Goldman Prize Ceremony
Yesterday could not have been a more beautiful evening for the Goldman Prize ceremony in San Francisco. Though the additional warmth of more than 3,000 environmentalists filling the Opera House to capacity did make a tropical heat. The Goldman Prize acknowledges grassroots environmentalism at its best. It was a deeply inspiring event. A memorable moment was the opening speech by Al Gore where he asked that as we acknowledge the work of these individuals, we think about what it is inside of each them that has motivated their work in the face of significant opposition.
His request made me look deeper into the story of each of these individuals. More than one spoke of their need to preserve their traditional medicine, food ways, and the environment from which these items are obtained. They spoke of the interconnection between humans and the environment. There is no separating our actions from the outcomes. Environmental outcomes that show up in our own bodies and the bodies of our children. Yet, what I truly recognized as a shared quality is a love and respect for life. That was it; pure, simple and deeply motivating.
2009 Winners included:
Maria Gunnoe, West Virginia
Yuyun Ismawati, Indonesia
Wanze Eduards and Hugo Jabini, Suriname
Rizwana Hasan, Bangladesh
Olga Speranskaya, Moscow
Marc Ona Essangui, Gabon