On eve of Earth Day 2010, Vincentian Priest and missionary Aidan Rooney — currently assigned to the International Vincentian mission in the Altiplano region of Bolivia — is participating in the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth. He writes, “This week, I will be attending La Conferencia Mundial de los Pueblos sobre el Cambio Climático y los Derechos de la Madre Tierra / The World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth in Cochabamba, Bolivia. I decided to go because I’ve had a long standing interest and connection with the issue, and also becasue in the planning documents a “Catholic voice” was missing. I will be blogging daily on the events as things begin on Monday evening of this week.” His initial post, as well as updates for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are available and provide up to date perspectives on the goings on, as tens of thousands of people are gathered in Cochabamba, Bolivia, to listen to one another and to the earth. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI, “Our earth speaks to us, and we must listen if we want to survive.”(2010 World Day of Peace Message)