Symposium speakers focus on global environmental justice
The environment has become a dire issue in recent headlines, mainly citing humanity’s impact on the environment. Dr. Coate also attended the luncheon yesterday in the MSU lounge to discuss further information. With a group-led discussion, the luncheon focused mainly on women’s rights and branched into the right to quality of life for the citizens around the world.
“Out of the many pressing issues facing the world, it is difficult to identify which ones are the most urgent or the most important, but I hope to be able to influence the world through education,” Leah Barber, GCSU study abroad advisor said. “I believe that everyone should always be seeking to learn more about the many varied cultures and people in the world.”
Hot topics such as the genocide in Darfur and the instability of the southern African governments have sparked concern in the students of GCSU. The discussions are open to a variety of topics and strive to promote action to solve these global issues.
The financial crisis throughout theworld has shrunk the already small voice of humanitarians. Organizations such as the UN are not large enough to resolve the issue of human rights on such a large scale. The symposium analyzes the balancing acts between countries in aspects of rights to land and water and the imposition humanity has on the environment.
“Faculty and students at GCSU are definitely aware of the various world crises, but greater awareness, commitment and action needs to be built on the local, state, national and international level” Dwight Call said.
The environment is no longer a small issue with the pressing possibility of global warming and the scarcity of resources in regions that were once plentiful. There must be a collective action to boost conservation efforts and preserve the natural world for future generations. The talks facilitated by GCSU only serve to start valuable conversation about this and other issues.
“I think we’ve reached a point in which throwing money at problems doesn’t create a solution. We have to understand more about the cultures and the people in them,” Joel Graham said.
Not to be disregarded as hippies and treehuggers, the symposium encourages students to come who are interested in the world around them to attened the seminars and share ideas about world affairs. The presentations on campus are a catalyst to spark a global interest in political, environmental and international issues.
“I think the world is sectionalized, but the fact of increased transportation makes aid more globally accessible. It would be nice to have more of a global aspect in our country,” Mary Lee, junior community health major, said. “If I lived in Europe I would feel more global, but the US lacks transcontinental transportation and it makes it feel more secular.”
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Feb 13 2009. Filed under News.
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