When courage meets the climate crisis: Patricia Mungcal on activism and hope
Patricia Mungcal was a COP30 Delegate with the ACT Alliance. She sent us a video reflection of her experience there and on being an environmental activist in the Philippines as her response to 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
Patricia serves as Assistant Program Secretary, Faith, Witness and Service of the National Council of Churches of the Philippines, a KAIROS partner. In her role, she heads the emergency response, disaster preparedness and climate adaptation work.
During COP, the Philippines was reeling from a series of catastrophic disasters. Patricia speaks about bringing with her the stories of devastation and loss from communities impacted by this climate crisis, particularly rural, Indigenous and fishing communities. She returned to the Philippines gravely disappointment by the official negotiations and the final statements from COP30, wondering what this text and these words will mean and what difference they will make to the communities who are currently living the deadly impacts of the climate crisis.
In the last few minutes of the video (shared below), Patricia speaks about her activism and collective action and how this brings her hope. She has immense courage and conviction. Her activism and actions come at considerable risk. She is a young woman who heads the climate response at NCCP in one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, and one of the most dangerous as an environmental defender. But she does not feel alone. She is part of a grassroots movement of churches, human rights and environmental defenders and communities who believe change is possible, who are truth tellers, who are demanding accountability and who are planting the seeds for justice. From this movement and this collective activism, Patricia derives empowerment and hope. She hopes that her story will do the same. And it does.
By Rachel Warden, Partnerships Manager
