INTERNATIONAL MOTHER EARTH DAYAPRIL 22, 2009Ms. Thanh Xuan Nguyen
Thank youOn behalf of WEDO, the Women’s Environment and Development Organization, I applaud theGovernment of Bolivia for taking the leadership in proposing the resolution to designate this daythe International Day of Mother Earth.When I was growing up in Vietnam and visited my grandparents in the countryside, Iremembered my grandmother telling me to take off my shoes and walk bare feet.She said: “You have to feel the touch of Mother Earth on your feet and through your whole body”.Every day, we stand on top of our Mother and every minute, we take gifts from her.Mother Earth gives us the rice we eat, the air we breathe and even the flowers we enjoy.I was taught to say thank you at the beginning of each meal for the food on the table.Mother Earth also gives us special plants to take care of our sicknesses. My grandmother had allkinds of plants to cure belly ache, to stop diarrhea, even to have a good night sleep. When thewomen in the neighborhood gave birth, my grandmother had a bagful of plants to stop the bleeding, to rub the umbilical cord and to start breast milk for the baby.We need to be mindful that we are taking the gifts from Mother Earth. We cannot just take butwe must give back. The only way to give back is to care for her and her children.We are all her children. We are one family of human beings, animals and plants. Some childrenare more beautiful than others. Some are stronger than others. Some are better off than others. Not one is more deserving than other. It is our responsibility to help her weaker children.In Vietnam, we believe that our body has the same four elements that constitute the universe:water, fire, wind and earthfor water: we have the liquid and blood that circulate inside our body,
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