A new wave of environmental activism is gaining global attention through two powerful campaigns Ogonize and Yasunize both inspired by struggles to protect nature and hold polluters accountable.
The movements draw from the experience of the Ogoni people in Nigeria, who halted oil extraction in their land in 1993 after years of ecological devastation, and from the people of Ecuador, who in August 2023 voted in a national referendum to stop oil drilling in the Yasuní-ITT reserve, one of the most biodiverse areas on Earth.
Powered by grassroots activists, community groups, and global allies, the campaigns seek to promote environmental justice, safeguard biodiversity, and build resilience amid the worsening climate crisis. They also call for corporations and governments to take responsibility for environmental damage, restore ecosystems, and support community well-being.
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Speaking on the initiative, Nnimmo Bassey, Executive Director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), said: “Ogonize is more than a campaign; it is a fight for what is right. We want impacted communities to be heard, their lands restored, and future generations to inherit a healthy planet.
“Yasunize is about rethinking our relationship with nature recognising that some places are too valuable to exploit.”
The joint campaign urges reparations for pollution, legal accountability for environmental offenders, and protection of biodiversity hotspots and indigenous territories. It also advocates investment in ecosystem restoration, renewable energy, and sustainable livelihoods.
As the world faces mounting environmental challenges, Ogonize and Yasunize stand as united calls for justice, solidarity, and systemic change inviting individuals, organisations, and governments to join in protecting the planet and its people.
