EDITORIAL
Environmentalism
One can see that dozens of environmental struggles are happening on the streets. Sometime thousands of activists join them. Perhaps one will think this could be the best time of the environmental movement in Sri Lanka. Unfortunately not. The truth is many others are fighting invisible local environmental struggles. They lack strength, popular support and most ends with no victory.
Some blame that the environmental movement has been hijacked by the racist movement. I believe it is not true. When there is a mass movement its obvious various fractions come together with different interests. It’s not easy to build a clean movement when there are thousand of people coming together with diverse opinions. If you are successful you will definitely win the struggle.
Environmentalism is an evolving concept. It is hard to give a definition for an environmentalist. Same time some one who devote his or her time for protection of environmental rights of own species, fights for the rights to life of other species and habitats and broadly the health of the planet are considered as environmentalists.
Such environmentalist cannot be a racist. But we know in the real world some fighting for water, land rights are sometime deny access to water and land for some other communities. It’s too complex to understand who is right.
Recently, a major conservation organisation has been accused for paying the forest guards who engage in torturing local people to stop entering the forests in Nepal. It is certainly against environmental justice concept.
Local people are the owners of the natural resource located in their surroundings. They have right to land, right to natural resources and to decide how they can consume. There is very delicate balance between the conservation and the rights of the local communities. It is best if the local people become the conservationists.
To do this everyone need to understand the importance of nature and other life forms equal to our own. This does not happen when others consume more and more resources by force.
In todays world, governments, corporation and powerful engage in looting such community resources and leave pollution for the local people. This is the result of capitalism. There is no environmentalism without understanding how the neoliberal model works and fighting against it.
Therefore ones environmentalism should focus more and more on justice, equity and democracy. Unwise environmentalism might bring more harm rather than protection.
Editorial team
To do this everyone need to understand the importance of nature and other life forms equal to our own. This does not happen when others consume more and more resources by force.
In todays world, governments, corporation and powerful engage in looting such community resources and leave pollution for the local people. This is the result of capitalism. There is no environmentalism without understanding how the neoliberal model works and fighting against it.
Therefore ones environmentalism should focus more and more on justice, equity and democracy. Unwise environmentalism might bring more harm rather than protection.
Editorial team
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