the goan I network
PANAJI
People from different nationalities and different parts of India on Friday joined hands with Goenkars to participate in the week-long worldwide climate strike, to demand that the government take urgent steps to help slow down this climate change.
Represented at the strike were France, Germany, Holland, New Zealand, Australia, Belgium, the United States of America, to name a few countries. But the strike had a very strong Goenkar flavour to it as well with local green activists bringing along their guitars and jamming in Konkani to songs of protest against the government’s ‘development’ plans which, they said, are hastening the pace of climate change.
Mageli Piga from France, who is based in Siolim, told The Goan that in Goa, the pace of development is increasing at an alarming rate, so she and her friends decided to join in the strike. Irka, who is from Germany, said she was looking for someone to organise the climate strike in Goa, to join in the global demonstrations, and was super happy to do something to protect Mother Earth.
Paul Rodrigues, a Mumbaikar based in Assagao, said he had joined in the strike because in India, climate protests were at a minimum, and people needed to become more vocal about the fight against climate change. Froilano Gracias, a petroleum engineer, traveled from Chinchinim to join in the strike, and was super psyched to meet like minded people. Said Froilano, “Coming from an energy background, I’ve realised the harm we are causing the environment when fuels are burnt. This has led me to raise awareness amongst people that we need to save up on our energy.”
Notably missing from the strike were representatives from national and regional political parties.
The strikes around the world will be week-long starting September 20, three days before the United Nations Climate Summit on September 23. The protests are taking place across 4,500 locations in 150 countries.
