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A Partnership Forged for the Future

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In 2013, at the Major Group Partnership Conference on Forest held in Rio de Janeiro, a work partnership opportunity was established between the NGO Viola and Green Impact International from Nigeria. This partnership was made possible by the interest of the Executive Director of NGO Viola, Ludmila Zhirina who was interested in the similarity of the work engagements with young people that Green Impact International does in Nigeria. Through this development and over the years, both organizations have shared best practices regarding idea exchange, youth group engagement programs, eco-teaching material development, and joint reporting for publicity.  During our collaboration, NGO Viola shared the success of the SPARE program with Green Impact International, hoping it could inspire young people under the community outreach programs in Nigeria to learn best practices and ignite their interest in protecting the environment innovatively and passionately. It is delightful to note that we are sti
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The Year the World Stood Still

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An unusual year 2020, will ever remain a significant year in our contemporary history. A year that saw the whole world forced to an abrupt stop by the hand of a virus, and business-as-usual became almost totally impossible.   The busy streets do not have to wait till midnight to get empty in the last 3 months, even as all day long silence has become the new norm and staying indoors seems agreeable even to the most petulant person.   Rest time Looking at the situation from another perspective, while the human part of Earth’s ecosystem is held back on a compulsory break, the planet seems to be taking advantage of the situation to display its true nature in the face of mankind’s trying time.   There are many reports from all over the world showing the difference between a humanly controlled world and a-nature propelled world. The difference is well proven from facts and sights from everywhere in the world. A piece of possible non-negligible evidence could be seen
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The Future can be Greener

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A Parallel world Often, I wonder how different our world would have been if we had not discovered fossil energy or rather the use of it. Putting my assumption into a clearer perspective, I believe humanity would have found another means to powering up our planet and, perhaps the less talked about global problems might have been the more prominent. In a world of no fossil fuel, to a great deal of extent, the possibility of climate change happening might not be overruled, but the pace of the change would have been more proportional to the natural adaptive capability of not just humanity but the whole planet’s ecosystem.   The gains of not having to deal with the threats of the abrupt change in climatic conditions would probably have saved the world a lot in terms of financial commitment and time. These resources might have been channeled to solving other fundamental problems facing humanity. Perhaps, issues like poverty and global inequality would have worn a different outlook
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Chapter Next: Time to Adopt a Polar Bear

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History 101 Photo credit: Pixabay Education has remained an important tool all through the history of mankind. Apparently, posterity would have been nearly impossible without the ability to teach and transfer the knowledge accumulated over time from experience and happenings. Mankind has come a long way in the history of planet earth, many thanks to the knowledge passed down over many generations, we have learned to do more than our ancestors would have imagined. So, knowledge is indeed power. For thousands of years, we have survived several occurrences, we tamed the wildness of our planet, we navigated the world, and we even traveled beyond the skies. With every feat, we became more knowledgeable, wielding the power of science to manipulate the natural to conform to our desires. Then, we went to war against each other. Our knowledge became weapons and when it seemed we would rid the earth of our kind, we came back to our senses and we sheathed our swords, pledging
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The signs of the Future from Today

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  A lot has happened in the climate change scene in the last few months, but I haven’t really found enough motivation to update my writings for a while.  Why? As difficult as it is to give up on a good cause, at times it becomes necessary to take a back seat in order to reflect objectively and see through a different lens. Often, I ask myself if we will eventually get our acts together regarding climate change, eco-sustainability and the race to finding a balance between the needs of man and the rights of nature. Unfortunately, the unpromising atmosphere that abounds in the corridors of global power and influence usually results in a rather pessimistic conclusion after such deep reflections. I will try as much as possible to keep this simple - avoiding complex vocabulary so that my reflections can cut across.  Almost every news channel carried the alarming news of the recent findings and projections of the Intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC). We have a
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Ekuri Forest community of Cross Rivers State, Nigeria and the price of development

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" Edmund Burke This piece is not just about identifying with the plight of a particular set of people and not just to prove a case of injustice but to make us reason objectively together as humanity whose survival is uncertain without the norms that support life on this terrestrial sphere. About Ekuri People Picture Credit: Google sourced Images (labeled for re-use) For thousands of years, people have continuously lived in the lowland forest region of the Cross-River rainforest and are dependent on the forest for their sustenance and livelihood. The forest is often exploited for its abundant timber and non-timber resources. Right there in the forest are a number of forest-dependent communities among which is Ekuri Forest community. Ekuri forest area covers a total area of 33,600 ha and its location is near the Cross River National Park. The Ekuri ethnic group is known as the N
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The Price for Collective Development

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Quite a number of issues have been raised concerning human attitudes towards planet Earth, and the common notion is that we are literally running out of time with every second of neglect, indifference, and indulgence. However, it's as though the last couple of decades have served to raise awareness about the impending catastrophic events that might turn the tide of events against our collective survival as humans, and as part of earth’s collective ecosystem. The social media has remained ever agog and many of people, most especially youths, have taken on the cause passionately. The extent of their reach all over the world is proof that the future is theirs. Now, the world seems more alert to the many problems the planet is facing. Especially concerning factors that have to do with food availability, health, water etc. So, in a way, knowledge of the worst-case scenario has brought us to our senses and sparked global collective action. However, as good as it sounds that
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