IESCO: ‘Harbinger of change’

BALI — For two days, some 400 delegates from Asia, North America and Europe converged in this island resort in Indonesia to listen to reports on the impact of climate change and the prospect of the earth hurtling to space like a ball of fire ‑ if they do not take action to mitigate the harm human beings have been inflicting on their environments. The good news, if it can be called good, is that there is promise to delay the final conclusion of life on earth, if the participants and their governments do something.

The impact of climate change has manifested itself in natural catastrophes that seem to come more frequently than before. Heat waves in Europe, causing 14,000 deaths in August 2003. Tsunamis in Indonesia and Japan. Hurricanes in the United States — Katrina and Sandy — submerging what seemed inconceivable, New York city and cutting down electricity in a land so wrapped up in high-tech diversions. Flash floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes. In the Philippines, destructive floods and landslides caused by Ondoy, Sendong and Pablo, have come one after the other. There are pictures of parched lands and starving populations.

Indeed, the frequent natural disasters are seriously threatening human survival, intensifying regional conflicts, poverty and social instabilities, said a paper read at the Second World Ecological Safety Assembly (WESA) here. And these situations cannot be controlled by any single city or region, but through the collaborative efforts of countries around the world.

That is precisely what the WESA is trying to drum up in the psyches of its 158 member countries — to focus on international multi-lateral cooperation on climate change, ecological safety and sustainable development. The meeting in Bali is the second such enterprise; the first was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, two years ago.

 Bali as the  second WESA site is a good choice. The country itself is a model  for good “housekeeping.” Its forests are thick. One day of the year is no electricity-day in the whole country. In Bali alone, no structure is built beyond five stories. As our tour guide said, “We want Bali to look nice, without scary skyscrapers.”

Working side by side on this bi-yearly project are the IESCO (international Eco-Safety Cooperative Organization) and the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), a fraternal association of 318 member-parties — in opposition as well as parties in power — from 52 Asian states. IESCO and ICAPP have set out, according to former Philippine Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr,, ICAPP founding chairman, and IESCA co-chairman, “to encourage Asian governments and political parties to govern green — to ensure the interests of the environment are represented in public policy decisions in every Asian state and in every nation on earth.”

Joining ICAPP and IESCO in the battle against climate change and environmental degradation are African and Caribbean political parties. IESCO has now field offices in Beijing, New York City, St. Petersburg, Hong Kong and Geneva, and will work cooperatively with the United Nations and the international community on the issues of climate change. At the first WESA assembly in Phnom Penh, Cambodia two years ago, the Phnom Penh Declaration (Angkor) Protocol of WESA was signed, emphasizing the carrying out in-depth discussion of the topic of peaceful development and ecological safety.

Since that first assembly, a great number of ecological disasters have taken place. That such disasters could be avoided was emphasized in the speech of Dr. Jiang Mingjun, IESCO’s founder and director-general, who invented the term “ecological safety.” This term  calls for the harmonizing of the relationship between humans and nature and the laws  of nature. Said Mingjun:  at the Bali Assembly: “People need to protect and respect nature. If we don’t understand nature, we don’t understand life. Man’s fate depends on the times and the times depend on nature. Although we cannot change the law of nature, we can choose a form of scientific development that is harmonious with nature to achieve the balanced development of economy, sociology and society.”

At the Bali assembly, representatives spoke about efforts by their governments to tackle such thematic issues as resource scarcity and sustainable development, urban prevention/reduction, ecological safety legislation and practice, and climate change effects and countermeasures.

The People’s Republic of China has initiated such projects as Eco-cities and the restoration of the Yangtse and Yellow rivers.

De Venecia praised Mingjun’s “innovative spadework” in protecting the environment. The Nobel Laureate has set up an ecological safety demonstration base of 3,9000 hectares of land I northeast China. He divided the area into five sections  — one  devoted to agriculture production, another to animal husbandry, then agriculture processing plant, then forest tourism, and high-tech industry. “The objective is to see how these five activities of modern man could work — not in opposition — but symbiotically.”

 Stuart Scott, advisor to former US presidents on environmental issues and director of Interfaith Declaration of Climate Change, presented a dramatic power point presentation showing how near earth was evidencing the “Venus syndrome.” That’s like hell and fire, I must say. He challenged media to do something about what is irreversible, but can be reined in to prevent earth’s total destruction. “Earth is our home, we have nowhere else to go,” he said.

What could be the bible for safekeepers of the environment is the First Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, headed by Dr. R. K. Pachauri, the lead article in Tony Lopez’s prestigious BizNewsAsia, which was distributed in all its glossy glory at the assembly. The Report, produced by hundreds of scientists in the United States, presents dreadful scenarios revolving around heat waves, increased tropical cyclones, droughts, rising sea levels, and floods.

De Venecia emphasized the need for collective action against global warming. “As a start, the international community must set more rigorous standards against which to measure and penalize carbon emissions. Hence, our member states have agreed to make protection of the environment among their priority objectives in their parliaments.” IESCO’s goal, he said, “is to monitor proposed legislation, creating platforms and civil society characters for their sensitivity to climate change and protection of the environment.”

The women’s role in development and gender sensitivity are components of such policies. Philippine Representative Gina de Venecia spoke about Congress’ passing the Climate Change Act (RA 729) that seeks to protect the environment. In her own Dagupan district (Pangasinan), she has initiated such projects as planting of trees along roadsides and bamboo and viteber grass along river banks to present social erosion, construction of spur dikes, and protective walls along rivers.

Nalinee Taweesin, minister of the Prime Ministers Office of Thailand, told me this second assembly has moved positively towards achieving the IESCO goal. “It covers a broader outlook, with countries concerned about working tougher to fight climate change.”

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Congratulations to Sen. Manny Villar who is celebrating his birthday today. Timed with the celebration is the inauguration of the Villar SIPAG Center. According to former Las Pinas Representative (and likely future Senator)  Cynthia Villar,  who is chair and managing director of the Villar Foundation, the Villar  Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance will serve as home of all their efforts and endeavors to help people rise out of poverty.

Villar SIPAG Center will feature among others: Poverty Alleviation Museum, SIPAG Poverty Knowledge Management Center, Nacionalista Party Museum, Reception Hall, Mini-Theater, Offices, Archives and Training Rooms.

The Villar Foundation, through its various livelihood-generation and skills training initiatives, has played an active role in poverty alleviation for 20 years already, says Cynthia. Its barangay-based livelihood enterprises now provide income to over 500 families and other parts of the country, where it has established more than 50 pilot projects.

Pakistani  Sen. Musahid Hussain Sayed, happily summed up the impact of he second IESCO, thus: “The IESCO is a harbinger of efforts to fight climate change.”

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