In his message on International Mother Earth Day, 22 April 2015, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged building a sustainable and resilient future – both for Mother Earth and all those that development has until now left behind.
The word ‘mother’ holds great power, Ban said. “It evokes memories of the women who gave us life, nurtured us as infants and helped mould us into who we are today.
Calling “The Earth” as the ultimate mother and an astounding planet that has, since long times ago, supported life in myriad forms, Ban Ki-moon said we, as humans, “outgrow the need for constant maternal care, but we can never outgrow our reliance on Mother Earth.”
“As long as we live, we need air, water, fertile soil and the countless other gifts this planet bestows,” he added.
The dependence on earth, Ban said, makes us disrupt so many of the delicate systems that have functioned harmoniously for millennia due to rapid and often unwise human development.
Ban Ki-moon expressed regret that all people were increasingly aware of the damages they had wrought to the earth which includes the pollution or the dwindling resources and etc., and added, “Even with this knowledge, we have yet to change our ways.”
But we can change, Ban said to further elaborate on the possible changes to refuse destruction to the planet. "2015 brings a critical opportunity to do just that; this year, the world aims to finalize the post-2015 sustainable development agenda and reach a new and meaningful universal climate change agreement; these processes have the potential to redefine our future for the better, by eradicating extreme poverty in all its forms and resetting our relationship with this planet and every living being it sustains,” UN Secretary-General highlighted.
He stressed that the big decisions that lied ahead were not just for world leaders and policy-makers.
“Today, on Mother Earth Day, I ask each one of us to be mindful of the impacts our choices have on this planet, and what those impacts will mean for future generations, Ban asserted, adding that, “Not everyone is able to make sustainable choices, but for those who can, simple decisions such as switching to energy-efficient lighting or buying only what you will consume can transform our world.”
As a global community, we have the opportunity to make 2015 a turning point in human history, UN Secretary-General said. “This can be the year our children and grandchildren will remember as when we chose to build a sustainable and resilient future.”
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