Cafes 'breaking silence' on climate change

Sessions in cafes which discuss climate change are helping "break the silence" on the issue, the coach who set them up has said.

Rebecca Nestor, who facilitates so-called climate cafes in Oxford, said the group meetings were spaces for people to talk about climate change without involving topics about taking specific actions or "debating science".

She said the conversations provided "a sense of connection and community solace".

Participant Bryony Parrish said she found the sessions were "helpful to step outside of daily life".

Ms Nestor said she noticed people beginning to talk about climate change during the hot summer of 2018 when "the grass was brown and the trees were struggling".

She decided to use concept of "safe spaces" for groups of about 10, lead by two facilitators.

"There is then a more free flowing discussion - people might be angry, very anxious or a bit despairing.

"What we find is that being able to say that out loud with other people, who are maybe feeling similar, is just incredibly supportive and it gives people a sense of connection and community solace."

She said their climate cafes had "quite a diverse representation" and discussions included topics such as the typhoons in South East Asia.

She said climate issues can make people "feel helpless, concerned and not knowing what to do".

"Having an approach that tries to break that silence is necessary and that's what climate cafes do."

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Ms Nestor said the meet-ups did not involve talk about climate action, science, or government policy.

"The idea is that people, who have only recently discovered this is a serious thing, don't feel too embarrassed about not having done anything so far."

She said the cafes attracted people of all ages, which created "very touching and quite painful" discussions between generations.

"The young people are ... typically not angry with the older people so shame and guilt can be really thought about in the group."

Among those taking part, Ms Parrish, who lives on the Cowley Road, said she found it "heart-opening".

"There was also that ritual of taking items from the natural world [such as] plants, stones, twigs and other things, and talking about what it meant to you.

"I found this quite helpful to step outside of daily life.

"I think it's all quite hopeful to experience that sense of connection with other people."

The climate cafes run on alternate months at Common Ground in Little Clarendon Street and the North Wall Arts Centre on South Parade, and bi-monthly at the Rosehill Community Centre.

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