In every passing day of our
lives, we reach a point in which there is no return. We can make good
decisions, and even bad ones. Damages made to the environment can never be
taken back whether we like it or not and whether we were aware of it or not.
Every damage that we cause to our environment is being stacked up on an invisible
container and when the time comes that it gets filled up, it will pour back on
us and slowly take its toll upon us. So, it is our responsibility to care for
our environment because this planet that we live in is the only one that we
have, this is where we keep all our stuff, so we should watch over it and
protect it at all costs. Among the long term effects of the damage we have done
is the change of climate due to the excess greenhouse gases accumulated in the
atmosphere or simply the phenomenon that we call global warming. Though it is
difficult to attribute the calamities to the phenomenon but somehow it has its
effects.
In an effort to keep
our environment protected and preserved, some organizations have been made to
be able to increase awareness of our environment, one of them is Green Peace
International. Green Peace is an International Organization whose aim is the
preservation and the protection of the environment. As stated in their website,
this organization started some 40 years ago when a ship full of volunteers and
journalist sailed into Amchitka, somewhere north of Alaska where the US
government was conducting underground nuclear tests. This prompted them to
start a campaign against destructive materials that would cause the devastation
of nature. As an international organization, it does not promise an absolute
solution to all our environmental problems but it acts more on awareness and
campaigning in order to attain attitude and behavioral changes from the people
themselves. Aside from the awareness campaign, the organization itself also
goes to the area where destruction of the environment is happening and it
exposes the damage to the public, this promotes a much more open debate among
those that will see it. As stated in their website, bearing witness is a part
of their core values, they go to the scene of destruction not only to show the
world what's going on but also to let the perpetrators know of their
opposition. They also stay in the vicinity in a peaceful and a non-violent way.
Right now, at the turn of the 21st century, the
Philippines had experienced multiple calamities that has cost the lives of a
lot of filipinos. Among these calamities, there is one that is really very
inconvenient and when taken for granted, could be devastating; flash-floods.
Flash floods and all other forms of floods have cost the Filipinos millions for
damages every time there is a storm. This is a natural occurrence that can also
be prevented and resolved by nature itself, but because of our abuse and the
people's lack of care for our environment, the
natural mechanisms of nature to prevent floods have been reduced because trees
are no longer there to absorb the water to their roots when the level of water
rises. So, it is like a boomerang wherein
every time we do something bad to the environment, after a certain period of
time, those things will come back at us like a boomerang and with speed much
faster than when it was first launched. Our
drainage system is also clogged up with garbage like plastics, rubber, and all other kinds of garbage that are thrown by
the people. It is just also very ironic
though that the people who lives near rivers and creeks
are also the very ones who throw the garbage improperly despite government warnings and information campaign about the
consequences of throwing garbage in our rivers. A possible explanation for
this phenomenon is the lack of awareness of the people about environment care.
This issue is not only present in the Philippines but also in other countries
all over the world whether it is a developing country or a developed
country, but except of course in those countries that has a different context. In the last quarter of 2011 and in 2012,
the Philippines had experienced a couple of storms which led to the flooding of
certain areas and resulted to the death of hundreds of people. It is acknowledged that storms are inevitable
forces brought upon by nature, however, there is something that
we can do about it.
Greenpeace
international is campaigning for almost all concerns related to the
environment. One of their job is to preserve and restore the forests. What the
organization does is conduct tree planting activities in such a way that could
help restore the bald forests in the future. As was always taught in
environmental science, the forests plays a great role in avoiding floods
because they absorb and hold the water that
is brought upon by rain. The more trees planted, the less flood water will go
down to the cities. One example is the case of SM in Baguio, where in a plan of
expanding and creating a parking area, trees needed to be cut. Well, it has
caught everyone's attention and the company had to improvise the project in
such a way that the trees will be preserved. Green Peace played a big role in
that instance, and it was done through massive campaigning via blogs posted on
their website and by having protests in Baguio City. Even if Green Peace is a
non-governmental organization, it does its job by exposing the deeds to the
public and letting the public become aware of what is going on. This in turn, prompts the public to do
action and gain the support of the other people in the community so that they
can together protect the environment.
Just like other International Non-governmental organizations, it makes
use of the principle of self-authorization to gain the people's trust since
they do not have as much power as the government does.
Volunteering for Green
Peace is open to all aspirants, depending on the availability of positions, they
offer volunteering opportunities ranging from clerical work down to going into
the field and spread awareness. The qualifications of a Green Peace volunteer
is that they should support and commit to uphold the Green Peace core values of
nonviolence and independence and believe in its mission and must be able to
commit to at least one of the worm areas for volunteers and agrees to be
recognized as such. There are a number
of types of volunteers, one is to be an activist. According to their website,
activists are the ones who take direct action in support of Green Peace's
campaigns. These are the people who go out on the streets, go on the Green
Peace boats, go climbing, trekking. They do everything that is humanly possible in a non-violent way
just to spread the cause, and help mother nature. They go out and look for
people who abuse nature, they expose the
damage being made and calls upon the authorities to do something to protect our
environment. Next are interns, they are the ones who render unpaid office-based
work to complement the campaign staff. Among the engagements possible is to
work as research assistants on specific campaign issues, media work and public
outreach. This opportunity is what is more ideal for student interns because
this gives tasks that is relevant to the academic side of being an
International Relations student. Research task, and public campaign is a good
venue for individuals to be able to grow and develop not only their skills in
research and public organization and speaking but also deepen their advocacy
and love for nature. This is the opportunity for volunteering that is more
suitable for student volunteers. Another is to be a cyber activist, cyber activists participate in web-based
campaign and do whatever possible to help the cyber public be aware about our
environment. This is the easiest way to campaign and one of the efficient ways
to do so, especially if you are targeting the youth. Almost all the youth
nowadays have access to the internet, and all other forms of new media. This
enables them to check on news and updates regularly without the bulk of paper.
This paperless campaign also helps preserves trees, because the less papers are
to be produced, the less trees are gonna be cut because paper is mainly
composed of wood material.
Given these
opportunities for volunteering, the application is easy. One just needs to fill
out an application form with a picture and a photocopy of a valid id and send
it to their applications team. This will then be added to their databases and
will be processed. So, for undergraduate students, it is
highly possible to volunteer for the Greenpeace International so long as they
share the same advocacy and if they actually meet the certain qualifications.
This internship or volunteering opportunity is a very good one because this
gives the youth, specially the students a venue for them to take part of saving
mother earth. In the small things that people do, lives are being saved, lives
of the present generation and of the future generations to come.
Sources:
SAFnet Dictionary|Definition For
[deforestation]. Dictionary of forestry.org (2008-07-29). Retrieved on
2013-3-15
Green Peace International - South East Asia Website. (http://m.greenpeace.org/international/en/high/Get-Involved/)
Court saves trees from SM Baguio expansion, for now
April 10, 2012 4:55pm, retrieved on 2-23-2013, http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/254454/news/regions/court-saves-trees-from-sm-baguio-expansion-for-now
Background – January 8, 2009 (2009-01-08). "Greenpeace
International FAQ: Questions about Greenpeace in general". Greenpeace.org.
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/about/faq/questions-about-greenpeace-in.
Retrieved 2013-2-23.
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