Ghanaian-born barrister Awula Serwah, who is a Brent Community Champion and founder of the local Taking A Stand Against Littering and Fly-tipping initiative, recently presented a petition signed by over 3,500 supporters from Ghana and beyond to Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo through Ghana's Deputy High Commissioner in London H.E. Rita Tani Iddi.
Serwah, who lives in Neasden, leads the Eco-Conscious Citizens (ECC) group, which has been campaigning against a Ghanaian government ministry felling trees on Parks And Gardens lands in the Ghanaian capital Accra, to make way for building a multi-storey office complex.
With climate change in the news and activists, including Extinction Rebellion, demanding that world leaders take environmental issues seriously, ECC are hoping that President Akufo-Addo will respond positively to the petition.
ECC are asking the President to use his good offices to ensure that Parks And Gardens lands are kept exclusively for the green economy - that is sustainable environmental, horticultural or botanical use, and that:
1. There are no further attempts to re-zone any portion of Parks And Gardens land to exclusively Civic, so that a multi-purpose office complex can be built on the land.
2. The Department of Parks And Gardens is resourced to deliver the remit for which it was set up.
1. There are no further attempts to re-zone any portion of Parks And Gardens land to exclusively Civic, so that a multi-purpose office complex can be built on the land.
2. The Department of Parks And Gardens is resourced to deliver the remit for which it was set up.
“The multi-purpose office complex should be located elsewhere,” says ECC co-ordinator Awula Serwah. “It is vital that we preserve our parks and open spaces, and that Parks And Gardens land is kept for environmental purposes.”
32 comments:
Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win the Nobel Prize said "It's the little things citizens do. That's what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees. Our little thing is working towards a clean and healthy environment and preserving green spaces. Eco-Conscious Citizens.
This is a wonderful initiative and well overdue, also good to know Grent residents are behind this campaigne. i fully support!
Sipho
The Government must listen to voices of those like Eco-Conscious Citizens and our Extinction Rebellion affinity groups and networks in Ghana that are demanding positive action now on the Parks and Gardens land issue, in this critical time of worsening climate and ecological emergency. Pollution of our land, water bodies and air, destruction of Atewa, Kloyo, Wetogbika and other vitally necessary forests, mountains, mangroves, grasslands and wildlife, threaten whole species, habitats, eco-systems and communities like Kewuno with disappearance, and pose not only local, but also global environmental problems to our whole world.”
Kofi Mawuli Klu Eco-Conscious Citizen and Joint Coordinator of the Extinction Rebellion Internationalist Solidarity Network in United Kingdom.
I love nature and love to see places with a lot of green. It’s a shame that our cities and towns in Ghana are being left bare, trees, flowers are all being cut down and destroyed. Ayeeko to you all for keeping the fire burning to hit home the message that our environment needs to be preserved. Dr. Koram
Thanks to all who are supporting the Parks and Gardens campaign. Let's do all we can to protect our environment from becoming a concrete jungle. Education on the importance of green spaces.
God bless Akora Awula Serwah and the vibrant Eco-Conscious Citizens
If Water is Life then the Environment is the Life Support
A charge to keep we have to protect and sustain the environment so it won't be a concrete jungle
I fully support this campaign and think we all must support it.We can see how heavily it's raining in October!We don't need any more evidence of 'climate change' and its effects on Ghana!
Preserving our Parks and Gardens is not just doing so for its aesthetic boost to our landscape.
We are saving us!
"Trees are the Earth's original air cleansers; soaking up city pollution, helping to cool increasing urban temperatures, and pumping out fresh new Oxygen which literally keeps us alive."
https://www.treesforcities.org/stories/a-beginners-guide-to-urban-forest-bathing?gclid=Cj0KCQjwgNXtBRC6ARIsAIPP7RvY37O4vZHlzzriVgmTXrvwfqHPrfR7OHRheV4LuA0cu6Cf89qE2_QaAl-9EALw_wcB
Are our political leaders aware of these facts?
Kwaku
Important we think globally and act locally. We only have this planet and need to take care of it. Great to see Activists in the UK showing concern for the Environment in Ghana.
Great to see Activists in the UK showing concern for the Environment in Ghana. We are connected and need to think Global and act Local
It boggles the mind to see our leaders, the vast majority of whom studied abroad and are familiar with wide green spaces, return home and don't care about protecting green spaces in their native lands.
Protect the greenery....please!!!
I hope there would be strong protests here too, if a UK government agency or Brent Council planned to build tower blocks on one of our parks and green spaces. Northwick Park?
Dear Akora Awula Serwah, Kudos!!!
Thank you for helping us all make a difference with you. A Laudable Initiative, indeed! May you see the purpose to the end; and ALSO bring your Objectives to fruition in the interim. Warm Regards ALWAYS, #ML4Lyfe :-)
Fantastic Feat!
Dear Akora Awula Serwah, Kudos!!!
Wishing you the very best in your endeavors as it relates to this Laudable project. You have my unwavering support and I wish you the very best as ALWAYS!
#ML4Lyfe :-)
United for greener environment I add my voice to sister Awula Serwah in her campaign. Naglaa
We ignore environmental issues to our peril. Climate change is real. The floods in Accra should tell us that we cannot fell trees, destroy our forests. build haphazardly etc, without consequences.
Great initiative! Thank you all for your efforts for this noble cause. A special thank you to Awula Serwah for her untiring efforts; posterity will be thankful.
Congratulations to Accra Metropolitan Assembly on winning the 2019 Bloomberg Philanthropies Award for Citizen Engagement in addressing environmental pollution. Best wishes also for efforts made to preserve the urbanism's green spaces in accordance with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063.
Thanks everyone who has contributed. Here in Brent I would like to invite you to sign the petition asking Brent Council to divest its pension fund from fossi fuels. Let's invest in the fossil free future rather tahan helping fuel the climate crisis. https://campaigns.gofossilfree.org/petitions/divest-brent-council-from-fossil-fuels
Thanks, I have signed the petitio
Thanks Martin, I have signed the petition and will invite Brent residents to sign.
Wonderful job Eco Citizens! Ghana needs more people like you. God bless
Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley is reported to have said fossil fuels "need to stay in the ground" and that the government must make an "absolute commitment" to end it altogether. Hopefully whoever wins the election will listen.
Well Done to Rwanda for reaching its 30% forest cover target. Ghana can do likewise if the necessary steps are taken NOW, trees are planted and the felling of trees and destruction of forests and parks stops. Awula Serwah https://agrictoday.com.gh/2019/11/03/rwanda-reaches-30-forest-cover-target/Rwanda reaches 30% forest cover target.
It is astonishing that whilst the Mayor wants London to be the world’s first National Park City and for 50% of the city to be green by 2050, Ghana's Ministry of Local Government wants to build on a portion of Parks and Gardens land in Accra. 140 trees have been felled and 5,000 plants destroyed to make room for a multi-storey office building. Unbelievable. Eco-Conscious Citizens.
As an energy consultant, running an energy management and research institute, I know the effects emissions in cities have on life’s and how protecting the little green in the city can play to this. Would be glad to see the little green left, untouched and hence play its environmental role. Let’s fight save the little left. Donald Marshall
Our environment and ecology is directly related to our wellbeing and our survival at large. We must save, maintain and enhance it. Jerry Lartey
Still rooting for you. Great initiative!
We need to continue to protest this vandalism
Our heritage is being destroyed by selfish people just for money. What legacy are we leaving for the generation after we have gone? Concrete jungles
Let there be more Petitions and protests by Ghanaians around the globe until common sense prevails. Sam Okudzeto
We need to continue to protest this vandalism
Our heritage is being destroyed by selfish people just for money. What legacy are we leaving for the generation after we have gone? Concrete jungles
Let there be more Petitions and protests by Ghanaians around the globe until common sense prevails. Sam Okudzeto
Thank you to the leadership of ECC for presenting this petition. The Ghana Government must as a matter of urgency respond to this with some responsibility and action. The recent Global Forest Watch publication about wanton deforestation of rainforest, with other unpopular decisions like mining bauxite in Atewa put the country in a bad light and question our commitment to environmental sustainability. The felling of trees on parks and gardens must stop and the land protected for the green economy!
Our President is the Global Co-Chair of the SDGs and should back his position with commitment and action. Thank you Awula and all the campaigners for showing responsibility and inspiring the rest of us!
Thanks for fighting for the environment in Ghana. In August, during a stay in Biriwa I felt very bad about a Chinese company digging in the hills, destroying the beautiful coastal landscape, doing business that brings little profit to the local population. - Friends in the Bawku region let me know that there were heavy rains in Burkina Faso with the consequence of floods in Northern Ghana. This part of the country is threatened by influences of climatic change as well.
In October we had elections for the two chambers of the Swiss parliament. The green parties won 26 seats. They send now 45 of 200 deputies to the big chamber. There is hope.
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