[ [link removed] ]Earth Month Climate Campaigner Spotlight: Christian Hounkannou

Hi John,

Here at 350.org, we're dedicating the entire month of April to the Earth
and the amazing climate movement that is working so hard to protect our
planet and communities.

So today, we're kicking off our new Earth Month Climate Campaigner
Spotlights Series with an update about the very exciting work I do with
the 350 Africa team on the Fossil Free Virunga campaign.

First, some background...

Virunga National Park is Africa's oldest national park and home to a
wealth of biodiversity including a quarter of the world's mountain
gorillas. It's a UNESCO world heritage site located on the eastern edge of
the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It's a place that's deeply
meaningful not just for the DRC and Africa, but the entire world.

The park has been threatened several times by the fossil fuel industry
working with leaders in the DRC. In the past, our leaders have tried to
award licenses to oil companies to drill in the park.

But due to local and international pressure, the companies halted oil
exploration in the park for now — but they're still very active in the
region.

Through our Fossil Free Virunga campaign, we are calling on the Congolese
government to immediately ban oil exploration licenses within these
sensitive ecosystems.

So far we've collected [ [link removed] ]9,000 petition signatures, produced a
documentary, and [ [link removed] ]led mass protests during COP26.

Take a look:

[ [link removed] ]Fossil Free Virunga

If these projects move forward, they would pose a risk to all the people
who live in the surrounding area. Oil extraction destroys the environment
and ecosystems, poisoning the water and soil that the community depends on
for their survival and livelihoods — and contributes to climate chaos like
droughts and floods.

Our leaders need to understand that the decisions they make are not
decisions that are limited to today — they are decisions that will impact
the future of our entire community and our climate future.

Our goal is to demonstrate that the Congolese community is actively
against oil development in the park. Instead, we must redirect funding to
sustainable, clean energy alternatives that safeguard the environment,
lives, and livelihoods of communities in the DRC.

Together we will show the government and oil companies that we are here,
keeping watch.

The short term financial gains cannot compensate for the long term damage
to our planet and communities. We need to focus on conservation rather
than destruction.

In order to win, we need everyone across the globe to be involved. The
power is within us and together we will win.

Thank you for taking the time to hear about our campaign, and happy Earth
Month! Stay tuned for even more Earth Month Spotlights from around the
world coming soon.

Onward,

Christian Hounkannou
350 Africa

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