World Environment Day is a solemn event that takes place every year and is becoming increasingly important, and that’s a good thing! On this day, we not only celebrate the environment and our habitat, but also point out the ills left by various crises around the world and climate change. But as members of a global society, we can do something about it and we always strive to protect our environment.

After the Covid-19 measures were recently relaxed in Berlin, we, the current SBW Berlin fellows and the SBW Berlin team, met again for the first time in a long time on June 5, 2021 in the front yard and garden at SBW Berlin to celebrate World Environment Day together. In West Bengal, India, activists from the Green Crusaders organization also came together to safely celebrate this day under the ongoing strict Covid-19 measures. World Environment Day has been celebrated there for quite some time, although it was not until the 1990s that the organization was founded that the day became particularly important to activists.

Here in Berlin, we decided to plant a little tree and thus tie in with the various traditions (for example, reciting the names of important activists and poems and talking about climate change and environmental protection, etc.) in India. There, Green Crusaders – and activists from other organizations planted seedlings and there was also a small campaign against the use of plastic in the village of Junglegheri. Here in Berlin, we gave small speeches on the impacts of climate change and together we repotted a small but beautiful fig tree that represents not only growth, but also our hope for a greener future. We will always remember this day, June 5, 2021, when we take care of or look at our fig tree. We are looking forward to harvesting figs together this fall or next year and eating them together.