Stockholm Syndrome of confinement
The pandemic has taken away our freedom due to the global state of alarm.
Despite the desire to regain our lost freedom, living with so much uncertainty is hard; We are living through challenging times that amplify the challenging emotions, anxiety or anguish, that we are feeling. Something similar to what Erich Fromm described in his book "The fear of freedom" where he defines the psychological bases of what will become the Stockholm Syndrome several decades later.
The pandemic has drawn a veil that makes visible the situation of structural inequalities between individuals and countries. Structural inequalities upset sense of justice. This confronts us with the challenge of taking charge of what world we would like to live in, but above all it places us before the dilemma of deciding what we will do to get out of what are our chronic structural problems, a mild way of qualifying socio-environmental failures. that have been repeated with obsessive fidelity for decades and that reveal the failure of many world leaders, but also the failure of a large part of society.
A friendly city with the environment and home to the germ of the environmental response does not deserve to be associated with a pathology but with a therapeutic one. 50 years after the Stockholm meeting, we will recommit to human and planetary health, but in a different world because it faces three crises that threaten our existence: climate change, biodiversity loss, and waste pollution. A polluted planet puts humanity's health, prosperity, equality and peace at risk. An unhealthy planet also threatens the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The future we don't want
This pandemic will not be the last one; climate change is a reality that will convert the exceptional and catastrophic events into cyclical and habitual ones. The future we really want depends upon everybody´s sense of responsibility and commitment, an austere and measured behavior, build more inclusive and equitable societies and respect for nature and for the diversity of non-human life because human needs are within the dynamics of environmental balance. The ecosystem is the supplier for our basic needs and those of future generations. The Earth is our common home, we are all part of the natural environment.
The change of attitude and behaviors goes through environmental awareness and education. If we realize that there is something we can do for the planet, then we are probably more inclined to do something. Basically, it is about doing what is right and making the pro-environmental choice. That's why it's necessary to increase education levels, especially for women. Women are the ones who educate families, and they are the ones who decide the family economy, and for this reason the influence that an informed and prepared woman can have on the sustainability of economic activities is very important.
The work of women in building environmental awareness and upholding environmental values is therefore pivotal to the greening of societies. Furthermore, the work of women is fundamental to advancing the concept of responsible pro-environmental citizenship into the future by nurturing the next generation for eco-citizens with appropriate values, beliefs and motivation. This is a crucial contribution to the collective sustainability project. Of course, many more contributions are indispensable because this critical situation raises the need for new approaches and innovative proposals based on knowledge to be able to address solutions according to the magnitude of the problems in the search for "sustained economic growth", taking into account the planetary limits or the capacity loading of ecosystems.
Our responsibility, our opportunity
Facing the pandemic is also the way to combat those causes that are in our hands to be modified, such as climate change. At COP26 in Glasgow, in line with the IPCC report, it became clear that humanity had reached one of those pivotal points in its history where its activities are the main determinants of its own future. But there is still time to limit climate change, IPCC experts say. The report is clear: to have a chance of reaching the 1.5°C target, the world needs to almost halve greenhouse gas emissions in the next eight years. However, so far promises are inconsistent with most 2030 national commitments, UNEP warns. It would seem that world leaders are not notified of the emergency. Climate change poses as great a threat as the approaching comet - from the movie "Don't Look Up"- that will destroy planet Earth. But, far from shocking national leaders, they are trying to game climate negotiations in order to shift the costs of adaptation onto others. The advanced economies – including those that claim to be committed to climate action – have broken their promise to support the climate transition in the Global South. Therefore, I hope this meeting will be an opportunity to make global leaders aware of the need to create a new grand negotiation focused on supporting adaptation in the developing world, for loss and damage is key. Be aware of the compelling need to meet the increasing demands of some of the world's poorest and most vulnerable communities that are on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
Stockholm+50 is an opportunity to take advantage of Sweden's environmental leadership and other models of environmental governance to show the way forward in both energy sustainability and waste management that includes prevention, reuse and recycling stations. A new model of international coordination that will be perfected is imperative, but it clearly marks the birth of a new stage.
Of course, It is time to take stock of the system-wide efforts undertaken by the United Nations in addressing the environmental agenda since the 1972 Stockholm Conference; To be sure, climate-change COPs have gradually made important contributions to the climate fight according to Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement. But power politics have stood in the way of real progress. Accordingly, it is time for nations to become aware of the need to increase their ambitions in terms of reducing carbon dioxide emissions, accelerate the implementation of international commitments in the context of the Decade of Action, the Multilateral Environmental Agreements, the Sustainable Development Goals as well as other UN initiatives.
The urgency to act and to engage in transdisciplinary approaches require pulling together expertise and knowledge from all sectors of society and science; multiculturally inclusive, and representative across sectors, includes native peoples with their ancestral knowledge. Thus, solutions should be equitable, sustainable, and accessible so that a safe and just operating space is created that help redefine humankind’s relationship with nature and create conditions for prosperity within planetary boundaries.
UNITY MAKES STRENGTH!!!!!
Claudia Ramona Moray. I am a proud Argentinian
AUTHOR, EDUCATOR, ENVIRONMENTALIST.
Ambassador of Peace for a Thousand Millennia of Peace.
I have dedicated myself to the environment, sustainability, and climate change after being inspired by my birthplace. Being born and raised in Misiones, part of the Paranaense Forest, I witnessed the deforestation of the Iguazú Jungle, one of the top 10 most threatened forest hotspots in the world. Despite being born there, I was able to realize my dream of obtaining a quality higher education, I am Lawyer and Architect with honors degrees.
Passionate about environmental justice and dedicated to empower people to lead change in their communities, I have worked for many years in humanitarian field.
I was nominated by Argentina to attend UNFCCC, United Nations Climate Change Conference, the meeting sessions COP 21 (Paris - 2015), COP 22 (Marrakech - 2016), COP 23 (Bonn - 2017), COP 24 (Katowice - 2018) and COP 25 (Madrid - 2019) and COP 26 (Glasgow - 2021).
My professional experience includes managerial and leadership positions. I collaborate with NGOs.
I served as senior adviser to The House of Representatives of Argentina and the Chamber of Senators of the Province of Buenos Aires.
I have my own community dining room open to anyone in need of a meal. It is named "Mr Alciro" in honor of my father.
