Network of Earthkeeping Christian Communities in South Africa
NECCSA Update: October 2005
A monthly newsletter on Church and Environment in South Africa
1. NECCSA Update distribution list
In future the monthly NECCSA Update will be distributed through the yahoo group facility. One of the advantages of this is that people can subscribe and unsubscribe to receive such newsletters. One can subscribe through the website of yahoo.com. Alternatively, you can send your email address to econradie@uwc.ac.za with the request that the address be added to the distribution list. Or, even better you can send a list of email addresses of Christian communities, Christian organisations, pastors, lay leaders and others who would be interested in receiving the monthly NECCSA Update. This would help to distribute the NECCSA Update more widely to raise an environmental awareness amongst Christians in South Africa.
2. Environmental issues
We have by now witnessed three decades of environmental conscientising, outcries, statistics, analyses, programmes and movements. The media regularly feed us with stories about environmental disasters. We are confronted with daunting statistics about deforestation, the extinction of species, global warming, population growth and insurmountable waste dumps. It is not surprising that environmental priorities have become highly contested in the process. What some may regard as a priority, others would regard as less important. Some would, for example, focus on issues of nature conservation while other would focus on issues of environmental justice, given the impact of environmental degradation on human beings. Some argue that the increasing human population poses the most serious threat to the environment, while others argue that the most serious environmental problems are caused by the gluttonous consumption of those in the affluent economic centres.
Such observations imply that Christians need to reflect critically on the way in which environmental agendas and priorities are conceived. The agenda of a recent meeting of the steering committee of the South African Faith Communities’ Environmental Institute (SAFCEI) identified a number of current environmental concerns which call for attention. This list is quite helpful because it reminds us of the following issues which currently receive a high profile in the South African context:
· Climate change
· Biodiversity & Conservation
· Biotechnology and GMO foods
· Energy issues (nuclear, coal, etc)
· N2 Toll road
· Golf courses
· Eco-friendly coffins – A project of DWAF
Many further items could certainly be added to this agenda. This list of issues does raise a number of questions for further debate: Which of these issues (or others) should receive priority? Why? What distinct contribution can Christian communities make to address such concerns? What is the most appropriate mode of responding to such issues (e.g. as prophets, priests or kings)? How can Christian witness in this regard be effective? What do you think?
3. Weedbuster Focus
On Saturday 15 October the Anglican Diocese of Natal Environment Committee arranged an event to celebrate Weedbusters Week at Koinonia, a conference centre in Botha’s Hill administered by the Anglican, Methodist and Catholic churches.
Three speakers gave input on the problem of invasive vegetation and discussed ways of controlling the spread of these plants, which includes mechanical, biological and chemical methods. An opportunity was then given for people to identify invasive species on the grounds of Koinonia and to remove them. The day was ended with a picnic lunch and the resolve to repeat the event next year.
4. Resources
In the latest issue of the Journal of Theology for Southern Africa (122, July 2005) is an article by Puleng LenkaBula, a lecturer in the Dept of Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics at UNISA on “The social and ethical implications of article 27 of the agreement on trade related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS) on Africa communities, biodiversity and indigenous knowledge.” The following is an extract from her abstract “This paper argues that the idea of patenting life forms, which is enshrined in article 27 of TRIPS agreement, endangers the wellbeing of the earth and that of humanity. It also states that patenting of life forms acts as a catalyst for the expropriation and pirating of life-forms and indigenous knowledge embedded in Africa and countries of the South. Through the voices of other social, economic and ecological scholars and or activists, the paper argues that there is no scientific or ethical justification for patenting life forms. From an African and Christian perspective, the paper argues that TRIPS is a mechanism which commodifies and subsumes all life to markets.”
Notes:
· You are welcome to distribute this NECCSA Update electronically to any other interested person. You are also welcome to send news to be included in the next NECCSA update to emcemp@iafrica.com by 15 November 2005. You may send such contributions in the language of your choice.
· NECCSA’s website address is www.neccsa.org.za where membership details can also be found. You are invited to accept ownership of this website in order to use it to share information on Christianity and earthkeeping practices. Please send any information to the email address below.
· NECCSA’s banking details are: First National Bank, Musgrave Rd Branch, Branch code: 221126, Cheque account number: 62035719064.
· If you prefer not to receive the NECCSA Update in future, please send a message in this regard to the email address mentioned above.
· Distributed by EM Conradie 25/10/2005