Description

This celebratory event will commemorate success stories in protecting the environment in Singapore – as part of the Good Stories movement led by Philippines Attorney Tony Oposa. Oposa has been tirelessly advancing environmental law in his country as well as worldwide. While he is best known for his advocacy in fighting for the rights of future generations to see a pristine forest (see Oposa v Factoran (1993)), the cleanup of Manila Bay, stopping dynamite and cyanide fishing (the ‘bad stories’ that he had to bring to the courts); he has started this movement to highlight the “good stories”.

The Good Stories movement spotlights stories of people around the world who are taking care of the environment – the life sources of Land, Air and Water, i.e., the LAW of life. Good stories have the power “to inspire and set hearts on friendly fire.” This movement aims to change the narrative from negative to positive, from bad to good, and from sad to happy. By changing the storyline, we can change the story of the world.

The movement was first launched on 25 October 2022, in the Philippines Consulate in New York. Similar events have been held in Manila and at the Hague in 2023, and in New York again in April 2024. Oposa is especially impressed by what Singapore has done for its environment and feels strongly that we should highlight the success stories of our pioneer environmental heroes as they deserve to be shared. These include individuals, NGOs and government agencies. We fully agree and thus, we are presenting awards to commemorate and record their achievements and narratives. We hope that other countries will celebrate their good stories too, as the world needs inspiration to protect our fragile planet, its ecosystems and its many denizens, including ourselves.