Basi-20, 13th June 2008

‘Be the change you want to see.’ [M. Gandhi]

Environmental activists the world over, take these words from Mahatma Gandhi as their maxim. Greenpeace, World Wide Fund, Earth First! Activists all know that merely complaining about our dying earth accomplishes nothing. Instead, they take action to bring their vision of a better world into reality, in spite of personal risk and for no personal material rewards.

A variety of green institutions can be found under the umbrella of “environmental activism;” they range from small grassroots and community organizations to large international pressure groups. Each tends to focus on a particular issue. Some of them like World Wide Fund and Friends of the Earth take care of all environmental problems. Individual donations are the major financial source. Only large or transnational NGOs receive corporate, government or aid agency funding.

With the aid of new media technologies, environmental activism extends its territory into the cyberworld where political, geographical, censorship and communication barriers are removed. The Internet becomes an excellent channel for the environmental groups to publicize their goals, communicate their works, attract new members, or even mobilize individuals to join campaigns.

PAST, PRESENT and A BETTER FUTURE?
Environmental activism emerged in the 1960s, driven by series of environmental problems such as nuclear technologies, pesticide pollution, and overexploitation of natural resources. It is the combined political force of people who take action to protect the environment. This civic power has developed from the traditions of confrontational whistle-blowing to modern campaign working across cultural, political and disciplinary borders.

In the journey to democracy, green organizations have discarded outdated measures and adopted reformist strategies instead. For instances, some NGOs, like the World Resources Institute, provide policy and scientific advice. Other broad-based membership NGOs hold peaceful protests, consumer campaigns, public education and research. Many engage in advocacy, lobbying and litigation to obtain political and legal recognition of environmental values and rights.

Ann Pettifor, Executive Director of Advocacy International and Campaigns Adviser to Operation Noah, hit the nail on the head when she remarked: The victory of green organizations remains on individual and community levels like ‘The lights-out Movement’, "No Air-con Day” etc. They fail to identify the need for relevant structural change which could only be realized by the government. Governments cooperatively conspire in response to these atomized and fragmented movements.

She suggested that the green movement make reference to the successful anti-slavery movement in the U.S., the suffragette movement, or the anti-apartheid movement which strived hard in the pursuit of legislative goals. "A fair legislative framework is required to share the burden of adjusting to climate change (and other environmental problems) equitably between rich and poor," Pettifor concluded.

To succeed in saving the planet, she urged the environmental activists working on the same issues to unite at both national and international levels. Their unity must be backed by a radical goal which demands structural change, regulation and enforcement as the solutions. Moreover, they need to exercise leadership by mobilizing society in a substantial way behind their goals so as to intensify pressure on politicians and governments.

"It ain't easy, but it has been done before; witness the Jubilee 2000 global campaign," Pettifor said.

http://uk.oneworld.net/guides/environmentalactivism

For related stories on iCUBED.us:
http://www.icubed.us/node/1064 ON NEWS & WHAT GETS REPORTED
http://www.icubed.us/node/892 CITIES DIM LIGHTS FOR THE
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