Health and Environment

Health and Environment

Health and Environment in an initiative of the Bright Doves. The program which runs under the Justice and Peace department mainly concentrates on ensuring a health and clean environment, clean water for domestic use and integrity of creation. At Bright Doves we perceive Health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” and that a good health begins with you.
Determinants of health:
The health of individual people and their communities are affected by a wide range of contributory factors. People's good or bad health is determined by their environment and situations - what is happening and what has happened to them. The following factors have a bigger impact on our health than access and use of health care services:

• Where we live
• The state of our environment
• Genetics
• Our income
• Our education level
• Our relationship with friends and family

The environment:
Bright Doves advocates for the integrity of the environment to take high priority.  Environment is the sum total of all surroundings of a living organism, including natural forces and other living things, which provide conditions for development and growth as well as of danger and damage.
Without a healthy environment, the earth will not be able to sustain future societies and economies.   Uncontrolled use of natural resources such as forests, land, water and fisheries have caused distressing changes and unnecessary pressure on the global ecosystem yet this profound impact on natural resources is primarily due to over-consumption and over-production by a powerful minority.
We also note that the dwindling supplies of fresh water, pollution, ozone depletion, deforestation, global warming, degradation of agricultural land, the impact of militarization on the environment - all are the result of unsustainable overuse or abuse of resources.  
Integrity of creation
In 'Caring for Creation’ the Bright Doves invite the community to reflect upon the many different aspects of St. Francis' spirituality. Essentially the values of Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation are biblical values and as such, are values of God's kingdom. Following Jesus, Christians are called upon to incarnate these values through our lives. The values of justice especially for the poor & broken, peace (shalom) among all people and care & reverence for the earth and its creatures are central to St. Francis' way of following the Gospel way of life.
At Bright Doves we believe that the Integrity of Creation / Ecology is the fundamental respect for the natural world, and respecting the dignity due to human beings and note that human needs and the needs of Sister Mother Earth are interdependent.
As followers of St Francis of Assisi, we feel ourselves called to live this spirituality, and by caring for our sister-mother earth and for the relationships between all people on earth, we work to bring about the Kingdom of God, where all are valued and cherished. When Christians pray the words of Christ, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we are praying that each of these values – Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation – bears fruit as Jesus desired.
Why get concerned with ecological issues?
The earth has a huge capacity to absorb pain, but it cannot continue to do so indefinitely without placing the future survival of humanity in jeopardy. We are in a position to do something. A land mark Papal document devoted exclusively to the environment and development issues entitled, Peace with God the Creator, Peace with all Creation challenges that “Christians, in particular realize that their duty towards nature and creation are an essential part of their faith”
God’s ownership of the world urges us to consider not only social justice, that is, just relations between people, but also ecological justice, meaning just relations between human beings, other creatures and with the earth itself. Creation is now understood as a community of beings interconnected with each other and with the triune God.
Ecological integrity is an essential part of all faith traditions and is an important issue around which dialogue, collaboration and mutual understanding can be promoted. Thus our task is to contemplate the beauty and presence of God in all things and such contemplation could lead us to conversion of heart, which is a good place for all of us to begin to respond to the crisis which our planet, our home, God’s creation, faces in this millennium.
We note that the wellbeing of the oceans, forests, the atmosphere, animals, fisheries and plant species is now a concern beyond just families, nation states and their governments. Environmental issues now oblige us to redefine the common good in global terms. When we consume our resources faster than they can be replaced, or exhaust non-renewable resources without concern for the needs of future generations we are robbing their capital.
Our approach
As co-creator, we hope to change the patterns today by employing the following;

• Increasing the productive capacity of poor people increases both their well-being and that of their communities and societies, facilitates their participation in resource conservation and environmental protection, and facilitates a partnership of all humanity.

• We strive to reflect in our lives and in our service our belief that an intimate relationship with our God calls us to responsible stewardship: delight with all creation, reverence for persons, responsible use of the earth’s resources, and freely sharing the gifts entrusted to us with those in need and less fortunate.
• We work to review our consumer habits, and buy or use goods that are not elaborately packaged. Look for good ‘green’ brands of dishwashing and laundry soaps, and cleaning agents.
• Recycle everything that can possibly be recycled: plastics, fresh fruit and vegetable peelings, paper and cardboard, glass and tins.
• Start a compost heap. Add a few worms as well as leaves, twigs and other garden waste and the compost will act as a natural and highly beneficial fertilizer for the soil.
• Reduce water use through avoiding such dependences as over relying on your car.
• Encourage manufacturers to bear the responsibility for recycling or disposing of used parts and machinery in goods such as television sets and computers.
• Reduce electricity use by using compact fluorescent lighting as well as energy saver bulbs.
• To constantly remind the Local government of its commitments to recycling and reducing waste and to keep their laws on recycling and waste disposal up to date.
• Firmly remind local businesses to simplify their packaging of products.
• Remind the government of their commitments to declarations and protocols on behalf of the environment.
• To remind everyone we come in contact with day by day to live lightly on the earth, and to make “Reduce-Recycle-Reuse-Remind” the guiding principle of their consumption patterns.

Conclusion:
Protecting the earth’s bounty and encouraging good stewardship of our environment is an important part of our work. We are working to help people in our community protect the environment, protect endangered ecosystems, fight climate change, protect our planet’s precious supply of water, keep extractive industries in balance, and  most important ‘green’ our country.