Catholic Church to host environmental protest walk against galamsey on October 11
The Accra Diocese of Catholic Church in Ghana is set to hold an Environmental Prayer Protest Walk in Accra on Friday October 11, 2024, aimed at urging the government to take immediate and decisive action against illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey.
It will begin at Holy Spirit Cathedral, Adabraka, at 10:00 am amidst a walk through some of the major landmarks in Accra, including Castle Road, Ridge Roundabout, Parliament House, and Oxford Street, before ending the walk at Christ the King Parish, Cantonments.
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A petition will also be presented to President Akufo-Addo at Jubilee House during the event, demanding swift action to address the crisis.
According to a press statement dated October 4, such a move underlined the resolve of the Church to contribute toward the protection against environmental degradation and entrench appropriate sustainable practices.
The prayer protest is being organised by the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra in conjunction with the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious, Ghana, and the Catholic Lay Faithful and Professionals.
It tends to make the public at large become aware of the degrading effects of illegal mining and galvanise support for urgent government intervention.
The protest also aims to achieve the following salient objectives, namely that a mobilised Catholic community and larger Ghanaian public demand the declaration of a state of emergency.
The Catholic Church has time and again emphasised the severe implications of galamsey, which indeed has taken a toll as a national crisis characterised by loss of life, destruction of water bodies, and heavy pollution.
Prayer mixed with activism by the Church is to show that it is constitutionally, civilly, and religiously duty-bound to protect Ghana's natural resources.
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The Environmental Prayer Protest Walk is expected to bring into sharp focus the urgent need for a concerted effort by stakeholders-government, civil society, and the private sector-in the midst of an unending environmental crisis.
The Church wants a holistic approach, prioritising ecological sustainability and granting the people of Ghana their livelihood instead of being compromised by the impacts of illegal mining.
Read the full statement below:
