Today is the Blog Action Day and this annual event aims to unite the world's bloggers where they write about a single topic in a single day to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion on the subject. Some of the members of Rising Voices projects are also participating in this event and we bring to you a brief round-up.
One of the main focus of the Rising Voices grantee FOKO is make the citizens of Madagascar a crucial factor in their unique and threatened environment. Tahina from FOKO Blog Club in Antananarivo, Madagascar writes:
Today is the Blog Action Day about Climate Change, thousands of blogs are uniting to raise more awareness and put pressure on each individual and world leaders to take quick and apropriate actions. The fight is worthwhile since the future of our kids is at stake. I’m pretty skeptical on the direct impact of this online activism here in Madagascar but since blogging has once helped Baby Kambana, why wouldn’t it do the same for all of us. We want to tell the World as well that we do care.
He points out to the action required:
How many of the Malagasy homes are using coal and woods to cook? 80-90%? We just can’t afford other source of energy in the long term. And this is where higher responsibles should take actions.
Lyva, another member of FOKO writes [fr] from Antsirabe :
We believe that everyone should be concerned by this problem because no one ever knows what season we see. For example, is this spring or summer? The temperature varies a lot because there is no winter. It drops to 3°C while in spring and in summer it rises to 35°C or more. (machine translation)
Ariniaina tells what prevents people from taking action against environmental damage:
I think that the main problem here in Madagascar is that people are so busy to search for what they are going to eat today. We then become selfish and just think of ourselves. We forget our neighbours and our future generation.
I hope that the Bloggers’Action of today will wake up millions… billions of people… governments… poor countries… rich countries… and then, we will altogether rescue the Earth. What I can and already do now is planting my own trees.
Théophile Kouamouo from Abidjan Blog Camps project in Ivory Coast writes about a a private conversation between him and a 70 years old Ivorian politician:
Originally from northern Ivory Coast, he told me about his childhood and told me that in front of his eyes, two rivers have dried up in his village. He saw that as the deep wells have increased the likelihood of finding water by digging decreased. What is responsible for what farmers see as a disaster or a curse? The desert encroachment, climate change, but also agro-industrial policies requiring irrigation works, all are quite dangerous in the long term.
The politician spoke with conviction, even with fear for the future, because he had seen with his eyes the danger. (machine translation from French)
“Africa is one of the places of the world most threatened by climate change,” warns Théophile.
Cartunelo from Abidjan Blog Camps writes [fr]:
As a web developer there are simple actions we can take to save our planet and make us web developers eco-compatible in Abidjan:
1. Turn off the computer: Use the lowest possible standby and hibernation.
2. Turn off your external hard drives at night
3. Use Eco-friendly Bulbs
[..]
The issue climate change is addressed specifically by another Rising Voices project. Nomad Green trains Mongolian citizens how to spread awareness – both at home and abroad – about their country's environmental crisis. Read their blog to learn more about their activism to stop degradation of Mongolia's environment.
9 comments
thank you Rezwan. Rising Voices is such a great community. when i feel sad or alone , I just have to open these pages and travel . The discoveries I make amaze me everytime, there is more human experience in any of these blogs than in any social network I go online.
I encourage everyone of us to reat RV blogs and post comments on them because it is the only simpliest way to motivate those amazing activists!
When I go for my daily hike .. I see it. There is a change. The little trickle of a stream that is normally bone dry this time of year is full. With winter approaching, according to our calendar .. and ‘they’ say there is more snow And rain coming this year.. and I reminisce the flooding that was like a river that crossed the trail. It was unbelievable. What will the spring of 2010 bring?
The berries have been all mixed up around here this year too and the fishermen say the high tide mark has risen ..
… and I see the trash, the plastics and the batteries and old lighters in the woods, along the trails, along the highway ..
…and I smell the pesticides and the emissions from old gas guzzler cars ..
…and I remember .. ‘Oh yeah .. it’s for the money .. and = “people have to eat you know!”
climate change … eyes wide closed.
True words, some truthful words dude. Thx for making my day.
I think that you are doing very good job! All the best;)