Aborigines worldwide contribute less to global warming but suffer the most from its impact, a National Dong Hwa University professor said yesterday at the World Indigenous Television Broadcasting Conference in Taitung.
“Most indigenous peoples around the world are not a major source of air pollution, energy overuse or carbon dioxide emissions,” said Jolan Hsieh (謝若蘭), an associate professor at the College of Indigenous Studies. “However, who sustains the most damage of all when natural disasters occur? It seems like it’s obviously the indigenous people.”
Hsieh, a Siraya Aborigine, urged Aborigines to contribute their traditional wisdom to help save the planet.
Aboriginal villages in southern Taiwan were hard hit by floods during Typhoon Morakot last August.
Etan Pavavalung, a Paiwan Aborigine, said his tribe had to relocate after the typhoon.
“Many of my tribe’s elders blamed the disaster on the government’s wrong policies on mountain protection and land development,” he said.
Masao Aki, director of Taiwan Indigenous Television (TITV), said the station set up a call-in service to help local Aborigines find their missing family members after Morakot, and also worked with citizen journalists to report on the devastation and post updates on social networking Web sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
TITV’s video footage from the disaster areas was shared with Taiwan’s mainstream media and foreign outlets, including the BBC, CNN and NHK, he said.
“We have created a standard operating procedure for future disaster reporting,” he said.
Marshall Islands Ambassador Phillip Kabua told the conference that time was running out.
“The clock is ticking away fast,” he said.
Lulama Mokhobo, an executive of South Africa’s Public Broadcasting Services, ended the session by asking participants to stand and observe a minute of silence for those who suffered as a result of climate change.
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