From White to Green© is an independent UK based non-profit organization that raises awareness of the environmental degradation that Colombia is suffering due to coca cultivation and production. The creation of From White to Green Project came as a direct result of a successful presentation that I did in my first year for the international law module. The presentation had a deep impact on me, my fellow students and professor.
Consequently, I was joined by a fellow Colombian, Oscar Cuervo, who shared the same interests as me. We decided to research further into the field of cocaine production. Thus looking into how the illegal business impacts on deforestation, loss of biodiversity, the displacement of indigenous people and the peasantry who are forced to leave their land and move to the big cities. The predominant aim of the project was to make a positive contribution to me and my colleague’s homeland. A beautiful country which has been devastated by a bloody civil war; a political civil war that was changed into a fight for power over the drug trade from opposing mafia, guerrilla and right wing rebels.
From White to Green is originally based on the Colombian government international campaign Shared Responsibility. The campaign seeks to reduce demand for cocaine in the western world by showing and educating audiences of the environmental catastrophe coca cultivation and production is generating in Colombia (Colombian Embassy in the UK, 2007).
From White to Green aims to inform and engage with audiences in the UK, especially young people, about the problems drug consumption brings to the Colombian rainforest. We believe that drug trafficking affects not only producer countries - like Colombia - but also consumer and transit countries. The project encourages dialogue and cooperation in finding common solutions to a global problem. In order to achieve our objectives we hold a series of presentations, From White to Green visits schools and eco-minded organizations such as the Eden Project in an effort to inform and hopefully deter potential cocaine consumers (The Eden Project, 2010). Furthermore, we attempt to inspire young British people to help put an end to coca demand. We want to mobilize our generation to stop a potential ecocide.
In the last two years From White to Green has been able to build a network with different entities that are interested in achieving similar objectives; these include the Colombian Government, the Eden Project, and various educative establishments. The Colombian Embassy in the UK essentially works as a facilitator; they arrange events so potential non state actors could meet and hopefully create partnerships, thus support them to achieve their foreign policy goal, in this particular case the goal is reduction in cocaine demand.
From White to Green is originally based on the Colombian government international campaign Shared Responsibility. The campaign seeks to reduce demand for cocaine in the western world by showing and educating audiences of the environmental catastrophe coca cultivation and production is generating in Colombia (Colombian Embassy in the UK, 2007).
From White to Green aims to inform and engage with audiences in the UK, especially young people, about the problems drug consumption brings to the Colombian rainforest. We believe that drug trafficking affects not only producer countries - like Colombia - but also consumer and transit countries. The project encourages dialogue and cooperation in finding common solutions to a global problem. In order to achieve our objectives we hold a series of presentations, From White to Green visits schools and eco-minded organizations such as the Eden Project in an effort to inform and hopefully deter potential cocaine consumers (The Eden Project, 2010). Furthermore, we attempt to inspire young British people to help put an end to coca demand. We want to mobilize our generation to stop a potential ecocide.
In the last two years From White to Green has been able to build a network with different entities that are interested in achieving similar objectives; these include the Colombian Government, the Eden Project, and various educative establishments. The Colombian Embassy in the UK essentially works as a facilitator; they arrange events so potential non state actors could meet and hopefully create partnerships, thus support them to achieve their foreign policy goal, in this particular case the goal is reduction in cocaine demand.
From White to Green remains independent, hence its success and credibility at informing and educating young people. We do talk openly about topics that appear to be controversial such as aerial spraying (fumigations). We believe that aerial spraying which is rigorously carried out by the Colombian government with the financial support of the United States; this threatens the health of the environment and the wellbeing of the indigenous communities and the peasantry that live in the coca growing areas (Quimbayo, 2008). A common critique that we hear in our presentation is that of the conflicting behaviour the Colombian government displays in regards to aerial spraying. On one hand it campaigns to educate audiences about the environmental damage caused by cocaine production, and on the other hand it fumigates with strong herbicides in the rainforest that is killing legal crops and contaminating rivers and putting the health of its own population at risk.
For more information and pictures on the environmental damaged caused by coca production in Colombia please click on the link
http://http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/19/cocaine-rainforests-columbia-santos-calderon?intcmp=239
References
1. Colombian Embassy in the UK. (2007). Foreign Policy Goals: Shared Responsability. Retrieved March 10, 2011, from Colombian Embassy in the UK: http://www.colombianembassy.co.uk/en/foreign/share.html
2. Quimbayo, G. (2008, December). Cultivos de uso ilicito y Ecocidio. Retrieved January 20, 2011, from The Transnational Institute: http://www.tni.org/archives/policybriefings/brief28s.pdf
3. The Eden Project. (2010, 4 May). Colombia From White to Green. Retrieved March 13, 2011, from The Eden Project Planet Talk: http://www.plant-talk.org/colombia-coca-white-to-green.htm
This is the correct link, sorry about that!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/19/cocaine-rainforests-columbia-santos-calderon?intcmp=239
I think this is a brilliant example of citizen diplomacy and demonstrates this importance of diplomacy carried out by non-state actors. People-to-people communication is very effective, and in my personal opinion it is more effective than government-led initiatives.
ReplyDeleteThe reason is simple: we tend to trust people whom we know or whom we can relate to (for example because they are our fellow students) much more than we would trust a government official. This is particularly true when the government in question, as it is the case in Colombia, is accused of hypocrisy.
Because you are independent of the government and you are taking this initiative "on your own" (not entirely of course), you can distance yourself from the government's policies, while at the same time highlighting the plight of your people and environment.
This is a great project - and it also shows that you can be a citizen diplomat just for your country, not necessarily for your government. Maybe that is the beauty of it that will inspire other people do participate in this or other projects.
Thank you for your positive feedback Lene.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this sounds like a great initiative! It enables you to talk directly to people and raise awareness about this problem. By staying independent you gain credibility and you can also reach audiences directly which state-led initiatives and government officials may not. Although I think that the term 'citizen diplomat' is quite vague and it is difficult to say who can be considered to be conducting 'citizen diplomacy', I think your example definitely falls into this category. As Lene said as well, it illustrates how you can be a citizen diplomat for your country rather than your government.
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