“Everything is connected” #Laudatosi #Laudatosi5 #5YearsChangeandCare

Con motivo de la celebración del 5º Aniversario de la publicación de la Encíclica Laudato si’ del Papa Francisco, desde CIDSE y a quienes hemos participado con ellos estsos últimos cinco años en la campaña “Cambiemos por el Planeta, Cuidemos a las Personas” (inspirada por la encíclica), nos  han hecho una pequeña “entrevista”. Algunas de estas respuestas han sido publicadas en este artículo de su web. Otras, han sido replicadas en parte en Redes Sociales (#5YearsChangeandCAre). Yo he querido compartir aquí la entrevista completa (aunque esté en inglés/English) ya que quiero dejar así constancia de estos últimos 5 años de trabajo y rendir así mi personal homenaje a la labor que hemos realizado, pasito a pasito, pero dejando fuertes raíces que ya germinan dando fruto. El camino sólo acaba de comenzar. El objetivo: cuidar de nuestra Casa Común y de las personas que la habitamos, especialmente de los más desfavorecidos y modificar nuestros estilos de vida por unos más sostenibles.   — I have been connected with the campaign CFTP “Change for the Planet, Care for the People” since 2015. I had the opportunity to be in New York covering as journalist and communicator, the presentation of the new 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the UN with CIDSE and Manos Unidas. I lived with special enthusiasm the moment when Pope Francis arrived there to do his speech in the General Assembly, only four months after he published his encyclical Laudato s’. After in December, I participated in the side events during the COP21 in Paris and she lived another unforgettable historical moment when the “Paris Agreement” was finally signed. These two special moments showed me that is real that “all is connected”, and not only Development and Environment and Sustainability, but Communication, Youth, Solidarity, Civil Society Movements, Spirituality, and our Lifestyles and that Laudato si’ expresses perfectly well the opportunity to practice of the Social Teaching building a better world for all the human beings and our Common Home. How have you been involved with the Change for the Planet- Care for the People initiative? What was your role in there?   Since 2015 until now, I have been connected with CFTP Campaign in three different roles. Since 2015 until 2019 as a journalist and communicator responsible for the CFTP in the Comms Department of Manos Unidas. During 2019 as Communication Officer of CIDSE, coordinating the Comms activities of the Campaign internationally. And the first months of 2020, I have been the Focal Point of the Campaign in Manos Unidas.   What’s your favourite memory to share about Change for the Planet- Care for the People initiative (remember that this is for a public article, so it’s better not to refer to internal meetings or it will be unclear)?   As it has been said in my presentation I have some special memories from COP21 in Paris in December 2015. We went with a heterogenic group of youth volunteers and members of Manos Unidas and we met many other youngers from all the MOs of CIDSE and also enjoy a lot with all the process, even the terrible travel from Madrid to Paris in a regular Bus. Living the sacrifice and many other difficult and new experiences there, we enforced our team. The group became bigger in 2017 in Casa Velha Sustainable Camp and the Walk for the Change to Fatima (Portugal) organized by FECONGD and CIDSE, and also the public awareness about sustainable lifestyles inside the youth of Manos Unidas, so in 2018 we built together as teamwork the wonderful experience of the First Youth Sustainable Camp of Manos Unidas in Spain.

Finally, the last year 2019 and living in Brussels, I lived two wonderful moments with the CFT Campaign:  the Youth Residential “Our Common Home” organized by CAFOD and CIDSE in Alton Castle  (UK) sharing and learning with more than 50 young people from 10 countries and 3 continents; and the coordination of the launching of the special publication that CFTP cone in 5 languages (Spanish here), the “Journalists Toolkit on Sustainable Lifestyles” during a four hours Journalist and Expert Panel titled “Talking Integral Ecology and Living Sustainably” organized in Sala Marconi (Radio Vaticana/Vatican News) and as one of the side events of the Amazon Synod. Both activities with the KR Foundation funds and a lot of great memories.

What did you learn from Change for the Planet- Care for the People initiative? Did you change any of your lifestyle behaviors or took any new commitment as a consequence?  I am a bike lover since 2007 and there are people who admire my braveness because I use my bike as regular transport in a city like Madrid which now is more bike-friendly but not always have been like this. I buy Fair Trade and eat more organic food from local farmers. My dream is to be able to travel regularly all around Europe by High-Speed Train and see all the European Capitals crowded with bikers.