Paska with Saffron
AUUC VANCOUVER-Ukrainian Cultural Center
Keeping Ukrainian-Canadian culture alive since 1918
Earth Day 2021
Earth Day is April 22, 2021
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President Biden, along with other world leaders, have called for a World Climate Summit. It is high time that the world's leaders not only meet and make promises to curb the activities that are adversely affecting our climate, but also that they take action.
There have been many courageous voices raised to get the attention of our world leaders and to get them to act, such as Greta Thunberg, who is now saying we have one year to turn things around to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
The AUUC in Vancouver has always participated in actions to bring change to make a better world for all, notably the many Peace Walks of prior years.
Many new organizations have formed in Canada that are more specialized and therefore better equipped to lead on the environmental front and on social justice issues. Some examples of organizations that are at the forefront on these issues are:
David Suzuki Foundation – is focused on environmental rights, climate solutions and biodiversity. David Suzuki, who recently turned 80, has spent most of his life doing this work, including hosting the TV show, "The Nature of Things". The David Suzuki show is posting a special video, entitled "What About our Future?" on April 29th at 5:30 PDT. You can register to watch this event premiere at the link HERE.
The Dogwood Initiative – is a more recently formed group of citizens who are very active in B.C., especially against the Kinder-Morgan Transmountain Pipeline and with regard to the rights of our indigenous First Nations people.
Council of Canadians – works on social issues including racism, availability of water as a right for everyone and other social inequalities.
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – studies the policies of federal and provincial governments and proposes alternative policies that would bring more fairness and equality to citizens.
Ecojustice – works from the legal side and in their words:
"From coast to coast to coast we go to court and use the full force of the law to protect what we value most -- the air we breathe, the water we drink, a safe climate." They have won quite a few important cases.
We have all had time to think a lot about our existence on this earth, especially now that our existence is threatened by this ever-changing virus. Climate change may be a greater threat than Covid-19.
For more information, please click on the underlined organizations listed above.
Together, we can do better!