This is going to be just a brief post all because the ‘message’ has been out of the bottle for some time now, in a manner of speaking.
It’s about a then 12-year old Canadian girl by the name of Severn Cullis-Suzuki read it to adults re-presenting countries from all over the world and left them completely silent and speechless for a few minutes.
Her speech was delivered in 1992, at the Earth Summit in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro.
Years later, Severn wrote an article for Time Magazine. It is there where she mused: “I spoke for six minutes and received a standing ovation. Some of the delegates even cried. I thought that maybe I had reached some of them, that my speech might actually spur action. Now, a decade from Rio, after I’ve sat through many more conferences, I’m not sure what has been accomplished. My confidence in the people in power and in the power of an individual’s voice to reach them has been deeply shaken. In the 10-years since Rio, I have learned that addressing our leaders is not enough. As Gandhi said many years ago, ‘We must become the change we want to see.’ I know change is possible.”
How much still are the issues that Severn raised 18-years ago relevant today? We all were children once but need to be reminded by our own children what our eyes now fail to see.
Are we cleaning up our own mess or facing up to the price of our lifestyles?
Be honest now. You be the judge.
Watch The Video
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This is the best article ever, I was young then but this made me so guilty, I guess we should think about this very carefully!
Great to hear her speak again. We all had high hopes in Rio’s Earth Summit. Now the earth is dying and the crude is all over wrecking havoc. Protect our only planet.