The world we want to see by 2015

One by one, participants to the third annual Gender Justice and Local Government summit lined up to place their dreams for a cleaner and safer world in memory boxes crafted from recycled materials.

The memory boxes, an idea developed by Gender Links (GL) the convenor of the summit, will be buried and opened in 2015. Gender Links Alliance and Partnerships Manager Loveness Jambaya Nyakujarah says the boxes will be stored at the GL offices in Johannesburg, and opened at the beginning of the 2015 summit. “The messages will be read to review those wishes that have been reached.”

Sooba bibi Shenaz, president of community centre Gabriel Mashal in Mauritius is positive that the world she would like to see in 2015 is possible. “I want to see people at the national level in Mauritius being more conscious about the climate change issue and the disadvantages of carbon dioxide emissions. Since there is a lot of pollution emanating from manufacturing industries, there must be a law enforcing industry and factory owners to take full responsibility towards the go green campaigns. “

Shenaz would also like to see more women trained on the importance of recycling and she insists there should be a special curriculum on going green for children at school and all pre- primary levels.

She is positive that she will see change in her country, because certain laws are under review to align the country with the world issues. However she believes for Mauritius to succeed, the media must disseminate information on government’s environmental initiatives so that the public joins in.

Participants welcomed the inclusion of the memory boxes and the issue of the environment and climate change on the agenda of this year’s summit, and noted that the issue must move beyond the halls of conferences.

Bhekithemba Matsebula, a senior housing officer in the Swaziland Ministry of Housing says climate change should be part of our everyday lives. It should not be a subject reserved for special occasions such as summits.

“Like sustainable development, climate change must be tackled vigorously. As a policy maker, my primary role is to ensure that factors affecting our work performance are given attention. Climate change poses a huge threat on work since we build houses and most of the time when construction kicks off and the weather changes it hinders our production,” said Matsebula who says the Swazi government encourages a green economy through the introduction of energy efficient materials for the public to use.

“Since attending the summit, I have become more knowledgeable around the issue of gender and climate change. My hope is to equip people back home with the same knowledge and understanding,” the government official added. “Having discovered that climate change is a lagging issue globally, I intend to sensitize my government back home to take it seriously since it poses severe challenges on gender. I am also going to work to ensure that by 2015, there will be climate change programs rolling countrywide.”

Seeparsad Vinesh, the chief executive officer at the municipal council of Curepine in Mauritius, says Mauritius encourages the use of eco-fuel and other forms of energy to reduce the country’s dependence on sources of energy and fuel that impact negatively on the environment.

“Our government is giving out solar panels to the communities to slow the usage of electricity. This strategy is working extremely well. Our municipal council is currently changing the street traditional bulbs to the energy saving lamps known as chlorophenol (CFL) bulbs,” Vinesh said.

‘Malisema Mahloane is a journalist with BAM media in Lesotho. This article is part of GL Opinion and Commentary Service, special news and analysis series of the 2012 Gender Justice and Local Government Service