Rome (Italy). April 23, 2023 marks the 53rd International Mother Earth Day, established by the UN in 1970 to underline the need for the conservation of the Earth’s natural resources, recognizing everyone’s responsibility to promote harmony with nature and the Earth, and to achieve a balance between the economic, social, and environmental needs of present and future generations.
The celebration of Earth Day is an opportunity to overcome inertia in the face of a rapidly declining environmental situation, to implement concrete and more incisive actions for the planet and its population, political changes at global, national, and local. “A clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a right that we must make real for everyone,” said António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on 6 February 2023.
Along the same lines, is the greeting of Pope Francis to the delegation of the “Interfaith Leaders from Greater Manchester”, an interfaith group from the British metropolis, received in audience on 20 April 2023. “It has become increasingly evident, in fact, that our current commitment to safeguard creation, a gift from God, must be part of a wider effort to promote integral ecology, which respects the dignity and value of every human person and recognizes the tragic effects of environmental degradation on the life of the poor. In a word, it is necessary to recognize that the environmental and social crises of our time are not two separate crises, but a single crisis (see LS, 139). Of course, this requires the creation of new and forward-looking economic models. But it also requires determination to overcome the “throwaway” culture, the culture of waste, generated by consumerism and globalized indifference, which inhibits efforts to address these human and social problems from the perspective of the common good.”
Faced with the suffering of nature, oceans filling with plastic and becoming increasingly acidic, global warming, fires and floods affecting millions of people, “Mother Earth” calls for urgent and joint action. Human actions that alter biodiversity, such as deforestation, land use change, intensive agriculture and livestock or the illegal wildlife trade, can accelerate the rate of destruction of the planet.
The theme of this year’s Day, “Investing in our planet”, underscores the importance of dedicating your time, resources, and energy to working together to tackle climate change and other environmental problems, to protect it, and to reverse course, paving the way for a sustainable future.
For all the Educating Communities of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, engaged “in a concrete and continuous journey of conversion to integral ecology, according to the Deliberations of General Chapter XXIV,” Earth Day is an appointment to celebrate and take care of the Mother Earth in concrete ways. Being part of an educational institute, the FMA believe in the power of education and collaborate, according to the different local sensitivities, in implementing processes of awareness and conscious and responsible action together with young people and with all the subjects that revolve around the educational realities.
Little Flower Higher Secondary School, of Kohima-Nagaland, of the Indian Province Mother of the Church (ING) of Guwahati, is one of the examples in which the celebration of Earth Day continues to accompany the daily life of the students throughout the year. Below are some concrete actions for the care of Mother Earth:
One tree at a time: Trees in urban areas play an important role in the ecosystem, as they help keep the climate cool. Students are therefore encouraged to plant more trees in their surroundings, starting from their homes up to the school. On and around the school campus, spaces are made available for students to plant small fruit trees. This initiative motivates them to spontaneously “adopt” a plant and take care of it during their school years. In this way, they are stimulated to save the environment with the motto “one tree at a time”.
When in doubt, recycle: Everyone should get into the habit of using fewer things, and reusing it as much as possible before throwing it away. This would significantly help address the waste management challenge. If you teach students to recycle old items, they will carry these habits into their homes and, of course, into their adulthood. The school organized a day of creativity in which students were invited to create something beautiful and useful from waste materials.
Bring your own bag: this is the policy implemented in the School, so that everyone can avoid the use of plastic and adopt the good habit of using cloth bags, one of the simplest and most ecological gestures that everyone can do, gradually decreasing dependence on the use of plastic.
Be “smart” with your “smart” items: In today’s technological world, disposing of electronic waste responsibly is the need of the hour. Old electronic equipment is dangerous to health and the environment. For this reason, it’s important to dispose of old gadgets properly. The school administration has contacted the people who can dispose of this waste ethically, accompanying the students in becoming responsible citizens.
Keep Your Surroundings Clean: “Cleanliness is close to the sacred” is a philosophy that fosters a sense of civic responsibility. Students are motivated to adopt the habit of cleaning their surroundings as an integral part of their daily lifestyle. Students take responsibility for keeping their surroundings tidy through a small cleaning action.
Gardens and landscaping: Adopting gardens is a great way to get students interested in gardening and tending to green areas. A school garden can teach students about responsibility, teamwork, and introduce them to the concept of a sustainable community. This initiative also helps them to learn about the art of agriculture and the value of organic and healthy food, to understand the value of care and to appreciate the nature that favors human life on the planet.
“In celebrating World Earth Day today, we are called to rediscover the sense of sacred respect for the earth, because it is not only our home, but also God’s home. From this arises in us the awareness of being on a holy ground!” (Pope Francis, Earth Day 2020).
