World Tourism Day in Africa

By Mithika Mwenda

Key faith-based groups in Kenya joined the global community in marking the 2008 World Tourism Day in Nairobi whose theme revolved around climate change and the role of tourism, with a plea to the industrialized countries to take meaningful action that will enable poor countries adapt to the adverse effects on climate change. Christian and Muslim participants during the forum which was held a day before the official World Tourism Day on 27th September was aimed at exploring the role religion can play in combating climate change.

During the Forum, it was evident that most people hardly understand the impacts of the changing climate. Prof. Jesse Mugambi, a member of the World Council of Churches working group on climate change stressed the need to practically assist the poor communities, whose livelihoods are threatened by the adverse effects of climate change, emphasizing that action than rhetoric is what is needed now.

In opening remarks, Cannon Karanja, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches of Kenya, called for cooperation by communities at all levels. In his keynote address, the Conference Secretary of the Methodist Church in East Africa Rev. Isaiah Deye noted that religious organizations can provide a forum where some of these discussions can go forward. “Climate change and environmental issues are no longer the preserve of environmentalists nor are they a preserve of scientists alone”, he noted, “Climate change, particularly, is a development issue, a security issue, a human right issue and an ethical issue since it affects our lives in a fundamental way. He underscored the importance of community participation as a way of contributing towards the ongoing search for the most sustainable way to deal with the adverse effects of climate change.

Fredrick Njau from Greenbelt Movement, an Environmental Organisation headed by 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Winner Wangari Maathai, noted that poor people tend to be most dependent upon the environment and the direct use of natural resources, and therefore most severely affected when the environment is degraded or their access to natural resources is otherwise limited or denied. “Poor people generally depend more on ecosystem services and products for their livelihoods than wealthy people”, he said.

The Ufungamano meeting was part of the series of meetings organized to mark the 2008 world tourism day, whose climax was celebrated at Malindi Stadium, in the Tourist town of Malindi, Coast Province on 27th September.

Mithika Mwenda is the Eastern African coordinator of Pan African Climate Justice Alliance. Mr Mwenda has facilitated several meetings for the church in Kenya and is associated with the AACC on climate change issues.