The business community and all concerned citizens are invited to convene at Central Park on Saturday, January 21, where an Offshore Oil Public Forum will take place. The forum will deliver more educational information on Multibeam and Seismic Surveys as well as on Offshore Oil Exploration.
The idea is for the organizers to peacefully walk from Central Park on to Middle Street and back to Central Park, sharing flyers and inviting everyone to a Public Forum. Food and non-alcoholic drinks will be available, so feel free to bring the kids! Pick up a free T-shirt and leave a small donation to continue these efforts.
Speakers on hand will be from the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage, but more importantly the Forum invites all citizens to join the conversation and speak their concerns, ask questions, and STAY INFORMED!
Residents can take this opportunity to meet with other concerned community members and encourage healthy conversations on the NATIONAL issue of Offshore Oil Exploration, our environment and sustainable development.
The Forum will take place at Central Park from 10a.m. to 6p.m.
A Peaceful Walk will start at 10am from Central Park and ending at 12pm back in Central Park. The walk will be directly followed by a Public Forum from 12pm to 6pm at the Central Park, where information, food, drinks, music, and a kids corner will be available. The forum will be kick started with a NO OIL human sign along the beach.
Island residents say NO to offshore oil exploration
Hundreds of supporters gathered at the Central Park shortly after 11AM carrying colorful banners for a peaceful walk throughout the streets of the town core. Along the route persons joined the walk, chanting 'No Means No!' as they made their way back to Central Park.
Following the walk, participants gathered on the beach to form a human 'No Oil' sign while chanting. "No to offshore oil drilling in Belize. No means no!" Immediately after, a public forum with guest speakers took place under a tent at the Park. Attendees and passers-by were able to get more information regarding the impacts of an oil industry in Belize. Volunteers from different non-governmental organizations such as Projects Abroad and Saint John's Junior College Wavemakers made themselves available in providing assistance as well.
Janelle Chanona, Vice President of Oceana in Belize expressed her admiration for the communities of San Pedro and Caye Caulker for taking a strong stance against offshore oil exploration. "They have taken ownership of this issue and we are so proud to be here giving them support," said Chanona. "We want more people to be aware and be informed. The voices from the tourism and fishing sectors are the strength of this movement on behalf of those livelihoods that depend on the resources that can be affected by oil exploration." Chanona stated that the issue is bigger than politics and has nothing to do with personalities, except for the fact that there is a direct relationship between the resources and the everyday livelihood of people along the coastal communities.
Click here to read the rest of the article and see more photos in the San Pedro Sun
Wavemakers Leave their Mark
The participants of the forum were not the only ones making their mark or creating awareness for our Barrier Reef this past week. Student's of San Pedro High School took the time to make posters for a peaceful walk through town showcasing reasons their cries for protection on this natural resource.
San Pedro's very own Reef Angels, though less verbal, showed their solidarity with actions to protect our reef, ridding it of hundreds of bottles and other ocean debris. An entire day, two shifts and many deep breaths towards a better, cleaner barrier reef. Martin John Leslie along with volunteer that included San Pedro High School students, local athletes, tourism industry stakeholders, among others form this group of passionate warriors against reef pollution.
The Phoenix, 2016 Wave Makers, also displayed their stance in a photo of Saturday's cleanup stating "Today's beach clean up crew stands with Oceana and Oceana Belize and the people of San Pedro saying no to off shore oil in Belize.
Click here to read the rest of the article and see more photos in the Ambergris Today
Belizeans Speak on Offshore Oil Exploration
"I asked Belizeans how they felt about offshore oil exploration in Belize and their responses were humbling."
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