Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has urged Nigerians not to allow their differences in religion, politics and even social stratification to create artificial and needless boundaries in other to achieve a greater state.This was contained in the governor’s New Year Message made available to newsmen on Friday in Akure by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Donald Ojogo.
Akeredolu expressed optimism that the best of all is embedded in every individual as long as the resolve to surmount challenges was placed above “self-abnegation“.
“Humanity has never been insulated from challenges and clearly too human challenges have never remained invincible and endlessly insolvent. Undoubtedly, Year 2020 was fraught with a web of challenges.
“All the same, our individual and collective approach to Year 2021 remains a potent force that can open our minds to the hidden and exploitable opportunities required for fresh paths of growth and development,’’ the governor said.
He said losing faith in ourselves and the nation was not an option but a clear route to self-abnegation.“We only require a new approach, fresh ideas for results of uncommon nature to face the unusual times, “ Akeredolu said. (NAN)
INTERVIEW | The emphasis on our humanity needs to comprehensively be incorporated into our education system and into our day to day life, said Indian classical dancer Ramli Ibrahim.
An accomplished dancer and trainer, the Kajang-born Ramli established his Sutra Dance Theatre in 1983.
In a recent interview, he spoke about the obstacles he faced as a Malay Muslim, problems in getting federal or state funds for Indian dance productions and the influence of national politics on arts and culture.
In fixing arts and culture in 2020, you wrote: “Taking away the extremist and sometimes confusing Islamic factors out of our arts and culture policies and doing away with some Islamic religious requirements.” How did these factors influence your journey as a young artist, and how do they influence young artists today?
As a Malay Muslim who has made Indian classical dance not only his vocation but also his lifetime pursuit, I have encountered my share of flak and obstacles from various Islamic agencies and some of the more religious members of the Muslim community.
Personally, I have never thought my involvement in Indian classical dance was a problem with being a Muslim. In actual fact…
Britain’s long and sometimes acrimonious divorce from the European Union ended Thursday with an economic split that leaves the EU smaller and the UK freer but more isolated in a turbulent world.
Britain left the European bloc’s vast single market for people, goods and services at 11pm London time, midnight in Brussels, completing the biggest single economic change the country has experienced since World War II. A different UK-EU trade deal will bring new restrictions and red tape, but for British Brexit supporters, it means reclaiming national independence from the EU and its web of rules.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose support for Brexit helped push the country out of the EU, called it “an amazing moment for this country.”
“We have our freedom in our hands, and it is up to us to make the most of it,” he said in a New Year’s video message.
People raise a glass and celebrate in Parliament Square as the bell known as Big Ben strikes 2300, and Britain ends its transition period and formally leaves the European Union in London.
The break comes 11 months after a political Brexit that left the two sides in the limbo of a “transition period” – like a separated couple still living together, wrangling and wondering whether they can remain friends. Now the UK has finally moved out.
It was a day some had longed for and others dreaded since Britain voted in a 2016 referendum to leave the EU, but it turned out to be something of an anticlimax. UK lockdown measures to curb the coronavirus curtailed mass gatherings to celebrate or mourn the moment, though a handful of Brexit supporters defied the restrictions to raise a toast outside Parliament as the Big Ben bell sounded 11 times on the hour.
Francisco Seco/AP
British citizens, who live in Belgium, hold candles and Union flags during an anti Brexit vigil in front of the UK mission building at the European quarter in Brussels.
A free trade agreement sealed on Christmas Eve after months of tense negotiations ensures that Britain and the 27-nation EU can continue to buy and sell goods without tariffs or quotas. That should help protect the 660 billion pounds in annual trade between the two sides, and the hundreds of thousands of jobs that rely on it.
But companies face sheaves of new costs and paperwork, including customs declarations and border checks. Traders are struggling to digest the new rules imposed by the 1,200-page trade deal.
Leon Neal/AP
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson signs the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement at 10 Downing Street, London on December 30, 2020.
The English Channel port of Dover and the Eurotunnel passenger and freight route braced for delays as the new measures were introduced, though the pandemic and a holiday weekend meant cross-Channel traffic was light, with only a trickle of trucks arriving at French border posts in Calais as 2020 ended.
The vital supply route was snarled for days after France closed its border to UK truckers for 48 hours last week in response to a fast-spreading variant of the virus identified in England.
The British government insisted that “the border systems and infrastructure we need are in place, and we are ready for the UK’s new start.”
But freight companies were holding their breath. Youngs Transportation in the UK suspended services to the EU until January 11 “to let things settle.”
Gareth Fuller/AP
The last ferries cross the border into northern Europe before the Brexit transition period concludes, and Britain begins its new relationship with the trading bloc from January 1.
“We figure it gives the country a week or so to get used to all of these new systems in and out, and we can have a look and hopefully resolve any issues in advance of actually sending our trucks,” said the company’s director, Rob Hollyman.
The services sector, which makes up 80 per cent of Britain’s economy, does not even know what the rules will be for business with the EU in 2021.
Many of the details have yet to be hammered out. Months and years of further discussion and argument over everything from fair competition to fish quotas lie ahead as Britain and the EU settle into their new relationship as friends, neighbors and rivals.
Matt Dunham/AP
Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions on gatherings people were moved on by police if they met in any number.
Hundreds of millions of individuals in Britain and the bloc also face changes to their daily lives. Britons and EU citizens have lost the automatic right to live and work in the other’s territory. From now on, they will have to follow immigration rules and obtain work visas. Tourists face new headaches including from travel insurance and pet paperwork.
For some in Britain, including the prime minister, it’s a moment of pride and a chance for the UK to set new diplomatic and economic priorities. Johnson said the UK was now “free to do trade deals around the world, and free to turbocharge our ambition to be a science superpower.”
Conservative lawmaker Bill Cash, who has campaigned for Brexit for decades, said it was a “victory for democracy and sovereignty.”
That’s not a view widely shared across the Channel. In the French president’s traditional New Year’s address, Emmanuel Macron expressed regret.
Johanna Geron/AP
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signs the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement at the European Council headquarters in Brussels.
<
p class=”sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph”> “The United Kingdom remains our neighbour but also our friend and ally,” he said. “This choice of leaving Europe, this Brexit, was the child of European malaise and lots of lies and false promises.”
The divorce could also have major constitutional repercussions for the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland, which shares a border with EU member Ireland, remains more closely tied to the bloc’s economy under the divorce terms, a status that could pull it away from the rest of the UK.
In Scotland, which voted strongly in 2016 to remain, Brexit has bolstered support for separation from the UK. The country’s pro-independence First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “Scotland will be back soon, Europe. Keep the light on.”
Many in Britain felt apprehension about a leap into the unknown that is taking place during a pandemic that has upended life around the world.
“I feel very sad that we’re leaving,” said Jen Pearcy-Edwards, a filmmaker in London. “I think that Covid-19 has overshadowed everything that is going on. But I think the other thing that has happened is that people feel a bigger sense of community, and I think that makes it even sadder that we’re breaking up our community a bit, by leaving our neighbours in Europe.
<
p class=”sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph”> “I’m hopeful that we find other ways to rebuild ties,” she said.
Are TV Ads More Animated During The Pandemic?“,”scope”:{“topStory”:{“title”:”Are TV Ads More Animated During The Pandemic?”,”uri”:”https://www.forbes.com/sites/warrenshoulberg/2021/12/31/are-tv-ads-more-animated-during-the-pandemic/”,”date”:{“monthDayYear”:”Dec 31, 2020″,”hourMinute”:”02:02″,”amPm”:”pm”,”isEDT”:false},”index”:1}},”id”:”a7n0bh37qq4000″},{“textContent”:”
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Retail’s Final ‘Front-Tier’ – Less Than 25% Of England’s Non-Essential Retail Is Open For Business“,”scope”:{“topStory”:{“title”:”Retail’s Final ‘Front-Tier’ – Less Than 25% Of England’s Non-Essential Retail Is Open For Business”,”uri”:”https://www.forbes.com/sites/katehardcastle/2021/12/31/retails-final-front-tierless-than-25-of-englands-non-essential-retail-is-open-for-business/”,”date”:{“monthDayYear”:”Dec 31, 2020″,”hourMinute”:”11:19″,”amPm”:”am”,”isEDT”:false},”index”:3}},”id”:”lp989rko72lk0″},{“textContent”:”
How China’s Antitrust And Monopoly Probe Will Disrupt Tech Titans In Retail“,”scope”:{“topStory”:{“title”:”How China’s Antitrust And Monopoly Probe Will Disrupt Tech Titans In Retail”,”uri”:”https://www.forbes.com/sites/tiffanylung/2021/12/31/how-chinas-antitrust-and-monopoly-probe-will-disrupt-tech-titans-in-retail/”,”date”:{“monthDayYear”:”Dec 31, 2020″,”hourMinute”:”09:30″,”amPm”:”am”,”isEDT”:false},”index”:4}},”id”:”d3pe7fce3f4000″},{“textContent”:”
Israeli Computer Vision Startup Raises $60 Million To Expand ‘Frictionless’ Checkout“,”scope”:{“topStory”:{“title”:”Israeli Computer Vision Startup Raises $60 Million To Expand ‘Frictionless’ Checkout”,”uri”:”https://www.forbes.com/sites/denisepower/2021/12/31/israeli-computer-vision-startup-raises-60-million-to-expand-frictionless-checkout/”,”date”:{“monthDayYear”:”Dec 31, 2020″,”hourMinute”:”08:10″,”amPm”:”am”,”isEDT”:false},”index”:5}},”id”:”2kg7np808qk800″},{“textContent”:”
France’s Lagardere Enters Hainan As Duty-Free Competition Heats Up“,”scope”:{“topStory”:{“title”:”France’s Lagardere Enters Hainan As Duty-Free Competition Heats Up”,”uri”:”https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinrozario/2021/12/30/frances-lagardere-enters-hainan-as-duty-free-competition-heats-up/”,”date”:{“monthDayYear”:”Dec 30, 2020″,”hourMinute”:”11:28″,”amPm”:”pm”,”isEDT”:false},”index”:6}},”id”:”7bc3qdmm9pcg00″},{“textContent”:”
Who Will Be The Next CEO At JCPenney? (And Why?)“,”scope”:{“topStory”:{“title”:”Who Will Be The Next CEO At JCPenney? (And Why?)”,”uri”:”https://www.forbes.com/sites/warrenshoulberg/2021/12/30/who-will-be-the-next-ceo-at-jcpenney-and-why/”,”date”:{“monthDayYear”:”Dec 30, 2020″,”hourMinute”:”05:14″,”amPm”:”pm”,”isEDT”:false},”index”:7}},”id”:”6fbmjgkb61ec00″},{“textContent”:”
New Tiers, New Fears For Retail And Hospitality“,”scope”:{“topStory”:{“title”:”New Tiers, New Fears For Retail And Hospitality”,”uri”:”https://www.forbes.com/sites/katehardcastle/2021/12/30/new-tiers-new-fears-for-retail-and-hospitality/”,”date”:{“monthDayYear”:”Dec 30, 2020″,”hourMinute”:”03:13″,”amPm”:”pm”,”isEDT”:false},”index”:8}},”id”:”7n518jfkd3ko00″},{“textContent”:”
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… relationship between Britain and the EU as sovereign equals, joined by … European Union, with both European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council … made in Europe.”
The European Parliament is expected to examine the …
One of next year’s most-anticipated young adult books is a sequel to “The Hate U Give.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
2020 has been a year everyone wants to forget in many ways. But for publishing, it was actually an amazing year—and that includes the collection of young adult (YA) novels.
The best YA books of the year touched on serious issues and examined current events through unique viewpoints.
Keep in mind that “best” doesn’t correlate with “notable.” For example, while Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, was certainly notable, it wasn’t one of the
year’s most surprising or imaginative efforts.
Here are 10 YA books that stood out in 2020, as well as five more that look the most promising for 2021.
Best YA Books of 2020
Camp by L.C. Rosen
Boy meets boy, boy ignores boy, boy gives himself a masc makeover to get boy’s attention, boy meets boy again and sparks finally fly. The book takes place at an LGBTQIA+ camp, and it gives both boys strong backstories so that their actions make sense, even when you want to scream at them. The secondary characters are a delight.
MORE FOR YOU
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
One of the most gifted poets of her generation, Acevedo takes a storyline that might feel like “too much” in the hands of another writer (long-lost sisters) and turns it into another masterpiece. She uses language in unexpected and lyrical ways.
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
So many books are about relationships. While the protagonist falls in love in this gem, the book is, at its heart, about Felix’s relationship to himself. Callendar spins a tight mystery while also exploring issues of identity and class, without seeming heavy-handed.
The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson
The final in Johnson’s trio of Truly Devious books brings the mystery series to a satisfying conclusion. The three books manage to be both eerily atmospheric and impressively modern, balancing between two eras and doing it well.
Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know by Samira Ahmed
The imaginative premise of this book follows two teenage girls living 200 years apart yet somehow connected through their struggles. They have big choices to make, and watching them navigate through the parts of their lives they want to change makes this a page-turner.
We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez
This novel about three young people fleeing Guatemala through Mexico makes immigration policy relatable for teens through outstanding storytelling. At times thrilling, at times heart-wrenching, the book stays with you long after you finish reading it.
We Are Not Free by Traci Chee
Another timely look at race, this time through the eyes of second-generation Japanese-Americans, teenagers whose lives are changed by the incarceration camps in the United States during World War II. The book follows them as they fight through the trauma of racism and injustice.
Punching the Air, by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
One of the best-reviewed YA books on GoodReads this year, Air tells the story of a boy who’s wrongly incarcerated—something Salaam, one of the “Exonerated 5,” knows all too much about. Amal Shahid sees his chances of becoming an artist dim as he fights to prove his innocence after his conviction.
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown
Combining folklore, fantasy and a critical examination of refugee policy, Wraiths became an instant bestseller last summer. It’s hard to put down this action-packed book; luckily it’s part one of a duology.
Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
The debut rom-com is just as adorable as the title, putting a new spin on the old “friends to enemies” trope. There’s definitely a “You’ve Got Mail” feel to this book, which also features the protagonists’ family businesses at war.
Five to Watch for in 2021
Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson
Her fantastic debut, You Should See Me in a Crown, was another 2020 favorite, and Johnson’s second book deals with themes of loss and (again!) music.
People raise a glass and celebrate in Parliament Square as the bell known as Big Ben strikes 2300, and Britain ends its transition period and formally leaves the European Union in London, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions on gatherings people were moved on by police if they met in any number . less
People raise a glass and celebrate in Parliament Square as the bell known as Big Ben strikes 2300, and Britain ends its transition period and formally leaves the European Union in London, Thursday, Dec. 31, … more
Photo: Matt Dunham, AP
Photo: Matt Dunham, AP
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People raise a glass and celebrate in Parliament Square as the bell known as Big Ben strikes 2300, and Britain ends its transition period and formally leaves the European Union in London, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions on gatherings people were moved on by police if they met in any number . less
People raise a glass and celebrate in Parliament Square as the bell known as Big Ben strikes 2300, and Britain ends its transition period and formally leaves the European Union in London, Thursday, Dec. 31, … more
Photo: Matt Dunham, AP
Britain ends long Brexit journey with economic break from EU
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LONDON (AP) — Britain’s long and sometimes acrimonious divorce from the European Union ended Thursday with an economic split that leaves the EU smaller and the U.K. freer but more isolated in a turbulent world.
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Britain left the European bloc’s vast single market for people, goods and services at 11 p.m. London time, midnight in Brussels, completing the biggest single economic change the country has experienced since World War II. A different U.K.-EU trade deal will bring new restrictions and red tape, but for British Brexit supporters, it means reclaiming national independence from the EU and its web of rules.
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose support for Brexit helped push the country out of the EU, called it “an amazing moment for this country.”
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“We have our freedom in our hands, and it is up to us to make the most of it,” he said in a New Year’s video message.
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The break comes 11 months after a political Brexit that left the two sides in the limbo of a “transition period” — like a separated couple still living together, wrangling and wondering whether they can remain friends. Now the U.K. has finally moved out.
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It was a day some had longed for and others dreaded since Britain voted in a 2016 referendum to leave the EU, but it turned out to be something of an anticlimax. U.K. lockdown measures to curb the coronavirus curtailed mass gatherings to celebrate or mourn the moment, though a handful of Brexit supporters defied the restrictions to raise a toast outside Parliament as the Big Ben bell sounded 11 times on the hour.
A free trade agreement sealed on Christmas Eve after months of tense negotiations ensures that Britain and the 27-nation EU can continue to buy and sell goods without tariffs or quotas. That should help protect the 660 billion pounds ($894 billion) in annual trade between the two sides, and the hundreds of thousands of jobs that rely on it.
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But companies face sheaves of new costs and paperwork, including customs declarations and border checks. Traders are struggling to digest the new rules imposed by the 1,200-page trade deal.
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The English Channel port of Dover and the Eurotunnel passenger and freight route braced for delays as the new measures were introduced, though the pandemic and a holiday weekend meant cross-Channel traffic was light, with only a trickle of trucks arriving at French border posts in Calais as 2020 ended. The vital supply route was snarled for days after France closed its border to U.K. truckers for 48 hours last week in response to a fast-spreading variant of the virus identified in England.
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The British government insisted that “the border systems and infrastructure we need are in place, and we are ready for the U.K.’s new start.”
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But freight companies were holding their breath. Youngs Transportation in the U.K. suspended services to the EU until Jan. 11 “to let things settle.”
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“We figure it gives the country a week or so to get used to all of these new systems in and out, and we can have a look and hopefully resolve any issues in advance of actually sending our trucks,” said the company's director, Rob Hollyman.
<!-- text -->
The services sector, which makes up 80% of Britain’s economy, does not even know what the rules will be for business with the EU in 2021. Many of the details have yet to be hammered out. Months and years of further discussion and argument over everything from fair competition to fish quotas lie ahead as Britain and the EU settle into their new relationship as friends, neighbors and rivals.
<!-- text -->
Hundreds of millions of individuals in Britain and the bloc also face changes to their daily lives. Britons and EU citizens have lost the automatic right to live and work in the other’s territory. From now on, they will have to follow immigration rules and obtain work visas. Tourists face new headaches including from travel insurance and pet paperwork.
<!-- text -->
For some in Britain, including the prime minister, it’s a moment of pride and a chance for the U.K. to set new diplomatic and economic priorities. Johnson said the U.K. was now “free to do trade deals around the world, and free to turbocharge our ambition to be a science superpower.”
<!-- text -->
Conservative lawmaker Bill Cash, who has campaigned for Brexit for decades, said it was a “victory for democracy and sovereignty.”
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That’s not a view widely shared across the Channel. In the French president’s traditional New Year’s address, Emmanuel Macron expressed regret.
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“The United Kingdom remains our neighbor but also our friend and ally,” he said. “This choice of leaving Europe, this Brexit, was the child of European malaise and lots of lies and false promises.”
<!-- text -->
The divorce could also have major constitutional repercussions for the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland, which shares a border with EU member Ireland, remains more closely tied to the bloc’s economy under the divorce terms, a status that could pull it away from the rest of the U.K.
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In Scotland, which voted strongly in 2016 to remain, Brexit has bolstered support for separation from the U.K. The country’s pro-independence First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “Scotland will be back soon, Europe. Keep the light on.”
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Many in Britain felt apprehension about a leap into the unknown that is taking place during a pandemic that has upended life around the world.
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“I feel very sad that we’re leaving,” said Jen Pearcy-Edwards, a filmmaker in London. “I think that COVID has overshadowed everything that is going on. But I think the other thing that has happened is that people feel a bigger sense of community, and I think that makes it even sadder that we’re breaking up our community a bit, by leaving our neighbours in Europe.
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“I’m hopeful that we find other ways to rebuild ties,” she said.
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___
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Associated Press writers Renee Graham in London and John Leicester in Le Pecq, France, contributed to this report.
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Follow all AP stories on Brexit at <a href="https://apnews.com/Brexit" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">https://apnews.com/Brexit</a>
European Commission Statement Brussels, 31 Dec 2020 The situation facing more than 900 migrants in Lipa, Bosnia and Herzegovina, is dire. They are without adequate shelter in severe winter conditions. This mornin…
The European Council adopted on Tuesday the decision on the signing of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement and its provisional application as of January 1, 2021, according to a press release from the Council.
The agreement will now be signed by the two parties on Wednesday. European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will sign in Brussels on behalf of the European Union (EU) while Prime Minister Boris Johnson will sign in London on behalf of the United Kingdom, the release added.
“Next #BrexitDeal hurdle cleared: EU member states have given the final green light by written procedure to the provisional application of the EU-UK Trade & Cooperation Agreement as of January 1, 2021,” Sebastian Fischer, spokesperson for the German Presidency of the EU Council, tweeted.
Next year, the Council will adopt the decision on the conclusion of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, once the European Parliament has given its consent and once all procedures necessary for the entry into force have been completed, according to the release.
The fast-track procedures were adopted in the EU as the post-Brexit agreement was only reached one week before the transitional period expires at the end of 2020.
The EU and the UK announced last Thursday the reaching of an agreement that will govern bilateral trade and security relationship starting from Jan. 1, 2021.
The deal will need the approval of the European Parliament, the British Parliament and the EU’s 27 member states.
The UK is the EU’s third largest trading partner in goods, after the United States and China.
In recent years we have seen the continuous, unrelenting abuse of the world’s resources. Forests and trees, which are critical to ecosystems and planetary biodiversity, are under acute stress. According to the Buddhist tradition, the Buddha was born from Maya’s side under a tree. He achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, and delivered his first sermon and entered parinirvana under the shelter of trees. For religious and scientific reasons, the health of forest ecosystems is critical to the Buddhist idea of collective, planetary well-being.
Deforestation is a major threat in many majority Buddhist countries, including Thailand and Cambodia. Decades of illegal logging has had an adverse effect on local economies, food security, and biodiversity. However, a group of Buddhist monks and activists in Thailand and Cambodia are working together to protect threatened forests, integrating Buddhist principles with environmental awareness, providing consultation to government officials about environmental issues, and implementing sustainability projects. They are also involved in tree ordination, which over the past few years has gained media attention around the world for its innovative and inspiring message about the sanctity of the natural world.
In their campaigns, the eco-monks highlight how the selfish and short-sighted desire for economic gain and accelerated development have led to the exploitation of resources. They see it as their duty to bring traditional religious concepts and rituals to bear on contemporary ecological needs.
For years, the monks have made a substantial difference by cooperating with local NGOs to formulate sustainable development plans, developing education programs to encourage alternative farming methods that place a lighter burden on the land, and providing farmers with the knowledge, tools, and financial support to improve villagers’ economic circumstances.
Prominent eco-monk Phrakhu Sangkom Thanapanyo Khunsuri has established a traditional farming school at his temple in the eastern Thai province of Chonburi: the Maab-Euang Meditation Center for Sufficiency Economy. With many full-time students, Phra Sangkom teaches the Buddhist concepts of personal reflection and a theory called the Sufficiency Economy, which was developed by the late Thai monarch Bhumibol Adulyadej to promote subsistence farming, encourage self-sufficiency, and teach detachment from materialism and consumerism.
In Bangkok, another eco-monk, Phrakhu Win Mektripop, who holds a master’s degree in environmental economics from Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University, has taught for years on the interrelationship between Buddhism and environmentalism. Many Thai universities and NGOs have followed in the stead of these monks by promoting environmental values founded on the Buddhist teaching to farmers and residents. The Bangkok-based International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB) is one such organization working to connect Buddhist and non-Buddhist social and environmental activists across Asia and the world.
Thai monks are also teaching their Cambodian counterparts to protect forests. For example, Cambodian monk Ven. Bun Saluth, head of Samrong Pagoda in Oddar Meanchey Province, is a pioneer in protecting forests in Cambodia. Ven. Bun Saluth grew up in a rural village, the son of a farmer, but left home at an early age to become a monk. He spent five years studying in Thailand, where he lived with a group of eco-monks, returning home in February 2002 with a vision to protect his country’s forests. He has since succeeded in preserving 18,261 hectares of forest land in Oddar Meanchey. For his work, Ven. Bun Saluth was awarded the Equator Prize by the United Nations Development Programme in 2010.
According to a World Bank report, 73 per cent of Cambodia was covered by forest in 1990, but by 2010 that had fallen to 57 per cent. The monks fighting to preserve Cambodia’s forests have worked mainly through two large groups: the Monks Community Forest (MCF) and the Independent Monk Network for Social Justice (IMNSJ). Both groups are battling to save forests by demanding stronger government action against deforestation and lobbying lawmakers for greater protection of trees.
The IMNSJ has more than 5,000 monastic followers who teach local people how to use social media to raise awareness about illegal logging by uploading photos and videos and publishing articles. The monks also teach local residents what they can do to prevent deforestation. IMNSJ founder and leader Vene. Buntenh is a passionate advocate of preventing deforestation. Among his concerns are the threats against Prey Lang, one of Cambodia’s largest and oldest evergreen woodlands, comprised of 3,600 square kilometres of forest, including giant luxury timber trees, and home to at least 20 endangered plant species and 27 endangered animal species. Large sections of Prey Lang have already disappeared to make space for plantations, and illegal loggers have removed large patches of trees in protected areas.
The environmental and conservation activities of monks in Thailand and Cambodia also extend to performing tree ordination ceremonies. Tree ordination, adopted from traditional Buddhist practices, is popular in many Buddhist-majority countries. Trees are given “monastic ordination” and wrapped in the iconic saffron cloth worn by Theravada monks, thereby making them sacred and protecting the trees from damage, destruction, and deforestation.
Although the practice of tree ordination did not exist in the Buddha’s time, it is clear that the dedicated teams of monks aspire to create a “pure land” in the human realm. This engaged aspiration has led to the organic development of tree ordination tradition. A monastic robe wrapped around a tree symbolizes the aspiration to not only reduce deforestation, but also to establish a wildlife reserve in the area.
However, monks and activists in Thailand and Cambodia have also come under fire for their activities. Ven. Buntenh was charged with fraud alongside two other civic leaders in January 2018, prompting him to live in exile in the US. In the same year, the supreme patriarch of Cambodia’s monastic sangha turned against the activists, saying that monks should not be involved in protests and calling on pagodas to close their doors to those who are.
At a more everyday level, eco-monks continue to receive criticism about their methodology. Some say that the prominence of monks in worldly or political affairs will lead younger generations of monks to put less emphasis on their monastic lives and practice. It has been a tradition for the Thai monastic sangha to remain conservative on social issues, with monks rarely commenting on topics with political implications. Thai conservatives firmly believe that the role of the monastic sangha should be restricted to the spiritual realm. Less ideological and more pragmatic detractors worry about a hostile relationship developing between monks and the government as a result of repeated clashes. The role of Buddhism in Thai communities as a whole has also been challenged, owing to increasing government involvement and scrutiny.
Nevertheless, the eco-monks insist that they simply want to promote awareness of dependent origination as taught by the Buddha. All things exist through complex causes and conditions, which in turn become the causes and conditions for other phenomena. From this perspective, the world is a vast web of interdependence, in which human and environmental well-being are inseparable. Individuals, communities, businesses, and governments therefore must incorporate mindfulness of this reality into their daily work to avoid destructive acts against nature. This is the ultimate objective of the eco-monks: to protect the forests and trees for the well-being of the environment while also eliminating mental defilements and relieving human suffering.
We live in a world full of thorny and complex issues that demand nuance and sensitivity. We should not overlook the power of religion to address social issues, such as environmental problems, war and peace, and so on. The activities of eco-monks remind us of the benefits of engaged buddhism. Each one of us can take part in the fight for eco-values and religious values.
WWF believes that the green economy approach is the choice for a viable future in the Mekong and, recognising the anticipated changes in the region, is both realistic and feasible. Conservation responses need to be both strategic, addressing the need for long-term development, and where necessary tactical, using temporary measures to secure species and ecosystems under imminent threat. Multiple actions will be needed, ranging from initiatives at international, regional and national policy level to many thousands of projects, negotiations and decisions at the level of sites and landscapes.
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