Go Green

The first ever Go Green Conference held in July 2018 in Prashanti Nilayam has created alarming awareness of the extensive damage caused to the Environment due to Man's reckless behaviour. This has stirred emotions in Devotees that have come to realise that enough is enough. Swami has been talking about mans relationship with nature or the environment since the 1970s, that man and nature are in fact interdependent.

The conference was a real eye opener, with many eloquent speakers, most of whom were experts in the field of environmental issues. It’s as though Swami himself has prepared them over many years to be the champions of change. The statistics given at the conference was overwhelming and the world visiting Prashanti Nilayam for the Go Green Conference has committed to returning to their respective countries and undertake projects that will not only slower the ill effects caused to nature but will further engage in projects/programs that will help reverse this damage. South Africa is no different.

The following topics were discussed at the conference and emanating from that, some resolutions were taken for all of us to implement in our respective countries: 

• Tree planting
• Water harvesting
• Energy Saving
• Beach clean-up
• Recycling
• E waste
• Plastic/ Polystyrene reduction & re-purpose

Team SA proposes the following :

1. Go Green Champions at centre levels to put together study circle materials on Go Green Initiatives to educate and assist devotees to make Go Green a way of Living
2. Making the 19^th of every month a Green Deeds Day (Since mother nature is the mother of all mothers, via  ladies day, devotees can engage in any type of go green activity on this day (this can be adopted Globally)
3. Devotees that practice go green initiatives daily to encourage 3 other people(neighbours family friends) to follow suit, in turn these 3 to practice and encourage 3 others and it goes on, creating a pyramid of positive change

PROJECT 1 -TREE PLANTING

The Go Green team SA has started with Tree planting as the first Go Green initiative for the organisation. A collective decision taken at the conference was to plant at least 10 million trees Globally by Bhagawan’s 100th birth Anniversary. We want to pursue the following as a matter of urgency:

1. Educate all devotees on the importance of planting trees as well as not cutting down trees.
2. To encourage all devotees to plant a tree on their birthday.
3. Every centre to plant a tree for every devotee in their centre before/on Swami's Birthday
4. Encourage all devotees to give a tree as a gift to friends and family.
5. Centre presidents/go green champions to complete google form on SSIOSA website after every tree planting exercise so that accurate stats can be obtained

Should the above tree planting be adhered to by all devotees and centres alike, then SA should have a total of at least 105000 trees planted by the 100th advent (7 years).

PROJECT 2–PLASTIC / POLYSTYRENE REDUCTION

Plastic /Polystyrene is extremely harmful as it is non- biodegradable, when thrown on land it makes the soil less fertile. When thrown into water it chokes our ponds, rivers and oceans causing extensive harm to our sea-life and eco system

We want to pursue the following as a matter of urgency:

1. Educate all devotees on the importance of reducing the use of Single-Use Plastic and the use of Plastic Straws, polystyrene, etc
2. Educate communities along the Rivers on the ill effects/damage caused by Plastic/Polystyrene to the environment.
3. Every centre to avoid use of plastic/polystyrene for feeding etc during functions and celebrations and is therefore encouraged to find alternatives 

PROJECT 3 - WASTE MANAGEMENT

We live in a very wasteful society, we think nothing of throwing away perfectly good food, clothes, toys and just things that we no longer like. The amount of landfill in recent years has grown beyond recognition. Yet it need not to be this way. There are the 5 R’s of waste management and we should be questioning everything that we are getting rid of, and also buying, using these principles.

The 5 R’s are Refuse Reduce Reuse Repurpose Recycle and if we take this approach we will see a reduction in waste.

We want to pursue the following as a matter of urgency:

1. Educate all devotees on the importance of the 5Rs of Waste Management
2. Educate communities on the importance of Waste Management and provide accessible Recycling stations.
3. Every centre to create and co ordinate recycling stations
4. Educate devotees and communities on recycling and cod, via walk for values, talks, videos and study circles

AS DEVOTEES OF BHAGAWAN SRI SATHYA SAI BABA, LET OUR ACTIONS BE SO LOUD THAT THOSE AROUND WONT BE ABLE TO HEAR WHAT WE ARE SAYING