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Daphne De Souza is from India and works as an event planner. But this is just the tip of the iceberg, as Daphne is a nature lover, and the fruit of this is her recent commitment together with Youth for a United World India to environmental protection.
Why she donates her time to this cause: “It’s God’s creation, which silently helps you to live, to smile, gives you peace, helps you to wonder how life is going… Also, if we don’t have forests or rivers we won’t be able to survive. So in this sense my love for the environment is very “selfish”. I want to live a long time, eat the things I like, enjoy the sun rising and setting every day with the people I love. Why not?”
By Daphne De Souza – India
Hi, my name is Daphne De Souza.
Namaste and Greetings from the Indian State of Goa!
Besides a virus and other things, this pandemic has brought a lot of political unrest between the Government and its people all over the world. But it has not stopped the people from standing up for the injustice.
One such incident is the My Mollem Campaign. Mollem is a small village in Goa. It is the entry point for a Sanctuary & the Mollem National Park, which are protected forests in India.
The forests are one of the 8 biodiversity hotspots in the World, containing a plethora of flora and fauna, including endangered species. These forests are our lungs and our main source from where we get our water.
Earlier this year, in the month of May, the Central Government cleared 3 infrastructural projects with haphazardly and irresponsibly conducted Impact Assessments over a virtual medium. This was highly criticized by the citizens. Their Goal is to create a Corridor for the Transportation of Coal.
Around 56,000 + trees are scheduled to be cut for these projects if not stopped, apart from the destruction of the environment and livelihoods of the tribals living there. Another major concern is the railway line and the villages it will be passing, as it will affect the life and health of the villagers from the transportation of coal.
When we heard about this project, there was very little information on them as the Government tried to conceal the details. As it is the year for “Dare to Care”, we tried contacting those who knew about the project to see what we could do to protect the environment, the very reason for our existence. We researched and shared the campaign on social media as much as we could, not letting the pandemic stop us from raising our voices for something we care and treasure. A number of People including us, Youth for a United World, Goa wrote letters to the ministers at important positions, appealing to them to stop these projects and to not be manipulated by the Central Government and to save Our Land, Our Future. The earth is already dying and we, along with it. We don’t need another reason to speed up that process.
In November there was a midnight protest held where 5000 people participated from young to old.
The following day police cases were filed against some of the protestors. When the citizens asked for a peaceful discussion on the matter, the politicians either ignored the questions or diverted from the subject. This led to further agitation and tweets by the people. Even the Government is trying to avoid protestors gathering to hinder these projects. This fight is a long one, but we’ll never give up or forget.
Lastly, we need Politicians to listen to us and have open discussions on important aspects of human life and environment. And most importantly, we need Politicians who are not superficial but truly care about protecting the environment and the interests of its people.
Recently a [young boy], when questioned, “why bother protesting”, he replied,
“Every Individual protesting makes a difference. If Greta Thunberg who is not yet an adult can make a global impact then each of us together can make a bigger impact.”
