In support of the “We Have Faith, Act Now for Climate Justice” Campaign 2011
I have faith, and indeed we have faith;
That we can guarantee
Sustainable food production for our starving population
So that the millions of people around the world
Whom circumstances have forced to go on fasting
Can be able to have a plate of decent meals on their tables
Good and healthy food; and not just for a day.
We have faith;
That life in a healthy, undisturbed natural environment is attainable
And that in time to come
When I cross a border into another country
I will not be asked to show my vaccination certificate
That by positively influencing climatic patterns
And good environmental management practices
We can eradicate diseases
And promote the good health of our people.
We have faith;
That by increasing the rapidly dwindling forest covers
We can bring back the fast flows in our rivers
And that with better technologies
To harvest, store and utilize rainwater
The taps of clean and safe water
Will never run dry in our homes.
We have faith;
That sustainable alternatives can be found
To save our slowly dying planet earth
That it is possible to cut down our carbon emissions
To levels that impact less on nature and mankind
And that with their benefits for the environment
Renewable fuels offer safer solutions to our energy demands.
We have faith in the young people;
That as the great Nelson Mandela said
“I see in the youth the energy and the will…”
It is we who shall right the wrongs of our fathers
It is we who shall bring the change.
“Our lives begin to end
The day we stop talking about things that matter”
Are the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr.
Many others like Prof. Wangari Maathai
Have gone before us
Who believed and made us realize
That Mother Nature is very unforgiving
Not just to those who hurt it
But even to those who don’t
They set the pace for us
And we follow in their footsteps.
However, let us always remember
That faith without vision is a daydream,
And vision without action is a nightmare
We have the faith and we have the vision
So let’s act now for climate justice.
Composed by:
Nelson Ochieng Opany – Mombasa, Kenya.