One day we’ll wake up and it’s already 2015. Seriously, that major year TWEN-TEE FEEF-TEEN is just around the corner.
I’m sure we’ve all made plans for 2015. My sister, for instance, wants a baby in 2015. Some will finish their Masters degrees in 2015… close a deal in 2015…look great in a swimsuit in 2015 (yes, we can and we will!)… go on a proper date in 2015 (am I alone in this one?)… live like we mean it in 2015…and so on.
Well, the ASEAN, has also made plans for 2015. And whether we like it or not, all of our plans will be affected by this huge Mastah Plan.
ASEAN, of course, is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Philippines. Indonesia. Thailand. Malaysia. Singapore. Myanmar. Brunei. Cambodia. Laos. Vietnam. A power bloc with the I got your back, man scenario (in theory).
Anyway, ASEAN decided that in 2015, friendship bracelets will tighten and form into one ASEAN Economic Community. The elevator speech for this would be: less barriers, more business, more money, everybody happy! But if you’ve got a thousand minutes to spare, it’s better to read the blueprint at http://www.asean.org/communities/asean-economic-community.
Enter the Environmentalists. Ta-dah!
So Greenpeace Southeast Asia partnered with Oxfam (anti-poverty group) to warn ASEAN leaders that a regional economic integration without a UNIFIED ACTION to FIGHT Climate Change would be disastrous. In fact, this so-called dream of INTEGRATION will NEVER be realized.
The challenge to ASEAN leaders is this: Prove that the power bloc truly exists by
One, pressuring developed (rich) countries to provide assistance (not LOAN– but AID, free stuff!) to ASEAN developing (poor) countries to fund Climate Change adaptation and mitigation efforts. Example: Rehabilitation of farm lands ravaged by the big typhoon.
Climate change makes typhoons fiercer, deadlier (scientific fact).
And two, presenting a unified front in the United Nations Climate Change negotiations. Participate, agitate, argue, lobby, haggle, wrangle, deal, beg, but never say die.
As for us…what are we going to do about this?
2015 is drawing near.
And our amazing plans are on the line.
P.S. A big thank you to the Mother of Philippine Environmental Journalism, Imelda “Imee” Abano. Ate Imee adopts all of us journalists who just want to make our little contributions to the cause.
We have this group called the Philippine Network of Environmental Journalists.
One of the perks here is the opportunity to attend forums like the one we had a while ago where we had former Senator and Defense Chief Orlando Mercado discuss the 2015 Climate Challenge. Together with Greenpeace Southeast Asia’s Zelda Soriano and Oxfam’s Riza Bernabe. Cheers!