On this edition of Enviro:

Felix  Daramola talks about his organisation ‘European Legacy Organisation Advocate for humanity’ This is an advocacy project whereby he and other legal people and volunteers work pro-bono representing  people of all or any nationality who have to be represented in  court. One of his volunteers, Alice was in studio also and spoke about the project.  This is a voluntary commitment and receives no state funding.  He has also some students working with him as interns. Felix described his work and efforts he has made to get some state funding but without success so far.

The panel also speak with Deirdre Lane who is involved in many community projects including the zero waste initiative. She also helps to organise the Cottage market in Newbridge Co. Kildare. Deirdre is also very interested and hopefully will get more involved with Forest Friends Ireland. We spoke about some of Forest Friends projects including the Peace Forest Ireland Project and the World Peace Centre which Forest Friends are planning for the border counties to be based on other such centres including Auroville in Tamil Nadu in Eastern India.

John pointed out that it is important that we know and acknowledge what inspires us. He gave three quotes which form the basis of his motivation:

Firstly, Chief Seattle: “All things are created like the blood that unites one family. Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth. Man did not weave the Web of Life. He is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the Earth he does to himself. This we know”

Secondly: Peter Seeger quote: “O Sacred World now wounded we pledge to set you free of hate and war and hunger and selfish cruelty. And here in this small corner we plant a tiny seed, and it will grow in beauty to shame the face of greed”

Thirdly: Quote from Deep Forest: “Somewhere deep in the jungle are some little people. They are our past and maybe our future”. Deep Forest is a musical and research group who have produced several CDs and gathered music and song from different tribes and communities in Africa including the Baku people of Cameroon who are keepers of the rainforest. These peoples are small in stature sometimes called ‘pygmies’. Deep Forest has won awards for their conservation work.

The students who were our guests are in the process of making a video for Dublin Culture night about one of Ireland’s most important literary figures Brendan Behan; culture night will be 21^st. September 2018.

There followed a discussion on aspects of the program with panellist Joe Dunne playing a prominent part in them.

Producer/Presenter John Haughton: Panellist: Joe Dunne

Other Guests: students from Italy on cultural project with Forest Friends Ireland.

First aired 30/07/2018