The environment was the focus of the third event in the “Reflections on a Just Society” series organised by Jesuit Social Services to mark its 35th year. The speaker was Fr Pedro Walpole SJ, Research Director of the Institute of Environmental Science for Social Change, Philippines.
A hydrologist and one of the foremost practitioners in sustainable environment and community land management in Southeast Asia, Fr Walpole spoke on July 20 about his work in poverty reduction in forest lands, human security in protected areas, partnerships for local development, social concerns in forest law enforcement and governance, climate justice and indigenous peoples’ rights.
“Most of the mineral exploration in Asia, which is one of the main sources, is 70-80% on indigenous lands and it’s the biggest culturally diverse region in the world. Indigenous people are beginning to get land recognition but when you’re after the stuff that’s under the land it becomes a whole other policy world,” he said.
Fr Walpole also highlighted a growing problem for young people, pointing out how living in urban communities leads to a loss of connection to the land that sustains us.
“There is a traffic jam of problems and this is what is catching young people today. The opportunities are not there in so many respects across the world and the burdens are greater. We’re not learning adaptation, we’re not teaching adaptation. We’re still teaching a trajectory – we’re not teaching living.”
He said there is a need to encourage a positive response from young people to environmental issues.
“The Rio+20 Conference was opened by a young woman – the youth addressing the government assembly and very humbly but very truthfully saying ‘your decisions are what we have to work with’. That transition is already occurring … the young people have to come into a response to the environment.”
Fr Walpole stressed that our actions should begin with gratitude to God for the gift of our world.
“There is a great need to be able to begin with gratitude. If we’re already starting [the day] with a brief in our hand and a whole range of meetings and activities to do during the day it gets exhaustive. And if somehow there is not an energy that we can draw on, that we can be cared by, that we can be healed by – we are not going to be able to sustain it.”
Sources: Jesuit Social Services and Province Express