2023
With more than 60 workshops, discussion rounds and lectures and over 1000 participants, the Climate Camp 2023 in Lichtenwörth set an example for climate justice. We learned together, forged new ideas, cooked, built and danced. We mobilized energy against the eastern bypass: excursions to the Fischa floodplain, bike tours through Wiener Neustadt, a public demonstration for the preservation of the fertile fields and the floodplain around the Fischa in Lichtenwörth.
A centerpiece of the climate camp is our Kitchen For All, the Küfa. More than just a place to eat, it is a self-organized place that is created for a week where precious exchanges emerge. There was seasonal and local organic food for everyone, no matter how much you wanted to pay. A big thank you goes to the kitchen crew, who brought the Küfa to life with great commitment!
We were also particularly proud of our self-built compost toilets with a dry separation system and the circus tent. With many helping hands, the huge tent was erected with an inclusive approach: everyone had the possibility to contribute – by showing each other how a tool works and what to pay attention to. Together with the Küfa and the inclusive construction site, we want to present alternative lifestyles and make them tangible (1).
Despite adverse weather conditions – lots of rain and knee-deep mud – we stayed strong during the whole week. The band “Waldfee” and the DJ ensured a good atmosphere.
Content wise, the workshops ranged from bicycle repair, lectures on a sustainable society and climate justice to a bee workshop by the beekeeper Daniel Hemmer. The Klimacamp was also an important space to create connections. The panel discussion with Nora Haidowatz (LobauBleibt), David Pimperl (Wir Machen Wien!), Michaela Daniel (Vernunft statt Ostumfahrung) and Mira Kapfinger (System Change Not Climate Change) was a fruitful exchange that resulted in good cooperation.
Many thanks to Hans, the organizers and the VSO citizens’ initiative for making this inspiring event possible.
(1) If you are interested in experiencing temporary community activist structures, see also the concept of the Temporary Autonomous Zone according to David Graeber: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/david-graeber-direct-action.
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