Ecofeminist spells out culprit for ecological crisis

Marijke Colle delivers her presentation to the participants who are coming from Lanao provinces and Iligan City

Iligan City- Marijke Colle, a veteran climate justice activist from Belgium, was the main speaker of the recently held forum on Climate Crisis, Ecofeminism and the Alternatives which was participated by more than 200 participants coming from different sectors in Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte and Iligan City. 

She spoke on the Ecofeminist Answer to Climate Crisis. She pointed out that the ecological crisis is not a crisis in nature but it is a human crisis that is responsible for the destruction of nature. She added that there is a need to identify the main cause of this ecological crisis. 

Colle told the participants that the growth of capitalism is responsible to the exploitation of nature because it is interested in producing more goods and profit. In achieving a balanced society, she proposed that the whole way the people produce goods has to be changed as the exponential production of goods implies exponential destruction of nature.

While women have been very involve in food production and care for their family, they remain invisible and labor division worsen their condition. Colle emphasized that, “the struggle for a safe, healthy and ecologically sustainable environment combined with the struggle for social justice, will strengthen and motivate half of humanity, to be the conscious force for women’s liberation, for the overthrow of capitalism and for an ecosocialist and ecofeminist alternative.” 

For a copy of the presentation of Marijke Colle, click this link.

For the local campaign and concrete alternative actions in the community level, Ma. Gittel Squilabon, the Coordinator of the Tri-people Program on Food Sovereignty and Peace-building of Sumpay Mindanao, shared their initiatives specifically on sustainable agriculture where they work for organic food production while working for the enhancement of people’s control of land, water, seeds, market  and to all things necessary for safe food production including technology and knowledge.

Professor Elaine Baulete of the Center for Human Rights Education of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research Extension, MSU-IIT, shared their successful experience in building collaborative projects involving the community, academe and government units in mitigating the impact of climate change through mangrove rehabilitation in Bayug Island in Iligan City. 

Some important action points were also raised during the forum. Among these are the continuing partnerships among non-government organizations and academic institutions in the promotion of the successful alternatives; to deal with the ongoing construction in Lanao del Norte of coal-fired plant for power generation; and the City Agriculturist Office of Iligan to support the aquamarine culture of the community in Bayug Island which is currently assisted by MSU-IIT.

The forum was a concerted efforts of Sumpay Mindanao Inc.; Sustainable Alternatives for the Advancement of Mindanao (SALAM), Inc.; Mindanao Tri-people Youth Center (MTPYC); Mindanao Peoples’ Peace Movement (MPPM)- Katawhang Migrante, Liga ng Makabagong Kabataan (LMK); Ranaw Women and Children Resource Center (RWCRC), Inc. in partnership with MSU-IIT’s Political Science Department, Kataastaasang Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral (KASAMA), and the Center for Human Rights Education of the OVCRE in coordination with International Institute for Research and Education (IIRE)-Manila. It was conducted in CED Amphitheater, College of Education, MSU-IIT on July 25, 2014.