Human Nature: A festival at Graz, Austria by
Oladosu Adenike (Email)
Since the advent of man, He has symbiotically lived
with his environment. Man can’t live without the environment nor can the
environment can live without man. Hence the “nature” of man is his environment,
of which climate change is a principal contributor nature has linked man to his
climate dependent environment, that is, we exhale carbondioxide and plant uses
it for energy production. Also, man’s activities are based on its interaction
with its environment; as it serves him with all the socio-economic aspect of
life. In him book, “Forest Removal: The nature history of an ancient forest”
Chris Masers said “What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a
mirror of reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another“. The
Elevate festival in its 16th anniversary is extraordinary in varied
aspects as it annually presents a unique combination of critical political discourse,
technology, art and contemporary music. No wonder it impacts is felt positively
in Graz city and it environment. I encourage other festival over the world to
follow the examples of the innovative skills of Daniel Erracher and his terms.
This festival resonates with it environment as Graz is universally known for
its lively creative scene and internationally renowned education and research
institutions. No. wonder, Graz’s designation as UNESCO city of design.
My Climate story
After
completion of high school, I applied to study Agricultural economics at a
federal institution in Markudi, the capital of Benue state (one of North
central states) In Nigeria Benue State is known as the “Food Basket” of the
Nature as it prides itself with highest number of farmers and amiable lands. In
my field work (extension services), I often visit farmlands and saw the
negative impact of climate crises. Then come the farmers-herdsmen crises! The
herdsmen migrated southwards towards the central states for the Northern
Nigeria due to the climate crises and desertification. This has led to
competition for lands and arable land between the both. The crises have led to
the tens of thousands of death since its peak in 2016.
Personally I spent extra one year due
to the conflict affecting my education and socio-economics life then reading
the negative impact of climate change as released by the “Special report on
global warming of 1.5oc by IPCC”, I suddenly determined to fight
climate crises by rising the impact of climate change on peace and political
stability in sub-Saharan African. Then I joined Fridaysforfuture as the first
African & Climate Striker on 2018.
My works as ecofominist.
I
first became on ecofeminist when in April 14, 2014 Boko Haram (a terror group)
kidnap 314 school girls indefinitely this brought about the international
outcry leading to the creation of #bringbackourgirls. Climate change is a breeder
of conflicts inducing young and illiterate groups to take up arms against their
state. Since the lunch of international campaign against Boko Haram, and my
studies in Agriculture, I have been studying the impact of climate change,
conflicts on women and girls rights. Women’s right are the most affected in
environmental crises arising for negative impact of climate change. Women are
closer to the nature and a crisis in the environment makes her less protective.
Climate crises is affecting every parts of the world but only in Africa is
climate change leading to armed conflict and armed conflict leading to climate
change especially in sub-Saharan African.
In Nigeria particularly, the Niger
Delta crises, farmers-herdsmen crises, the rise of armed banditry, Boko Haram crises
are all due to climate crises which of hundred of thousands of lives have been
killed. In the lake chad region. The climate crises has been rated as the
largest humanitarian crises the world is facing displacing 7.2 millions people
of which women and children are mostly affected. I commend the efforts of
African union and it leaders for organizing “Silencing the guns as the theme of
its 2020 conference” as what is possible through climate action. Not all
conflicts are caused by climate crises but conflict ravaging the African
continents especially sub-Saharan continents is due to interestedness of
resource control-climate crises. Climate change crises leading the “Darwinian”
struggle for survival or fight for resources leading to survival of the
fittest.
Why we need green democracy
With
the effect of climate crises unaddressed and leading to conflicts and poverty,
we need a democracy that is only for the people, since people does not
constitute, nature only. Nature is constituted by human beings and the
environment. Democracy is becoming a failure overtime because it is depend on
the people only. It most includes environment. Hence the environment is
important economically, biologically, culturally and socially.
Hence
a democracy neglecting environment will be in vain. Furthermore the impact of
climate change on the destruction of mankind is known by world leaders like
Bill Clinton when he said “First, I worry about climate change, it is the only
thing I believe has the power to fundamentally end the March of civilization and
make a lot of the other efforts irreverent and impossible” Hence, green
democracy is the “saving grace” to a troubled world full of violence. As it is
an ecofeministic solution to crises of our world, being the government of the
people and environment by the people and environment and for the people and
environment.
Oladosu
Adenike is a peace activist & ecofeminist
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