HOMEF Plans School Of Ecology On Shifting Power Lines In Nigeria, Africa

Ecological think tank and advocacy group, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has disclosed that it has perfected plans to commence a School of Ecology on shifting the power lines in Nigeria and Africa.

In a statement issued in Benin City by its Programmes Manager, Joyce Brown, the group said it was inviting interested persons to participate in efforts to deconstruct popular fossil imaginaries, generate and amplify energy through solidarity to enable it to build a climate-resilient world in which “we can all live in harmony with our environment.”

The group had commenced its School of Ecology (SoE) in 2021 with the School of Anthropocene, which was held in January in collaboration with the University of Lyon, adding: “That session was a major move towards our plans to build stronger alliances for the change it seeks.

HOMEF, through its Ikike vehicle, held a session of its SoE on Environmental Justice in April and will hold five more sessions during the year. The focus for each session is well aimed at responding to prevailing environmental, biosafety, biosecurity and ultimately human rights issues.

  Topics in upcoming sessions include Shifting the Power Lines, Politics of the Sea, Political Ecology, Transforming the Earth, Biosafety, Biosecurity and Food Sovereignty.
It also announced that the dates for the sessions have already been updated from what was previously planned at the beginning of the year and the details of these changes, including the topics to be covered for each session can be accessed on https://homef.org/2021/03/05/school-of-ecology-2021-schedule-curriculum.

HOMEF also disclosed that it was collaborating with Oilwatch regional groups in Latin America and South-East Asia on Shifting the Power Lines with activities including Stilt Roots Dialogues with fishers, research on mangroves, poetry and coalescing of stories of resistance, resilience and innovation concerning socio-political power relations and power modes from fishers in Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia.

These stories built through popular participatory research studies on aspects of local ecosystems (like mangroves) are hooks for a thriving economic, socio-cultural life and community renewal and will be used for continued advocacy to build demands for alternative energy and protection of our coastlines and security of livelihoods.

The objectives of the project include pressuring governments to commit to shifting power modes from fossil fuels to renewables to build a fossil-free future and amplify the actions of women and youths in the movement against energy colonialism, especially in the areas wracked by systemic environmental racism.

“The project will end with the session of School of Ecology on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 27-28, 2021 at 10 a.m daily. This session promises to be engaging, informative, thought-provoking and actions propelling,” the statement added.