Regional Women's FLEAT blog reflections

Blog by Elizabeth Charley

Attending the Regional Women's FLEAT (Faith Leader Environmental Advocacy Training) workshop from 22 to 24 February 2022, I have been granted a golden opportunity to visualize the broad spectrum of what exactly an Environmental advocate really does and properly understand issues of environmental justice. These are issues of climate change and environmental pollution (environmental injustice). if there is climate change and there are no actions taken it clearly indicates injustice. There is a lot that happens in the context of climate change.

Being a member of Regional Women's FLEAT, I now understand that faith leaders have a big role in issues of environmental justice. Man was made to take care of the environment. God sent a man to take care of everything that he created because he was made superior to nature. According to Quran, the balanced natural environment is a great favor of Allah, and as the vicegerents of God on earth, humans have to act with goodness and justice (Quran55:9). The holy Quran is calling humankind to desist from polluting and destroying the earth. Deforestation is one example of human activities which is causing an imbalance in the ecosystem. In the Bible, God commands man to be stewards of the environment. Jeremiah prophesied about the dire consequences that occur when man disobeys God and fails to take care of the earth.” I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruits and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable” (Jeremiah 2vs 7).

Environmental injustice is a concern to women and girls. They are the primary users of the environment, they interact with the environment more closely such as through food preparations and child care and most of them when their environment is affected they travel long distances to search for food hence they face Gender-Based violence on their way. (rape). Environmental justice is a contested concept. It is a multi-dimensional demand for or achievement of a healthy environment for all, equal access across social groups to environmental goods and equal participation in decision making. Distribution justice is the distribution patterns among social categories.

As a women's FLEAT member to overcome these challenges there is a need to expose a lot of youth people and issues concerning climate change mitigation activities which target promoting climate change mitigation and adaptation issues. These activities can include planting trees, clean ups, advocacy for waste management and environmental awareness activities. Network with others around the world and exchange information, ideas and results and find ways to apply knowledge to developmental decision making and issues concerning climate change. I personally take this opportunity to be a faith leader and environmental advocate who will use my knowledge of environmental issues to impact the youth in my faith community.it is because this training has provided me with more knowledge of environmental advocacy.

My personal objective in FLEAT with SAFCEI is will be able to get more knowledge on environmental advocacy skills and activism, to get collective ideas in our faith community in coming up with innovative measures of climate change mitigation and to be an active environmentalist and increase more knowledge on solutions to climate change. Walking the talk in advocating for climate change as one of the young climate leaders some of the activities that we have managed to take part in the activities done in advocating the impacts of climate change (to address the impact of climate change).

CLEAN UP EXERCISE AT LILONGWE WILDLIFE CENTRE

YOUNG CLIMATE LEADERS GREEN BOOTCAMP

The aim of this Boot camp activity was to Provide space for youth discussion and generation of key messages on cop26 for both pre and post cop 26 The aim of this boot camp was meant to provide on expertise within ourselves as young leaders and share such expertise to enhance our capabilities to champion climate change advocacy in the country before and after cop 26

COP 26 VOICES SERIES

The run-up to COP26 the united nation climate change conference in November 2021.

As young climate leaders from Malawi where Malawi’s hit by different climatic problems that include: Poor air quality, floods, global warming and change in rainfall pattern Most of the developing countries like Malawi depend on agriculture as its economic backbone, the variations in rainfall pattern affect agriculture production which in turn affect our country economy. Therefore, at cop 26 we were hoping that the global representatives discuss ways on how the developing countries such as Malawi can cope up with the changing rainfall pattern

INTERFAITH YOUTH FORUM

As a group of young motivated youths from different dominions working together to achieve common goals in Environmental Management and other significant issues in our societies: -in line with the green city campaign launched by the Mayor of Lilongwe City, the group organized a tree planting exercise to take place at kabwabwa secondary school on 12th February 2021 -The theme of the campaign was GREEN CAMPUS CAMPAIGN with support from youths, faith leaders and all well wishers

ADVOCATING PEOPLE TO TAKE CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT. IF THEY CAN’T TAKE CARE OF IT, NOBODY ELSE WILL.