I have just watched the Netflix documentary ‘Virunga’ and it is the amazing and truly inspiring story of the exceptionally brave and caring people who protect the Virunga National Park in East Congo.
It is also a story of greed, corruption, a British Oil company called Soco, rebels and the insanity of money.
In the face of war, rebels and the threat of exploitation from SOCO, who have been granted oil rights in 50% of the park, a few brave individuals have continued to fight for the preservation of the park and all its animals.
These people are prepared to give up their lives for what they believe is the future for the animals and the people of Congo. Oil won’t last, but the future for these people will if the park can be protected and allowed to flourish.
We all talk, myself included, about things we care about or are important, but often say ‘what can we do?’. The people of the Virunga National Park don’t just talk, they have fought and continue to fight for the things that really matter in this world.
Now I am not suggesting for one minute that we could all put on uniforms, grab an AK47 and head for Congo, but we can put pressure on companies like SOCO, we can protest to our government and we can donate something to these truly amazing individuals.
14,000 years ago when we, homo-sapiens, stopped being hunter-gatherers and became a ‘slave’ to wheat and the agricultural revolution, we represented (along with our domesticated animals) approximately 2% of the planet’s bios-mass, now we represent 98%.
We have obliterated almost every living thing on the planet. Surely now it is time to say enough. We do not need oil, we have the ability to replace it with other more ethical and environmentally friendly alternatives.
What’s stopping us? The greed of the tiny few that control this world. 7 billion of us, surely we can make a difference and end the greed.
If you want to donate or find out more about Virunga, then click here.
