On our 6th year, Aksyon Kalikasan celebrates 50th Earth Day with OPTIMISM amidst our current global crisis
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL MOTHER EARTH DAY to all!
From all of us in Aksyon Kalikasan, we celebrate with the rest of the world the 50th year since the first EARTH DAY was conducted as a series of campus teach-in event in 1970 in the USA. Since then and in recent decades, the United Nations have adopted it as the INTERNATIONAL MOTHER EARTH DAY celebration.
The first Earth Day commemoration in the Philippines was actually held in Silang, Cavite where Aksyon Kalikasan is now based. It was first commemorated through the efforts of Earth Savers Movement and local greens in Cavite. We dedicated this statement also to the founder of Earth Savers Movement, the late Senator Heherson Alvarez who recently succumbed to complications brought about by the COVID-19 virus.
It is in the light of our current global COVID-19 pandemic that we bring this statement to all us with OPTIMISM that we will survive from this crisis and emerge with a renewed sense of commitment to change our lifestyles and socio, economic and political choices to make as "new normal" the current advantage of substantial slow down of human consumption, production and movement (travel) based on the application of social justice, equity and genuine redistribution wealth. We are hopeful that this will be done not just as a respond to the current COVID-19 virus but as a genuine solution to the root causes of our current, bigger CLIMATE EMERGENCY.
The video EARTH DAY 2020 statement of Aksyon Kalikasan brought to you by Aksyon Kalikasan President, Roy Cabonegro was done with him in face mask, to emphasize the importance of using this protective tool when we need to go our of our homes. Most importantly, he emphasize the need to support the enhance community quarantine to stop the spread of COVID-19. He emphasized the importance of STAYING HOME so we can survive this COVID-19 crises
We all know that the COVID-19 viral pandemic is a zoonotic disease, which means it is a disease that is transferred from animals (usually wildlife) to human beings.
This happens because of the displacement of wildlife due to the continued destruction and disruption of their natural habitats and due to illicit wildlife trade and consumption by human beings.
And this is aggravated by the warming of the planet; one of the main impacts of our current climate emergency. As more areas get warmer, longer, there is more conjusive environment for viruses to thrive and eventually transmitted form animals to human beings.
Aksyon Kalikasan warns that the COVID-19 pandemic will be just one of many other zoonotic diseases that we will suffer from in the same manner that the other ill effects of the climate emergency such as extreme weather conditions (more, stronger, more frequent typhoons) and prolonged drought will be aggravated.
Their studies; in fact that show that collapse of ecosystems and biodiversity might actually be abrupt in large scale, and not the slow process that as of now is already being felt. If we remain in the current "normal" or "business as usual", the worse is yet to come.
It is therefore CRUCIAL that MASS ACTIONS are done NOW. In the scale that the whole world is responding to the COVID-19 crisis. We must sustain this and channel it to respond to our climate emergency and the rehabilitation, protection and conservation of our ecosystems; including biodiversity and the habitats of wildlife if we are to SURVIVE.
For AKSYON KALIKASAN, our contribution to this necessary action is spelled out in our THEORY OF CHANGE and our immediate STRATEGIC PLAN all to contribute in building the capacities of the GREENS in the Philippines to realize the GREEN AGENDA (2020-2030) of the GREEN PARTY OF THE PHILIPPINES which we subscribe to.
We would like to remind everyone that we are in a global and national crisis threatening our very survival driven by the climate emergency. The response must be massive and comprehensive. It requires STATE INTERVENTIONS (Green Politics) and the mobilization of society at large. ECO ACTIONS needs are at the local territories - our Barangays (villages), ancestral domains and the conservation commons.
Because we are today in quaratine and lockdowns; which Aksyon Kalikasan supports as part of the social distancing strategy to allow us to survive this current COVID-19 pandemic, we have recently adjusted our modality of work with the adoption of a new set of strategy.
In particular, we are:
(1) Under our EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM, we are re organizing our weekly AKSYON KALIKASAN ONLINE RADIO-TV to become a regular webinar on practical, "how to" instructional materias to aid members, supporters and interested public in general on taking home and Barangay (community) ECO ACTIONS such as organic gardening, ecowaste and others.
(2) In support of this, we are now in the process of developing a SEED CONSERVATION AND SEED EXCHANGE PROJECT to allow for individuals and groups who are heeding the call of home and community organic gardening to have a support mechanism to allow them to acquire and share seeds they will propagate. MORE ON THIS SOON!
(3) We are also in the final stages of a GREEN TENT FIELD CARE CENTER PROJECT fundraiser to raise support for the setting up and maintenance of these GREEN TENTS as quarantine place for PUIs and field hospital for those diagnosed with symptoms but just mild to moderate condition anticipating things to get a lot worse requiring community level care.
(4) We are also enhancing our ONLINE MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM in tandem with our GREEN GOVERNANCE PROGRAM to enhance the experience of those who would like to join us a member and take action in terms of online advocacies. We encourage interested individuals to visit the membership platform in our WEBSITE and apply for membership. Applicants will then be invited to online ACTION GROUPS (FB Groups) focus on each of the 10-point GREEN AGENDA (2020-2030) that we support and allow them to collaborate in online advocacies and actions such as:
(a) PUBLIC STATEMENTS (shared here and re-shared or targeted to specific quadmedia targets)
(b) ONLINE PETITIONS (signed by relevant petitioners. addressed to specific decision maker or enforcer or organize as a form of "peoples initiative" - refer to Philippine constitution)
(c) SURVEYS and RELATED DATA GATHERING (to gather data for relevant studies or to get relevant feedback on specific ideas, policies and experiences)
(c) REPORTING on FIELD MONITORING (to gather targeted information from specific sector or area as part of a study or a campaign or to support a petition or a public statement)
(d) ONLINE FUNDRAISER & RESOURCE MOBILIZATION (to solicit donations in cash, service, in kind and other forms of value to specific causes and needs)
(e) ONLINE TRAINING & LEARNING SESSION (on related issues, concepts and skills integrated with a mechanism to determine levels of learning, retention & application)
(5) Finally, as part of our ECOPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, we are in the process of developing an ONLINE GREENSHOP that will allow for GREEN PRODUCTS AND SERVICES to be bought and sold and traded (alternatively). MORE DETAILS of this soon. We hope to launch this on World Environment Day, June 5.
Thank you very much and we hope despite our current global crisis remain OPTIMISTIC.
STAY HOME.
SURVIVE COVID-19 SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO ACT TO REALIZE THE GREEN AGENDA!!!
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