"bringing forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence on Planet Earth."
They see these seemingly separate issues as one - not three - intimately interconnected. So do I! (In fact, what I experienced in the Symposium when I was introduced to it in April is one of the most profoundly integrated ways of thinking and being I have ever encountered! I can't wait to bring it home to campus and my religious communities.)
On my journey, I witnessed this interconnectedness to be true in profound ways. The social justice issue of abject poverty in Mexico leads people to cross the border, which increases the human impact on the fragile desert lands - the migrants deposit the belongings they carry which increases the amount of litter in the desert, and Border Patrol agents drive their vehicles violently over the desert landscape creating new roads and destroying sensitive ecosystems as they seek to enforce immigration policy. The Border Wall has created huge environmental issues as it has blocked migratory routes for many species and prevented access to natural habitats and grazing lands, as well as causing flooding which has impacted humans, plants and animals. The Wall has also blocked access to sacred lands, and burial grounds of indigenous peoples who moved freely across the region for generations.
The Sierra Club Borderlands Campaign is working to address some of these issues. Check out their website for more information. They've also created a DVD, "Wild vs Wall." You can see a clip by clicking here.
Here is some of our work to eliminate the litter (and re-use our jugs). Many humanitarian organizations coordinate on-going trash removal efforts, even as they continue to place water in the desert.
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