the group planning for ahead for the implementation of advocacy projects in their faith communities.  They will report back on their developments in the next FLEAT South Africa workshop.