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Feature Story In August, Sierra Club Global Population and Environment staff led a group of Club population activists, the President of the Club's Board of Directors and a Sierra magazine journalist to Ecuador for a firsthand look at the connections between population and the environment. After population trainings, workshops, letters to the editor and presentations, the group of dedicated Club population activists had the opportunity to experience some of the very programs and clinics for which they had advocated for years. During the week in Ecuador, the participants had the opportunity to visit a number of family planning clinics and three remote Andean communities that have successfully integrated environment and family planning programs to the benefit of their health and their community. Longtime activist and mentor "cheerleader," Todd Daniel shares his experience from Ecuador with you in his story below. Look for another story about the Galapagos Islands in the Fall issue of the Pop Report and finally in January, Sierra magazine will run a story about the Ecuador trip. Journey to Ecuador Through the Eyes of a Population Activist
Much of this growth could be curtailed if the United States and other nations were to fulfill the commitments they made during a United Nations population conference in 1994. However, instead of getting closer to U.N. goals, our government is moving in the opposite direction - in fact eliminating all funding for UNFPA for the past two years!
As a Sierra Club population activist, I have worked hard to advocate for maximum and restriction-free funding for international family planning. This work has included three trips to Washington, where I have visited the offices of my senators and representative. It was an incredible surprise when I learned that I was chosen to participate in a Sierra Club study tour to Ecuador to visit family planning programs. At long last, I would see how U.S. dollars can make a difference in the field.
Ecuador is an incredibly diverse country that contains coastal plains, mountain ranges, and a large jungle area. Most of the people in Ecuador are tightly concentrated in the Central Andean region, but economic and population pressures are forcing more and more people to settle in the deep jungle. They are able to get into these remote regions because of roads built by oil companies. With 16 percent of the world's bird species living in Ecuador, the country is an environmental treasure that is now threatened. As farmers till land farther and farther up the slopes of mountains, the risk of landslides is a growing concern and the rapid development of the rainforests decreases habitat for the country's lush biodiversity.
As I gazed out of the window of our comfortable tour bus at the mountains and snow-capped volcanoes peeking through the clouds, I also saw the poverty - and it haunted me daily. Current population in this beautiful country is 12.3 million, with an annual growth rate of 2 percent. That means that the country's population will double in 35 years - further jeopardizing the fragile balance between the people and the environment!
I was greatly touched by the staff and volunteers of CEMOPLAF, who are able to do so much with very little funds. CEMOPLAF both partners with and receives support from a variety of other NGOs (non-government organizations) and works to provide comprehensive solutions to communities. What really fascinated me were CEMOPLAF's integrated programs linking environment and reproductive health in rural areas. Partnering with World Neighbors, CEMOPLAF's programs help farmers to produce crops more efficiently and sustainably - and provide family planning and reproductive health care. Passing out condoms does not come first. These initiatives must first build trust, often through providing desperately needed assistance for local agricultural projects. For instance, in one community I visited, the indigenous people were restoring a forest in the mountains above to help with water and soil conservation. Needless to say, long-held religious and cultural attitudes often make people resistant to even discussing family planning, let alone accepting birth control. But after working side by side in the gardens and fields with the healthcare specialists, community members begin to trust the healthcare specialists and begin seeking them for advice. In the communities we visited, the men and women told us that is in the best interest of their own health and families to limit their family size. When I first became a population activist, I thought the population solution was simply opening clinics and passing out contraceptives around the world, but the reality is far more complex. In fact, the biggest realization of my trip was that family planning is much more than just passing out contraceptives. Rather, it requires a comprehensive approach that encompasses not only the woman, but the entire family and community. Increasing opportunities for women, reducing infant mortality, and raising people out of abject poverty are all pieces of the puzzle. Throughout the week, the words of Sierra Club founder John Muir stayed in my mind: "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe." Of all my memories during the trip, one is particularly vivid. While visiting a clinic laboratory, I happened to look down to see a decal on a piece of equipment that simply read "USAID" (United States Agency for International Development). I started looking around and the decals were everywhere. It was then that I realized that the international family planning dollars of my government really do make a difference. And it's not just about stabilizing global population, but rather it's about health, increased opportunities, and the improvement of living standards. And most importantly, it's about hope.
So, here is why my advocacy - and yours - matter. And considering the need that I saw in the clinics and the communities, there is much work and funding still needed. I can't emphasize enough the importance of responding to alerts when they come into your inbox. In July, we suffered a huge loss when the House voted to eliminate UNFPA funding by a close vote of 216-211. If only three House members had switched their votes, the outcome would have been different. You can make a difference - one that can be felt here at home or as far away as the remote Andean villages I visited. Speak up for the planet, for families, for our collective future.
Back to Summer 2003 Population Report
Photos from the Sierra Club collection; all rights reserved.
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