IRI Colombia published two opinion columns in a major national newspaper, El Espectador. The columns addressed the seriousness of the fire season that affected the country during January, as well as the relevance of formulating Territorial Development Plans with an Amazonian environmental approach and promoting participatory planning spaces such as the Territorial Planning Councils, where members of the IRI Colombia local chapters participate. The columns, entitled “Without the Amazon forests, the cities will continue to burn” and “From words to deeds: development plans with an environmental focus”, were signed by Bishop Francisco Duque, president of the Interreligious Council of Colombia, and Pastor Édgar Castaño, president of the Evangelical Confederation of Colombia, on behalf of IRI-Colombia.
These pieces were published in the digital edition of the prestigious national newspaper El Espectador, with nationwide reach, and also disseminated by regional media. The publication of these columns not only highlights the concern for the environmental challenges facing Colombia, but also highlights the importance of intersectoral collaboration and citizen participation in the search for solutions. Moreover, by being disseminated nationally and regionally, these columns contribute to raising awareness among a broad public of the urgency of protecting tropical forests by controlling deforestation and promoting sustainable development in harmony with the environment. The editorial by Bishop Duque can be found here, and the editorial by Pastor Castaño can be found here.
