The Facebook group Cockpit Country Warriors are a vigilant group of environmentalists motivated with one cause: “no mining in all of Cockpit Country.”
This group, made up mainly of persons from the Cockpit Country, which spans parts of Trelawny, St. James, St. Elizabeth and St. Ann.
The group arose in response to the threat of mining in the Cockpit Country as a result of a contract that allows Noranda to mine sections of Jamaica’s largest contiguous rainforest.
On Friday 20 September, there will be a world-wide Climate Strike where people of all ages will come together to support the call for Bold Climate Action, to educate ourselves and each other about the local and global issues that fuel the Climate Crisis, and to better understand what we can do individually and collectively to make changes.
In Jamaica, we are joining the Climate Strike movement by declaring 20 September, Save Cockpit Country Day. We are holding a lively gathering in Stewart Town Square in Trelawny to call for ALL of Cockpit Country to be protected, not just the designated Cockpit Country Protected Area that was declared in 2017 and is still not protected by law.
Special Mining Lease 173, granted to Noranda Jamaica Bauxite Partners to mine the eastern part of Cockpit Country threatens the Rio Bueno watershed, pristine forests, local agriculture, economic centers like Stewart Town, and will continue the destruction of Jamaica’s rural heritage.
Cockpit Country forests, the lungs of Jamaica, are essential to protecting Jamaica from the ravages of global warming and climate change, and must not be destroyed.
Jamaica is highly vulnerable to climate change and already feeling the effects of global warming through sea level rise that is eroding beaches and shoreline, killing coral reefs, increasing heat, drought and causing more powerful storms.
The recent devastation of the Northern Bahamas by Hurricane Dorian should be a wake-up call to all residents of Jamaica and the Jamaican Government, the same can certainly happen to us.
On Friday 20 September, Cockpit Country Warriors, Vagabond Media and IRIE-FM are organizing a day of Education, Entertainment and Empowerment in Stewart Town, Trelawny to highlight the need to protect ALL of Cockpit Country and to understand Cockpit Country’s role in protecting Jamaica from the Climate Crisis.
It will be an exciting day where students and educators from over ten schools will participate with exhibitions, presentations, and skits about the Climate Crisis and Cockpit Country.
IRIE-FM will be broadcasting live from Stewart Town Square from 6:00AM to 2:00PM with lots of good music and important information with interviews from experts and community members, and then the program will continue into the evening with more speakers, entertainers including Queen Ifrika and Tony Rebel and cultural practitioners.
All are welcome. Come and join us in Stewart Town Square, show your support for Protecting ALL of Cockpit Country and be part of Jamaica’s Global Climate Strike Action! The future is made by the actions we take today – act wisely!
thumbnail courtesy of news.jamaicans.com
