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Biopolicy
– In Search of Enlightened Leadership
for Sustainable Development
Athens
Money Show
Athens
Hilton Hotel, 21 January 2007
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Biopolicy for Sustainable Development
Global
climate change, life-saving “greenbelts,” international environmental
policy, new ethics, and a vision for enlightened leadership to ensure
the continuation of bios on our planet, were some of the issues addressed
at an event organised by the Biopolitics International Organisation
(B.I.O.) at the Athens Hilton, on Sunday, January
21, 2007. The event was attended by motivating and leading personalities
who convened to spark our thinking on ways of facing the most important
and urgent environmental challenges of our time. The event also marked
the European premiere of The Greenbelt Reports, which document efforts
to balance the conservation needs of coastal greenbelts with the socio-economic
needs of communities in countries hard-hit by the 2004 tsunami. B.I.O.
is cooperating closely with TVE Asia Pacific, the producers of The Greenbelt
Reports, in an environmental education project in Sri Lanka, supported
by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Department of Hellenic
Aid.
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The
discussions were chaired by the B.I.O. President, Dr. Agni Vlavianos-Arvanitis,
who explained that the aim of this initiative is to promote biopolicy
– a vision beyond sustainable development – to provide the
necessary guidelines for every sector of society and every profession
to engage in environmental appreciation and action.
“Time
is running out, and bios (life) is threatened by a serious crisis in values.
We need to inspire society with a vision of environmental cooperation
and peace, and expand the horizons of environmental thinking by promoting
environmental ethics in every human endeavour. Today, the world faces
an unprecedented crisis of environmental degradation. The continuation
of life on our planet is threatened by global warming, climate change,
a declining resource base, the loss of species and habitats, inadequate
water supplies, desertification – all these are global problems.
They do not respect national boundaries and they are all related. Addressing
them will require a new level of international cooperation. If we are
to solve the problems of our world, nations must redirect their efforts
away from conflict toward environmental restoration and the eradication
of poverty, hunger and disease. This is the goal and vision of biopolicy.
Our common enemy is the destruction of bios, and we need to join forces
to mount an adequate response to the environmental crisis. The Asian tsunami
catastrophe showed us that we cannot keep overlooking the warning signs.
International collaboration is key in securing the well-being and survival
of future generations. Education through the International University
for the Bio-Environment, public participation in the form of a World Referendum
to save bios, awareness-raising and the involvement of every individual
on the planet in the race to save the environment, are some of the initiatives
launched by the Biopolitics International Organisation in the struggle
to protect bios.
Humanity has been given a final opportunity to respect the close relationship
that exists between its actions and the environment. In order to promote
equity and improve quality of life, we need a vision that can help us
to set an international agenda for correcting the inequities of the past.
Protecting and managing the global environment rationally will be the
most challenging task for the new millennium. Technology has become infused
in every field of human endeavour. Like a new Prometheus with sensitivity
and prophecy, it has provided light and fire and has made possible the
advent of a new era. This ability must be tempered with a solid base of
fundamental values in order to lead to a better future. The current crisis
in values is a great threat, not only to the environment but also to peace.
This is why there is a pressing need to apply the vision of biopolicy
to motivate every member of society towards the conservation of the environment
and the fulfilment of a better life for all.”
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A
special address was delivered on behalf of Evripides Stylianides,
the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, by Prodromos
Markoulakis, the Director of the Department of Hellenic Aid.
“It
is a great pleasure for me to address this important event, organised
by the Biopolitics International Organisation. Unfortunately, despite
my keen personal interest, it was not possible for me to be present owing
to prior commitments. I would like to congratulate the Biopolitics International
Organisation, and especially its President, Dr. Agni Vlavianos-Arvanitis,
on their commendable scientific and social work in the promotion of biopolicy
for the protection and conservation of the environment and the quality
of life of the citizens of our planet.
There is a continuous need for the development and implementation of environmental
protection policies. Governments and civil society need to place the environment
at the core of their activities. By realising that environmental threats
do not recognise national borders, ethnic or other dividing lines, we
need to empower and intensify international cooperation in environmental
protection. We also need to develop networks of environmental education,
accessible to every citizen on this planet.
Within this framework, the Hellenic Aid service of the Greek Ministry
of Foreign Affairs is cooperating with the Biopolitics International Organisation
in the implementation of an educational project for the development and
reconstruction of Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami. The
goal is to develop educational material for the better understanding of
the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, and to help the assimilation
of sustainable development in government policies, as part of the greater
project for the reconstruction of Sri Lanka launched by the national government.
Greece was one of the first countries that provided humanitarian aid to
Sri Lanka, and is continuing to do so through the construction of hospitals,
schools and other basic infrastructure. The above-mentioned educational
programme implemented by the Biopolitics International Organisation is
carried out within the framework of this humanitarian assistance.
The environment is our neighbourhood. It is our home and affects us all.
We must support and enhance all efforts for environmental protection,
while, at the same time, raise public awareness of the importance of these
issues. Public awareness and information concerning sustainable development,
as well as environmental education and training, are valuable allies in
the struggle for the protection of our planet. Once again, I congratulate
you on the organisation of today’s event and wish you every success
in the pursuit of your mission.”
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The
discussions continued with a message from Nalaka Gunawardene,
Director and CEO of TVE Asia Pacific, the producer of The Greenbelt Reports.
“Dr.
Agni Vlavianos-Arvanitis and I are part of a select group of environmental
educators and communicators from all over the world who meet once a year
in Rome at the Greenaccord International Forum on the Protection of Nature.
At the last Greenaccord Forum, held in October 2006, I made a presentation
about the new television series we were then finalising, called The
Greenbelt Reports. And I was especially delighted when the Biopolitics
International Organisation offered to organise the European launch of
the new series. In doing so, Dr. Vlavianos-Arvanitis and her colleagues
recognised that the conservation messages we are trying to communicate
are relevant not just to the Asia Pacific region, but also to Europe and
the rest of the world.
The Greenbelt Reports is a multi-media, Asia-wide educational
project launched in 2005 by my organisation, TVE Asia Pacific. The project
aims to journalistically document our region’s efforts to balance
conservation needs of coastal ecosystems with the socio-economic needs
of coastal communities. Shortly after the tsunami disaster of 2004, we
heard reports from almost all tsunami-affected countries of how coral
reefs, mangroves or sand dunes had helped protect some villages and communities.
It turned out that these ecosystems had acted as “natural barriers”
buffering the impact of the Tsunami waves, saving many lives and reducing
property damage. The socio-economic reality in developing countries in
Asia is such that we cannot fence and guard all the remaining coastal
greenbelts, declaring them as protected areas. Tens of millions of people,
many of them very poor, depend on these ecosystems for their jobs and
sustenance.
As journalists, we investigated if this is feasible. We looked for evidence
of where this is already happening, even on a small scale. Based on what
we found, we are pleased to report some good news: “there is hope
yet for saving our region’s remaining coastal greenbelts.”
It is a big challenge, but the knowledge, skill and enthusiasm for rising
to that challenge are now available. The discussions today, and our action
everyday, can help create a sustainable future for all of us.”
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In
the implementation of a project on environmental education to assist the
tsunami victims of coastal Sri Lanka, B.I.O. is cooperating with the Centre
for Environment Education (CEE) Sri Lanka. In her presentation at the
event, Thyagee De Zoysa, Project Officer at CEE Sri Lanka,
mentioned that:
“I
arrived in Athens two days ago to discuss the joint initiative that the
Center for Environmental Education (CEE) Sri Lanka is going to take up
with the Biopolitics International Organisation, which, as we understand,
aims to reverse destructive trends, protect the environment, and ensure
the continuity of bios, or life, on earth. The aim of CEE is to promote
and strengthen education and communication for the environment and sustainable
development in Sri Lanka, through innovative programmes, the development
of educational material, capacity building, and demonstration projects
in education and communication. We, at CEE are very much willing to take
up this joint initiative with B.I.O. within the framework of the project
on “Environmental Education for Sustainable Development and Reconstruction”
in the Galle district in Sri Lanka. An education project for which the
need was left after the devastative tsunami that struck our coasts two
years ago. We are willing to cooperate with B.I.O. as the need of the
hour is to create awareness of environmental issues and to share the lessons
learnt.
I, myself, am particularly willing to participate in this project, as
I was at my home on the 26th of December 2004, with my parents, until
we heard a young man crying “Run to the temple, run to the hill,
the sea is coming.” We ran and it saved our lives. The young man
told me later that he knew that the sea was going to come with full power
because of a film that he had seen. A film, which was about a meteorite
impact with earth and how a tsunami happens after that. He knew that,
if there comes a day when the sea goes back towards the horizon, it then
comes back again to take your life. It does not matter in what way you
create awareness on the environment, be it books, films or the Internet.
What matters is that you do it and make somebody understand the possible
actions to take up. Believe me, I am grateful to this young man for saving
my life and that of my family, and I am grateful to Dr. Vlavianos-Arvanitis,
to B.I.O, to the Department of Hellenic Aid, and to Greece.”
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Rodney
Perera, Ambassador of Sri Lanka, proceeded to comment that:
“I
am glad that my visit to Athens has allowed me to make a contribution
to an important dialogue process. I appreciate B.I.O.’s association
with Sri Lanka and congratulate the President for her leadership. This
is a very timely issue, since just a few hours before this meeting, a
very strong earthquake took place in Indonesia. Although there was no
report of a tsunami warning, the Greenbelt Reports that we just watched
are very important in showing us how to be prepared in the case of such
an event.
Sri Lanka has a proud history and an ancient civilisation. Our forefathers
lived in harmony with nature. Our ancestors skilfully utilised ecological
balances in the use of natural resources. Sri Lanka is in the south Asian
region, which harboured some of the most ancient civilisations in the
world. Long before the advent of industrialisation, a vibrant community
lived in perfect harmony with nature, by developing agriculture, as well
as flourishing urban centres of trade and commerce. The challenges faced
by local communities led them to develop their own mechanisms to reduce
the impact of such events within the limitations of their capabilities
and human resources. Cultural and religious traditions, fostering values
of conservation and protection of the environment, are enshrined in the
religious beliefs and constitutions of societies in this region and have
led them to protect natural resources. Traditional knowledge is passed
down through poems, songs, dances, and practices. Civil society groups
and universities are helping communities to document this knowledge and
revive practices by making them relevant to present reality. It is the
community that has developed its own resilient system to cope with disasters.
This is how the region has survived devastating floods, droughts and landslides;
the knowledge and skills passed on by the local communities are our inheritance
of the common intellectual property resources.
For Sri Lanka, the devastating consequences of the tsunami of 2004, represent
a serious setback for the communities of the coastal regions, which are
some of the country’s poorest. We have learned that environmental
degradation as a result of overexploitation of resources for development,
under various social pressures and consumption patters, has a cumulative
effect of aggravating the vulnerability of the people. I warmly thank
the government of Greece, the Hellenic Aid agency and the people of Greece
for the very useful assistance offered to Sri Lanka in the aftermath of
the tsunami. This gesture of goodwill has strengthened the bond of friendship
between our two countries and helped the people of Sri Lanka overcome
this tragic calamity.
Sri Lanka’s national agenda recognises environmental protection
as a priority issue. We recognize sustainable development as a process
by which to mobilise the active participation of all stakeholders. We
will continue to draw inspiration from the past to raise awareness of
issues and deploy strategies and mainstream policies for sustainable development.
As members of the international community, we continue to explore ways
and means to prevent this world from falling apart. Each one of us has
a regional, national and global role to play towards this new big task.
In our continuous effort for sustainable development, we cannot function
as rivals. It is friendship, and friendship alone, that will help us in
our endeavours.”
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Dr.
Bhaskar Balakrishnan, Ambassador of India, presented some important
dimensions concerning environmental challenges and opportunities in India:
“India’s
development pace has accelerated in recent years, and, given the country’s
relatively high population density, traditional economic growth paths
have put unbearable stresses on our environment. Severe environmental
problems in India include deforestation, soil erosion, water pollution
and land degradation. Urbanisation is straining municipal services. Environmental
degradation has a particularly severe impact on the rural poor, and tribal
societies when such degradation impacts soil fertility, quantity and quality
of water, air quality, forests, wildlife and fisheries. Damaged ecosystems
can mean loss of livelihood for them. Certain groups of people can become
destitute, even if the economy as a whole shows strong growth. More than
20 cities in India have populations of over one million, and some of them
are highly polluted. Improving the quality of air, water and land, and
protecting the environment becomes an urgent priority.
Public awareness, concern, and articulation of environmental issues have
been growing, and will continue to do so as education and communication
improve. This is a very welcome trend. Growth arising from the ongoing
massive restructuring of India’s industry, infrastructure and agriculture
sectors offers unprecedented opportunities for environmental conservation
and improvement through green technologies and practices. The right application
of natural fertilizers and pest controls, sensible water and soil management,
and application of information technology and biotechnology will make
this possible. Industry and infrastructure can be re-engineered to make
them environmentally friendly, economically competitive, and socially
responsible. These are the challenges before India.
The Government of India has established an environmental legal and institutional
system to meet these challenges. Recently in May 2006, the Government
approved a new National Environment Policy, which provides a guide to
action in regulatory reform, environmental conservation, and enactment
of legislation by government agencies at all levels. The National Environment
Policy is intended to be a guide to action in regulatory reform, programmes
and projects for environmental conservation, and process of legislation
by government agencies at all levels. The dominant theme of this policy
is that, while the conservation of environmental resources is vital for
the lives and well-being of all, the most secure basis for conservation
is to ensure that people dependent on particular resources obtain better
benefits from conservation rather than from degradation .The policy also
seeks to stimulate partnerships of different stakeholders, such as public
agencies, local communities, academic and scientific institutions, the
investment community, and international development partners, in harnessing
their respective resources and strengths for environmental management.
The speedy and effective translation of the national Policy into action
in partnership with every citizen of India will transform and improve
India’s environment and make it into an enviable place to live and
work in.”
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Rashed
Saleem Khan, Ambassador of Pakistan, focused on the environmental
consequences of the devastating earthquake that affected northern Pakistan
in 2005.
“I
am very happy to be participating in this important event, organised by
the Biopolitics International Organisation, since I believe that environmental
issues unite us all and need to become a priority in formulating the strategies
for the future. The environment serves as a link and recognizes no borders.
Therefore, this meeting provides a great opportunity to expand our understanding
of mutual problems, such as environmental catastrophes, tsunamis, earthquakes,
and floods.
A devastating earthquake, measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale, hit Northern
Pakistan on October 8, 2005, and devastated an area of 28,000 square miles.
The earthquake-affected area carries significant environmental importance
for the entire country. Most of the forested area falls in this region.
The needs of the affected population in terms of fuel and shelter are
resulting in further pressure on dwindling forests. The affected areas
are also major contributory watersheds for the Tarbela and Mangla dams.
Both areas are known for their scenic beauty and attract large numbers
of local and international tourists during the summer season. The earthquake,
apart from causing huge losses to life and property, has also resulted
in considerable damage to an already fragile biophysical environment.
The impact on wildlife and biodiversity is yet to be properly assessed.
The region affected is rich in fauna, particularly endangered species.
Migration of wildlife to other areas has not been reported yet, but will
probably appear as a long-term impact on biodiversity of the affected
areas. While natural resources are already under serious stress due to
the earthquake, the reconstruction and rehabilitation of housing, roads,
health, education, agriculture, livelihoods and irrigation systems, will
put additional stress on the physical, as well as on the natural environment
of the area, through increased use of water, waste generation, solid waste
dumping, quarrying for sand and stone, increased transportation of construction
material, and dumping of debris in dry water courses and on river sides.
A special national environmental strategy has been developed with the
objective of turning challenges into opportunities to protect natural
resources, prevent environmental degradation, restore damages, arrange
for the safe disposal of debris, and establish principles and practices
for environmentally-friendly rehabilitation and reconstruction in the
earthquake affected areas with the sustainable use of resources. This
vision has been developed through wide-ranging consultation with a number
of organisations and internal stakeholders, thus helping to shape priorities
and vision statements.
My participation in the present event has provided me with a unique and
rare opportunity to update myself on environmental issues and problems,
which are posing serious threats to the welfare of the entire humanity.
I look forward to working with B.I.O. in the realisation of its noble
objectives and would like to express my full support of its endeavours
for a safer and beautiful world for future generations.”
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Rigoberto
Tiglao, Ambassador of the Philippines, stated that nature’s
shields have weakened by environmental degradation and that environmental
protection needs stronger support.
“I
will be focusing on the lessons that The Philippines has learnt in reversing
environmental degradation and protecting the environment, especially in
protecting what is now called “the greenbelt.” I am very much
honoured to participate in this launching of The Greenbelt Reports produced
by TVE Asia Pacific. TVE Asia Pacific indeed answers to the need for all
people on this planet to realise the urgency of environmental protection
by listening very closely to Mother Earth and respecting her. As a result
of the abuse of Mother Earth for the past decades in many parts of Asia,
we have belatedly realised that the shields Mother Earth has given us
against the dark side of nature’s forces have weakened and even
vanished in some areas.
We in the Philippines, in the past several years, have realised that the
destruction and thousands of deaths brought on by typhoons, such as the
one that occurred last year, were really not caused by nature acting alone.
Devastation in the form of massive torrential floods and landslides from
adjacent mountains where due to man-made deforestation. Mother Nature’s
forests would have absorbed or slowed down much of the flood waters in
parts of populated areas, but the forests are no longer there. Mother
Earth’s shield has been destroyed by man himself, both by huge predatory
companies, as well as by poor farmers seeking new agricultural areas.
The damage is so extensive that we still do not know whether the former
forestland can ever be forested again.
The Greenbelt Reports draw attention to the shields Mother Nature has
given us and which man has been unwittingly demolishing. The media plays
a very crucial role in environmental protection. The reason for this is
that the media force governments to work to protect the environment. The
media also magnify the role of NGOs and build up support for environmental
protection.”
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Global
warming and the fate of our common future were the focal points of the
presentation given by Sverre Stub, Ambassador of Norway.
“Climate
change and global warming are all of a sudden on everybody’s mind.
Nobody in the so-called developed world can any longer pretend they do
not know what is going on. Yet some, even in key political positions,
refuse to take science and facts seriously. They continue to avoid necessary
action.
I would like to commend the Biopolitics International Organisation and
its President and Founder, for their very valuable contribution to a better
tomorrow for our world. NGOs are generally better than governments at
mobilising the public and in eliciting action required for our future,
common or none at all. Nations and citizens can only secure their future
through common commitments and actions. Never has interdependence in our
world been more obvious than today, when we are faced with an increasing
loss of biodiversity and a life-threatening climate change.
One of the personally most meaningful tasks I have had in my diplomatic
career was to work on the follow-up to the UN Report on “Our Common
Future,” also called the Brundtland Commission Report on Environment
and Development, as Norway’s former Prime Minister, Mrs. Brundtland,
had chaired the Commission. Norwegian diplomats were actively working
to introduce the report’s key concept of sustainable development
in the UN system. I was counsellor at Norway’s Permanent Mission
in Geneva at the time and it was not an easy task to have this new concept
of sustainable development implemented in the work programmes of Geneva-based
UN bodies.
Some important progress has been made but, overall, there have been too
many missed opportunities. We have not witnessed the long-term, comprehensive,
strategic leadership that is required to make necessary changes in modern
life’s unsustainable behaviour. We have not seen sufficient solidarity
either, between the rich and the poor whether they are individuals or
countries. Nor has there been sufficient solidarity with future generations.
Overconsummerism is of major concern in the developed world, and I am
stressed and even scared when young people list shopping as their favourite
pastime activity, especially when we know that there are hundreds of millions
of people in the world who have to survive on less than one Euro a day.
We also create mountains of waste and garbage, however, it is encouraging
to see that in more and more countries, garbage is seen as a valuable
resource, and resorted and recycled. If we think globally and act locally,
we can all make a difference in our local community, at work or at home,
and private companies can make a positive contribution through what is
labelled as corporate social responsibility. Increasingly, many companies
realise that short-term profit for the owners should not be their only
concern and priority. Social responsibility can be a long-term asset rather
than a liability.
As recently stated by a group pf prominent senior Norwegians, we have
been silent for too long and we can no longer allow old habits and short-sighted
political priorities undermine the lives of our grandchildren. Noone has
all the answers on how we should respond to the environmental challenges
of modern society, but our common future depends on action and on a common
strategy.”
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