The answer to climate change must start with the internal healing of humanity…

By Amanda Appasamy, 1st year MDP student

One of the highlights of my placement at the International Institute for Sustainable Development was having the honour to attend and volunteer as a note taker at the Onjisay Aki “A Changing Earth” Summit -an International climate change summit at Turtle Lodge in Sagkeeng First Nation, Manitoba.

Ceremony representing the Eagle and Condor prophecy

The summit gathered Indigenous Knowledge keepers and environmental leaders from the International community to share Indigenous ancestral and scientific knowledge; whereby an international call to action was created to address the climate change crisis and to initiate a path of healing for all peoples, animals and the earth. 

This spiritual gathering of Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge keepers represents the fulfillment of the Eagle and the Condor Prophecy; the Eagle representing the people of the North and the Condor, the people of the South coming together in unity and collaboration to renew relationships with the earth.

The spiritual and ceremonial aspects of this conference have definitely transformed and changed my perspective on the solutions to climate change. I have associated the cause of climate change crisis and environmental destruction to greed, corruption and power. However, what was said at this conference is that the very decision makers that are responsible for climate change, are our relatives.

Hence, the answer lies in healing humanity first. As expressed by Paul K. Chappell, the Peace Leadership Director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation during the summit, “No other species on the planet suffer from the range of mental health issues that humans have”, “In order to heal the earth, we need to feed the world’s spiritual needs.”

Humanity is indeed hurting and suffering. The answer to climate change lies within our inner selves. We can achieve this by building united communities and alliances with Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples whilst respecting Indigenous ancestral knowledge. This powerful and unique spiritual experience has definitely ignited my hopes and inspired me to continue with the fight for an inclusive and just society.   

Peruvian knowledge keepers assisting the Thunderbird nest building ceremony representing the re-establishment of the human alliance with nature

Voices From The Prairies - Part Two

By Ginikachi Obah, 1st year MDP student

As my field placement at Blue Quills First Nations College draws to an end, I would love to say that it has been an amazing learning experience that has inspired and added a lot to my thought process. I would love to share this poem that centres on issues such as climate change, environmental sustainability and Indigenous knowledge.

Environmental Stewards

The sea rises as my mind is flooded with thought

The polar ice dissolves in human desires

The atmosphere is caught on the verge by human technology

The earth is entangled in the threshold of environmental degradation

 Development and prosperity leaves me at the mercy of climate change

I feel swept away by the tide of human development as tar sands and mercury cast shadows in my palace

I am gradually withering away in the oven of green house emission

I am ripped apart and I need compassion

I miss the nation of the buffalo because they built their consciousness round my interest

I am a seeker of life and spirituality but now must battle for survival in the hands of globalisation

I settle like dust in the mouths of human activists but my muscles are weak to human separatists

Hunters resort to mental gymnastics as they sing the hymns of ecological variation

The next generation is denied access to culture as the weather changes like clothes and keeps us on the edge

 The world needs an ethic of continued sustainability but the minds of men focus on continuous wealth

The willingness of humanity to tend to the earth is laid bare by the strings of environmental conquest

I run to the comforting arms of environmental stewards who nourishes my body and soul with ceremonies

Contemporary thoughts have not been able to put asunder where disembodied minds have continued to plunder

 

Kachi with members of the Indigenous Knowledge Senate

 

 

Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change in Kenya

By Stella N. Rakwach, MDP 2nd Year Student 

For the second half of my field placement, I have worked mostly on the CRM (Changieni Rasili Mali) Project. CRM Project aims at promoting climate change adaptation for natural resource dependent communities in Narok County. CRM is a joint project being implemented by Indigenous Information Network (IIN), our host organization, and Kenya Forest Working Group (KFWG) courtesy of funding from Act!. CRM aims to improve the participation by communities in the governance and sustainable utilization of natural resources in Kenya.

Stella at climate change meeting at UNEA

The Indigenous peoples in Kenya, who mostly live in arid and marginalized communities in Kenya, have suffered more from the effects of climate change. Hence their sources of livelihoods have been hugely affected in relation to food security and agriculture, livestock and pastoralism, water resources, forestry and energy. Through the CRM project we jointly developed three main interventions /adaptation mechanisms:

•          Policy development within the counties; 

•          Capacity building & strengthening of local natural resources community institutions; and

•          Knowledge management i.e. sharing of climate change related knowledge on policy, best practices and technologies. 

Out of the numerous activities involved in a project of this magnitude, I have been involved in quite a number including: 

a) Establishing a community resource center to collect, store and disseminate on continuous basis reliable climate change information; 

b) Preparing a checklist and questionnaire for undertaking a baseline survey for benchmarking key elements of climate change adaptation. Aimed at identifying challenges, vulnerable areas, current coping mechanisms, existing policies, climate change awareness and livelihoods support system;

c) Design of climate change awareness materials such as: t-shirts, brochures, lessons (traditional wrap fabric worn by women) and posters;

 

d) Research on existing climate change policies, legislation and strategies in Kenya plus on-going climate change adaptation mechanisms in the areas of agriculture, energy, livestock, water resources and forestry; and

e) Developing a work plan for the second phase of the project and reviewing budgetary allocations towards implementation activities. 

 

Ewaso Nyiro River (in Narok County) drying up

Last but not least, I also took part in a civil society organizations (CSOs) stakeholder round table discussion of the Climate Change Bill & Policy courtesy of Transparency International. The discussion culminated into proposed amendments and recommendations that would be forwarded by the CSOs representative to the Kenyan Parliament for consideration when the Climate Change Bill, 2014 is brought to the floor of the house at the second stage. 

All in all, I have had a great time in Kenya and I am grateful to the MDP fraternity together with IIN, my hosts, for making this field placement a success.

Indigenous Development in Kenya

By Stella Rakwach, MDP 2nd Year Student

Stella (L) & Doreen (R) at IIN office

My field placement is in Nairobi, Kenya with frequent visits to indigenous communities in various parts of the country. I am glad my MDP journey is nearing the end with my final practicum halfway done. I have been working together with Margaret (MDP student) at the Indigenous Information Network (IIN), which is an NGO founded in 1996 that is managed by a few professionals with the help of several volunteers/ interns. IIN works with Indigenous People (nomadic pastoralists and hunters and gatherers) in Kenya to provide them with information through the media and Nomadic News Magazine which is published annually. IIN provides information about Indigenous Peoples, their livelihoods, opportunities and challenges they face in relation to development. 

I am enjoying my time here very much, not only am I home, but I have also had the chance to meet family and several friends. There are many activities going on at IIN and everyone has been eager to involve me in various programs and field visits. At the moment IIN has several projects ranging from climate change adaptation, education of girls, human rights, advocacy to environmental issues.

 

On the way to Narok county

We visited Narok County, home to the Maasai courtesy of IIN’s climate change adaptation project dubbed “Changieni Rasili Mali (CRM)” to attend the project launch. CRM will address illegal logging, charcoal burning and afforestation of Indigenous forests in the Narok region. The CRM launch was part of the World Environment Day (5th June) celebrations whose theme was “raise your voices not the sea level.”   

Girls performing a traditional Maasai dance

The highlight of this trip was getting the opportunity to immerse into the rich culture of the Masaai through art (beautiful handmade beadwork, paintings and colorful fabric) which are sold in various small galleries all over Narok town. It was also interesting to hear the Maasai native language (Maa) spoken and listen to their beautiful songs and dances which was entertaining. Also as part of the climate change programs we attended the annual PACJA (Pan Africa Climate Change Justice Alliance) awards which are held annually to honor journalists all over Africa who excel in reporting on climate change and environmental issues. As part of the awards ceremony several interesting stories were highlighted to show the diverse ways in which African communities were adapting to climate change.

Stella at the launch of the Global Oceans Commissions Report at UNEA

Finally, I also got a chance courtesy of IIN’s Director to attend the first session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) of the United Nations Environment Programme which was held at the UNEP headquarters in Nairobi. The meeting was attended by several participants, including Environment Ministers, Government delegates and representatives of major groups and stakeholders.  The theme of the first session was “Sustainable Development Goals and the Post-2015 Development Agenda, including sustainable consumption and production”. The outcome of this discussion and other ongoing discussions will be useful in the formulation of targets and indicators which would succeed the Millennium Development Goals. Also key on the agenda was the discussion on the issue of illegal trade in wildlife, which has had adverse impacts on biodiversity globally.