The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MMARN) held an act of gratitude to recognized artists who have selflessly joined an initiative that seeks to motivate the population to join the National Plan for Reforestation and Restoration of Forest Ecosystems.
As part of the recognition ceremony, held in the lobby of the MMARN, Minister Miguel Cera Hatton previously shared lunch with the artists. The activity was attended by Michel El Buenón, Rubby Pérez, Félix D’Oleo, Henya Tejeda, Carlos Alfredo Fatule, Xiomara Fortuna, Ramón Orlando, Jandy Ventura, Kaki Vargas, Claudio Cohén, Roberto del Castillo, Cheo Zorrilla, Monchy Capricho and Sabrina Estepan.
The initiative, created by Villa Altagracia environmental activist José García, has also integrated other artists, including Krisspy, José Peña Suazo, Enrique Féliz, Ala Jaza, Diomary La Mala, Adalgisa Pantaléon and Dionis Fernández. The artists have recorded videos calling on their followers to join in the planting of trees for the good of the forests and watersheds of the Dominican Republic.
Claudio Cohén, Rubby Pérez, Carlos Alfredo Fatule and Michel El Buenón sang at the ceremony and were applauded by MMARN and Ministry of Tourism collaborators, who came out to the balconies to enjoy the brief event.
Ceara Hatton was accompanied by the Vice-Minister of Forest Resources, José Elías González and other members of his team.
Delivering the central words of the recognition ceremony, Minister Miguel Ceara Hatton thanked the artists for the support they have offered to achieve the purpose of turning sustainability into culture.
He recalled the importance of creating citizen awareness about sustainability, convinced that it is impossible to establish it with police or military placed in all the rivers and protected areas of the country.
He assured that, if the Dominican Republic wants to conserve its natural resources and appropriately face the challenges of climate change, “sustainability has to be part of our education, of our vision and of our daily life”.
“We have to learn to coexist with nature, we have to assume new values, new behaviors, new expressions of sustainability,” the minister stated, after indicating to the artists that they can play a great role in creating citizen awareness.
“What we want to do with this exercise that we are doing now is precisely to invite you, as leaders of Dominican society, of music, of culture, to help us turn sustainability into culture,” he said.
Vice Minister González also thanked the artists for joining the initiative. “To serve with their figure, with their voices, to everything that has to do with the environment and natural resources for an education campaign, for specific actions, is an effort that the Ministry of Environment accepts with great pleasure,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rubby Pérez reiterated the willingness of MMARN to continue promoting the integration of society to tree plantations. He thanked Ceara Hatton for “directly facing the things that you have had to face since you arrived at the ministry until now”.
“Whether you are here or not, or whoever you are, I will be here to defend the interests of my Dominican Republic, which I love so much, and of this environment,” he said.
Xiomara Fortuna also expressed the need to continue promoting citizen awareness. “I believe that we, the artists, can do what has been my dream in these 25 years: that we campaign, where we all get involved, where in each of our concerts, we highlight the campaign, and if this year we are going to preserve the water, we go with the water,” she said.
Minister Ceara Hatton and Vice Minister González presented wooden statuettes to the artists participating in the initiative.
Source: Presidencia.gob.do
