In April 2020, during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, Organic Agriculture Association (OAA), a SEENET member from Albania, prepared the video titled NATURE IS SENDING US A MESSAGE. The message is that the virus is climate change rapidly sped up, which means we need to learn a lesson from the impact of the corona virus all over the world.
OAA produced a professional video in English for people in the region and broader for proper reflection on the time of emergency, due to Covid-19 virus pandemic situation and in the meantime ask people for environmental and livelihood challenges generated by such extraordinary global circumstances.
The first message was how people can better adapt to restrictions, illustrated with a concrete example of a family that comes up with a certain consumable product like few vegetables by making a garden on their balcony. We need to use the space we have in best possible way, like small spaces in the cities and open spaces and fields which have a great potential. Big challenge is not to abandon the rural areas and rural livelihood as big, crowded cities do not offer better life.
Even more important than the momentary adaptation are big challenges humans have to deal with in the post pandemic situation, in relation with need to change the way of living, reaction to climate change, air pollution spatial distribution, rural development, wildlife protection, etc. The lesson was and of course still is to go to every individual, organization or government. Everyone needs to understand the message the coronavirus sends. We should not go to the normality that we had, which was not normal at all. We need to move to a new, environmentally friendly normality.
The EU is already set to deliver green stimulants as the European Commission’s Green Deal chief, Frans Timmermans said, “every euro spent on economic recovery measures after the COVID-19 crisis would be linked to the green and digital transitions.” But civil society can not stand a side in this time of change. It needs to play the role to protect the nature and secure better future now.
Realisation of this video was enabled by a small grant as part of the project “Support to SEENET network”. It had in 2 weeks more than 1600 views and it is still online getting attention. We hereby ask other members of the network to share this link and show their support for OAA.