GREEN AND BLACK FOR GENDER AND THE PLANET
The Mothers Union of Highveld Diocese chose to wear black and green during 2018 Conference. This is to symbolize their commitment to two themes – Combatting gender based violence and caring for the planet.
Rev Dr Rachel Mash , Provincial Environmental Coordinator was invited to address the Conference on the challenges facing our country. The challenges are huge, as the earth is warming, we will face more drought in some areas and more floods and storms in others. Added to this is the pollution of the water by mining and the pollution of land and oceans by plastic. By 2050 there will be more plastic than fish by weight in the oceans. We have been bad stewards of God’s earth
As Mothers Union, we are called to care for families, and so we are responsible for the future of our the planet that we leave for our children and grandchildren. So we must make choices in our lives “awuboni indlela zimbini? Hey Wena – khetha eyakho?” Do we buy bottled water which leaves plastic for generations to come? Or serve water in glasses and wash them up. Do we eat, travel, life in a way which damages the earth or choose the alternative which is healing the earth? The Provincial MU has banned the use of Styrofoam and yet we still are often using it at a parish level.
Let us be healers of the Earth.
The Conference was blessed by the presence of Canon Terrie Robinson, who coordinates the International Womens network of the Anglican Communion, who shared the some of the gender challenges faced.
#greenanglicans