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#Decarbonize #Decolonize Process: What We Now Know
To ‘decolonize’ is to remove all forms and/or influences of colonization which includes the non-appreciation of heritage and culture during the pre-colonial years. But it also means the removal of the basic power dynamic exercised by the colonizer on the colonized. An example of this would be between the government and the indigenous peoples, where the government are the ones with power and the indigenous peoples are those without. In the Philippines, that translates to a national and local government that gives only token representation to indigenous peoples, and not giving them the same rights, benefits and opportunities accorded to the majority. This is exacerbated by decades-long insurgency in the South, with lumads and other indigenous tribes bearing the brunt of warfare, lack of basic services, displacement from ancestral lands.
To ‘Decarbonize’ is mostly self-explanatory, for us it simply means to remove and/or lessen our carbon footprint, one of the main causes of climate change. For us, it’s a conscious shift from a wasteful way of living to a more thoughtful, deliberate way to live, where we only take, buy or use what we need, and reuse, recycle and repurpose whenever necessary. On a more national level, it means deliberate efforts from public and private sectors to preserve our forests, our seas, our skies and valiantly protect them from greedy and indifferent industries that seek to destroy them while profiting off of them. It means putting more teeth to existing laws, and empowering communities to protect these natural resources to sustain life.
These two words overlap when it comes to who produces climate change-causing gases and are mainly harming the environment and those who are affected by it, those who produce greenhouse gases - in one way or another including deforestation - are mostly the ones in power and have wealth, while those being affected by climate change are the ones without power.
The ‘Decarbonize’ part is obvious, but the ‘Decolonize’ concept needs a bit of explanation. The common image of colonization would mostly be attributed to the past; British redcoat soldiers with muskets enforcing British laws on islanders through force; Spanish friars evangelizing the natives, but with more than God’s love in their minds as they put their imprint on Philippine consciousness. But in the modern era, colonization would be powerplay, mainly who has the power over those who have none. More often than not, it is money that drives this power, so those who have it, win; those who don’t, lose.
A modern day example of colonization would be the government and the indigenous peoples, the government has the power and resources to overpower the indigenous peoples, meanwhile the indigenous peoples have not a chance other than to stand up and speak out, their fates are mostly at the hands of the government. In Mindanao, the lives of indigenous peoples are literally threatened by government forces that brand them as insurgents. Stripped of land and livelihood, the Lumads, and others like them throughout the archipelago, are further stripped of their rights and their dignity.
The overlap happens when global citizens are one in critiquing the power that government and private sector hold over nature and over the people who are stewards of this creation. It is important that these stewards are empowered to keep the lands, the forests, oceans, safe from the encroaching hands of powerful governments and industries. This can only be done by EDUCATION, on one hand, a strong basic education and tertiary education curriculum that helps children and youth understand the power dynamics happening in the country, and having the wisdom and will to counteract this power struggle. On the other hand, a more inclusive education system is needed for the benefit of indigenous peoples, where their rights, roles, and responsibilities as legitimate citizens of their country are properly highlighted. Education is power, as we in city schools know for a fact. We do not understand why our indigenous brethren are denied this liberating power of education.
Student Participation in the #Decarbonize #Decolonize Process
We, the youth, are the future leaders of society and as such we can participate in the process of decolonization and decarbonization through information dissemination campaigns, giving talks, and leading through example, as well as advocating for decolonization and decarbonization.
This activity which we are participating in is one example of how the youth can participate. Sure, working on a paper for COP 23, is very exciting, truly a privilege, but more importantly, here we are writing blogs and getting our concerned voices heard around the world. No one can say that we were paid to do this, we received no payment and we partook in this willfully, no one can say that this is a small problem or a ‘youth thing’ when teachers too are taking part and it’s not just a local thing either, this has been done worldwide.
We have learned much from our peers all over the world, through their reports and reflections, from bilateral, to tri-regional, to virtual town hall. We all take our respective governments to task for not being serious about climate change issues, for favoring corporations that pillage and plunder our natural resources for monetary gain, for tolerating, or being indifferent to the rise in carbon emissions, the indiscriminate mining and dam-building activities. But we are also optimistic after seeing the efforts of so many individuals and organizations, of REDD+, of Raise A Paddle, of schools, churches, and so many concerned champions for the environment.
We are also about to enter college with 4 months left in 12th grade. We will surely bring what we learned and what we are doing now to our respective colleges. Some of us are taking up college courses in the fields of social sciences. Surely we will continue working on decarbonization and decolonization efforts in the next step of our lives. It doesn’t stop here. We are just beginning.
With numbers comes power, and with the closing of this conference with the youth, I hope that our voices will reach the United Nations and the world will take notice that the youth, the future leaders of this world know, what is coming and we are clamoring for the leaders of today to take notice.
