Addressing Environmental Issues: AMAGEP celebrates Mandela Day 2023

Par Anuchka S. Greens
Every July 18, South Africa and the world celebrate Nelson Mandela activism Days. The day was first celebrated on July 18, 2010, the 92nd birthday of Mandela, to honor the achievements of the anti-apartheid leader. To mark the first celebration of Mandela Day, fundraising programs, art exhibitions and music concerts were organized. The theme for this year is “The Legacy Lives on Through You: Climate, Food, and Solidarity.” The theme for 2023 emphasizes the relevance of Mandela’s legacy in addressing contemporary issues. Climate change is one of the major challenges of our time. From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. AMAGEP organized a workshop at Bedforview, Eastrand with environmental activists, members of African diaspora in Johannesburg and many more guests.
According to a US report, the sea level will increase by 2050. Due to which many cities and islands situated on the shores of the sea will get absorbed in the water. By 2050, 50% of jobs will also be lost because robots will be doing most of the work at that time. Let us tell you that 2050 will be a challenge to death. Without a serious focus on green growth, falling water tables, rising food/water/energy prices, population growth, resource depletion, climate change, terrorism, and changing disease patterns, catastrophic results around the world are likely and will force migrations over the next few decades to make much of the world in a state of disaster. AMAGEP educates mass for a steady development. The organization believes that South Africa should address in a systemic way its complex challenges: poor governance, corruption, high birth rates, gender inequality, income and location biases, weak energy infrastructure, high and indirect costs. Africa as a continent must address armed conflicts, environmental degradation and climate change, poor health conditions and injustice.
The conference also aimed to make people acknowledge that ecosystems support key services from providing food and clean water to regulating disease vectors and sequestering pollutants that keep disease at bay. The environment also provides a vital source of medicine, an estimated quarter of all modern medicines are derived from natural products. Panelists asserted that South Africa’s ‘green’ transition represents a once-in-a-century opportunity to rewire its economy; by shifting from a fossil-fuel based extractive economy based on Victoria-era approaches to labor and commodities, to a renewable energy-based economy with local industrial value chains. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is in line with the government’s goal to transition South Africa toward a low-carbon, resilient economy and society by 2050, as outlined in the Just Transition Framework for South Africa, championed by the Presidential Climate Change Commission (PCC) and endorsed by the cabinet.
There are three main environmental issues in South Africa – pollution, lack of energy, and deforestation (“Environmental Problems in South Africa”). The first issue is pollution – as it is a source of many of the environmental issues present such as climate change, and air pollution. Africa faces serious environmental challenges, including land degradation, deforestation, biodiversity loss and extreme vulnerability to climate change. This is bringing poverty on top of hard life people are living in South Africa and Africa in general.
For Mandela, “like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human being”. After retiring as president, Mandela worked to educate people about the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa. He also helped broker peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi. Decades before the end of Apartheid, Mandela also served as an inspiration for civil rights movements around the world, including in the US. His image is the best vector of activism in every domain that concerns people’s wellbeing and world’s goodness. AMEGEP will continue other activities for the rest of year. One is planned in Cape Town in September 2023.