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Special Report |
LAST UPDATE August 27, 2007
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| site design imagesparkle.com |
| May 21, 2007 |
Global University Unit 3 – Sustainable Living |
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| GU students on an exposure tour at CESTA in El Salvador |
Why Is The Hummingbird’s Forest Burning?
A South American Fable
“The forest was on fire.
All of the animals, insects and birds in the forest rushed to escape.
But there was one little hummingbird named Kurikindi, or Golden Bird, who stayed behind.
This little bird went back and forth between water and fire, dropping a single drop of water from its beak onto the fire below.
When the animals saw this they began to laugh at Kurikindi.
“Why are you doing that?” they asked.
And Kurikindi replied, “I am only doing what I can do.” |
site design imagesparkle.com |
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| All GU students on their exposure tour with Futoshi Sato (center) |
Using this story as an inspiration, Global University (GU) students learned that each one of us has the power to positively create change in our environment for the better – no matter how big or small the contribution. Study topics throughout this unit ranged from organic farming to fair trade practices.
Onboard, GU students learned about the town of Ogawamachi in Japan as an example of a functioning sustainable society. Guest educator Futoshi Sato lives in this community; he explained that it is possible to use ‘local currency’ in exchange for goods like liquid fertilizer or fresh vegetables. He also provided examples of how the community works together to reduce waste, save money and support each other. |
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| CESTA director, Ricardo Navarro is interviewed |
GU students had an opportunity on an exposure tour to visit the Salvadoran Center for Appropriate Technology (CESTA), and saw the adverse effects of globalization in El Salvador. They visited communities and heard from guest speakers including CESTA director Ricardo Navarro, who joined the students both onboard the ship and during their exposure tour, about how environmental devastation and change has impacted their lives, and they saw how poor waste management has polluted a main river and water source. CESTA explained how through education and projects they are reversing this detrimental cycle. |
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Comments from GU students about Unit 3:
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| CESTA gives a presentation on their sustainable community projects |
“When I thought about sustainable living I thought it was something far removed from me, but now I realize that it’s something I can be actively involved.” “Most people realized they feel most happy when they are with their family and friends and don’t need much money besides having basic food and shelter. Most things that make people happy don’t cost anything. We want people to really think about what happiness is and that you need to be happy.” |
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An area in El Salvador once damaged by pollution and neglect
All Photos: Si Hun Kim |
- Ideas anyone can do:
- Buy locally, not at a supermarket
- Bring your own bag, reduce waste
- Use less electricity
- Choose biodegradable products
“Each of us has to start with one drop of water like we learned from the hummingbird.” |
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