Democracy as a concept is
self-liberating for generation of humanity. It has given humans distinguished
personal freedom enshrined in its magna carta--freedom of religion and
political rights established in her rights to vote and be voted for. Democracy in
its best form gives all human to human freedom: religion, political, economic
and social rights. Over the years, democracy has been used to fight against
religious extremism, racism, communism and other violations of human rights.
This is because it all involves human beings. The modern concept of democracy
has always involves ‘humans’ or simply ‘the people’. Hence, we need a modern concept of democracy
that can fight environmental crises called the green democracy. For some time
now I have been advocating for a green democracy because it is a necessary
requirement for a green recovery in order to sustain the success recorded.
In Africa where I am from, especially
West Africa, Climate change is leading to conflicts and can lead to war. We
have seen various environmental crises in Africa ranging from the Niger-Delta
pollution, farmer-herdsmen crises, armed banditry and the rise of Boko Haram in
the Lake Chad basin. It is also known that environmental crises such as drought
have brought pressure on the urban areas due to climate change driven crises in
the Syria and Yemen rural areas thereby increasing inequality. Subsequently,
River Nile, the slowest and first source of water on earth is faced with huge
demands from three countries in order to meet the raising population that lacks
basic utilities for survival. Climate crisis still lives with us and it is
either we are adapting to it or mitigating the effects but it is preferable to
choose the later.
In
this century, we are still in a changing world that is prune to pandemic,
cyclones, environmental disaster and other forms of uncertainties, all induced
by climate change. For so long, man has been at war with nature which has a
negative effects on our green spaces of which the feedback mechanism is food
insecurity, climate migrants and other insecurity crises. Insecurity of any
kind limits the rights of people towards a democratic lifestyle. Today we are
seeing tens of thousands of young people moving on the street to demand for
environment justice, fighting for a liveable planet. This is literally not how
it should be. It should not be young people fighting for their future in order
to inherit a safe planet rather it should be leader ambitiously fighting for
the future of younger generations. At this point, it is necessary that we ask
questions on why do we have to bailout polluters that are making millions of
people becoming poor and more vulnerable to internal and external threats or
why do we have to carbon tax to bailout polluters? This form of climate action
gives polluters liberty towards ownership of the environment.
Regardless, a green democracy calls
out for a system change that will strike equality between the people and the
environment. Environment sustains the rights of the people as the people rights
are protected through governance. The concept of green democracy is all
compassing which include the people and environment. In our contemporary world,
democracy cannot be viewed in one direction else it will be viewed by many
that, “tackling climate change requires the suspension of democracy itself.”
The truth remain that tackling societal issues need a democracy and that is why
I agree with the fact that, “to tackle the climate crisis, we need more, and
better democracy not less.” It has to do with political will and the people’s
will in order to gain support for far-reaching climate action. We have many
timeline to meet up with in deciding the future of humanity on earth.
Invariably, we need a mechanism that will make a green democracy work; a
government of the people and the environment, by the people and the environment
and for the people and the environment. If it takes climate change to adversely
affect people thereby consuming the world’s vegetation and rendering wildlife
homeless in the Amazon, then it will take a green democracy to provide a
lasting solution. A democracy that does not include the voice of the
environment will fail because we need the environment for coexistence. Our
environment is part of us and we are part of the environment.
Oladosu Adenike is an ecofeminst and
climate justice activist; pioneering the green democracy movement and a
freelance journalist. Oladosuadenike32@gmail.comLVING CLIMATE CHANGE NEEDS A GREEN DEMOCRACY
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