Mike Simpson

KUMI NAIDOO KUMI NAIDOO SA’s green warrior king Kumi Naidoo takes Greenpeace International to new heights D urban-born Kumi Naidoo does not mince his words. In fact, he is outspoken, opinionated and extremely critical. At the same time, he is approachable, thoughtful, calm and welcoming. Perhaps it is these opposing characteristics that made him so appealing to the board of Greenpeace as it sought a global leader to take it in a new direction, while at the same time continuing the traditional (and equally opposing) strategies of engagement and confrontation. Appointed as executive director of Greenpeace International in November last year, Naidoo’s arrival raised more than a few eyebrows. Not only is he the first African and first ‘outsider’ to take up the job, he is also a social justice activist rather than an environmental one. This, say observers, signals an acceptance by the world’s most prominent environmental organisation that critical concerns such as climate change can only be tackled by a holistic strategy which also addresses poverty, disease, unemployment and other social ills. 16 | www.leadershiponline.co.za Naidoo himself is strongly focused on this broad-based approach. “The moment we are living in can be described as a ‘perfect storm’,” he tells Leadership on a recent visit to South Africa from his new base in Amsterdam. “There’s been a convergence in a very short space of time of a range of different global crises: first there was the fuel price crisis; then came the food price crisis; followed by climate change. Next, there was the poverty crisis and, most recently, the financial crisis. All of these have hit humanity in the solar plexus,” he says. Apart from the obvious environmental impact, Naidoo believes that climate change also constitutes the greatest challenge to future world security, with the next wars and political and social unrest likely to be caused by a scarcity of water and other natural resources. One of the ways to reverse this process is to alleviate poverty and other social issues. As he pursues these goals, the Rhodes scholar and holder of a doctorate in Political Sociology is not afraid to lash out at the world’s rich, powerful and well connected. KUMI NAIDOO KUMI NAIDOO His commitment to poverty and social justice issues took him to Zimbabwe in 2008 wherehe was involved in making a video on the plight of ordinary citizens Global food and nutrition giant Nestlé gets a brickbat for allegedly sourcing palm oil from a supplier that contributes to Amazon rain forest degradation. Western governments engaged in the “war on terror” are criticised for a response “which has actually fuelled terrorism”. G8 leaders such as former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are rebuked for viewing the lives of people in developing countries as “dispensable”. The Japanese government comes under fire for what Naidoo believes is its heavy-handed treatment of on-trial environmental activists. Closer to home, he is scathing of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s policies and the starvation these have caused. In South Africa, he blames a failure of “political will” and “vested interests” for the government’s lack of enthusiasm for solar energy as a means of bringing electricity to rural areas. He even goes as far as to label the refusal to use solar technology as “criminal”. Yes, Naidoo is a man on an outspoken mission. 18 | www.leadershiponline.co.za South Africa and Africa South Africa has the dubious distinction of being the only African nation among the 20 countries that emit nearly 90% of the world’s greenhouse gases. Naidoo says that a Greenpeace report, entitled “The Energy Revolution”, shows South Africa has an excessive dependency on coal and must move toward a low-carbon future by investing aggressively in renewable energies. A core problem is energy inefficiency. “We are one of the most wasteful and inefficient countries – whether it’s the way we construct our buildings, how they’re insulated, or the way energy is transported,” he explains. The report recommends re-evaluating local building practices, and training construction workers and tradesmen in techniques that improve energy efficiency. However, the report opposes any widespread use of nuclear energy on the grounds that it is “too little, too late, too costly and too unsafe”. Naidoo is scathing in his criticism of the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor nuclear project at Koeberg in the Western Cape, which was intended to boost Eskom’s power-generating capacity, but now looks likely to be closed down without ever coming on stream. He claims that R20 billion was spent on the seemingly doomed project (although other sources put the figure at less than half of that) and that the funds could have been better spent on small-scale solar-powered projects for rural communities. A one-time student at the prestigious Oxford University in England, Naidoo is particularly animated on the subject of using solar power to help meet the country’s energy requirements. He believes that massive and co-ordinated investment in small-scale and larger solar projects would be a cheaper, faster, safer and cleaner method of delivery. But if that is the case, why are such solar projects not already well under way in South Africa? Naidoo claims it is due to a failure of “political will”, and blames “vested interests in the way energy is provided”. “There are certain companies and individuals in the power structure that have huge investments,” he says. “It’s criminal when we know the technology exists (and fail to use it) and in the process, we could have created jobs in the rural areas.” Greenpeace is already on record as saying that South Africa can cut its annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 200 million tonnes by 2050, without sacrificing economic growth, if it uses energy more efficiently and increases wind and solar power production. Looking at the continent as a whole, “The Energy Revolution” report says there must be a focus on promoting sustainable agriculture in Africa and ensuring that small farmers are supported in ways that promote food generation without harming the environment. Similarly, the continent’s oceans and coastlines need to be better protected in order to regenerate depleted fish and marine life. “Africa has a large coastline and, ultimately, we would like to see about 40% dedicated to marine reserves – otherwise our children will never eat certain types of fish that we eat today,” Naidoo says. “African coastal waters are being impacted by commercial fishing trawlers from all over the world, and we need to defend that.” He adds – enigmatically, and refusing to give details – that several Greenpeace-owned ships are to be deployed off the African coast in an effort to “block some of the trawlers that are killing our oceans”. For the first time, South Africa is well positioned to heavily influence environmental issues throughout Africa. It has achieved global relevance through membership of the so-called “Basic” group – Brazil, South Africa, India and China. Together, these countries form an influential bloc of large developing nations that are seeking a common position on emissions cuts and climate aid. Naidoo voices the hope that South Africa will not look at global climate negotiations from a perspective of self-interest, but rather advance the interests of Africa as a whole. Growing up in South Africa His critical stance on South African government policies relating to solar power, nuclear technology and Zimbabwe are particularly interesting, given his background and ties to the ANC. Naidoo was as an anti-apartheid activist and exile in the 1980s, and subsequently returned at the start of the ‘90s to work on the legalisation of the ANC. But he never accepted roles in the government, despite being offered them, and preferred to work in the non-governmental organisation (NGO) and civil society arena. Naidoo’s path to political and social awareness began while growing up in the then Indian township of Chatsworth on the outskirts of Durban. Even as a youngster, he gazed through bus windows while riding through ‘white’ areas and noticed the immaculate condition of their schools, in comparison to the dilapidated state of the one he attended in Chatsworth. He recalls that on the odd occasion when a movie was shown in the school hall, power would need to be run from the nearest house because the school lacked electricity. “Every 15 minutes or so, somebody would have to run out and reconnect the cable because somebody had tripped over it,” Naidoo says. www.leadershiponline.co.za | 19 KUMI NAIDOO Did he have a deprived upbringing? “My dad was a bookkeeper, and very hard working; he built our house up until it was quite good in the township context,” he remembers. “We had three meals a day and I never felt I was poor. “But when I look at it in global terms, we were lower middle-class, at best.” By the time Naidoo was 15, the reality of living in South Africa in the ‘80s had caught up with him. As the national student boycott gained momentum, he became a school leader and joined the many marches of the time. He admits that he “didn’t understand everything that was happening”, but remembers with a laugh how those at the front of the march the country with eight other members of Umkhonto we Sizwe. “Lenny was a very philosophical guy,” Naidoo remembers. “In my last conversation with him, before we both fled into exile in different directions, he asked me: ‘What is the biggest contribution you can make to the cause of justice and humanity in South Africa?’. I said: ‘Your life.’ But he said it was the wrong answer: it was ‘giving the rest of your life’. “He was saying the struggle for justice is a marathon and not a sprint, and the biggest contribution anyone can make to the cause of humanity is committing to a lifetime of involvement,” adds Naidoo. “Catastrophic climate change is not inevitable” would be chanting “We want equality” while those further back had amended it to “We want a colour TV”. Another favourite slogan of the time was: “You pay our teachers peanuts – no wonder they give us monkey education”. At that time fired by political awareness, Naidoo went on to study Political Science at the University of Durban-Westville, graduating cum laude in 1985. But the following year, the State of Emergency was introduced and he was arrested several times for violating provisions against mass mobilisation and civil disobedience. Police harassment forced him underground and he eventually left for Britain to study for a Rhodes Scholarship. “My break was getting the scholarship,” Naidoo says. “I didn’t understand the significance at the time, as I was on the run. It was only later I realised how prestigious it was.” Past Rhodes scholars include former United States President Bill Clinton, and former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke. It was while at Oxford that he learnt his best friend and fellow activist Lenny Naidu had been killed by security forces. A member of the ANC and its military wing, he had fled to Swaziland and was ambushed while attempting to re-enter 20 | www.leadershiponline.co.za His ‘involvement’ has taken the path of developing South African civil society and its institutions. He has been executive director of the South African National NGO Coalition; a board member of the Association for Women’s Rights in Development; chief executive officer of Civicus: World Alliance for Citizen Participation; and co-chair of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty. Naidoo’s commitment to poverty and social justice issues took him to Zimbabwe in 2008 where, undercover with his stepson, he was involved in making a video documentary on the plight of ordinary citizens. He was so moved by what he found that, on his return, he embarked on a 25-day fast to protest against the Mugabe government and raise awareness of the starvation facing ordinary Zimbabwean citizens. It was while on day 19 of his fast that Naidoo was approached to take up the role of global head of Greenpeace. He takes up the story: “I was feeling rather weak and wondered if I was really up to the challenge of such an important role. I also wondered whether it was too soon to leave the work I had become so involved in on behalf of the poor. “When I later told my daughter, she said that she would never talk to me again if I did not seriously consider the offer. She also pointed out to me that Greenpeace has always worked for the poor, just in a different way. For her, Greenpeace and its supporters are the real activists, the real heroes who dedicate their lives to the struggle for climate justice,” Naidoo recalls. Global issues Little more than six months into the job, Naidoo admits that it has not been easy. “I knew my learning curve would be steep because I’m not your conventional environmentalist, but I have to say that is significantly steeper than I thought it would be. [But] I get very excited about all the learning.” His experience in civil society and justice issues has not gone to waste, though. While one part of the Greenpeace strategy seeks constructive engagement as a way of advancing environmental causes, the other is to engage in non-violent confrontation and acts of civil disobedience. Naidoo’s feet were hardly under his new desk in Amsterdam when he had to oversee efforts to secure the release of Greenpeace activists who were arrested in Denmark for breaching security at an international Heads of State dinner during the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change. Similarly, he has been to Japan, where activists face up to 10 years’ imprisonment for activities intended to bring a halt to whaling by Japanese ships. Greenpeace says the charges are politically motivated and adds that the activists are “political prisoners”. The organisation intends continuing with such acts, so it is likely that Naidoo’s past talents will continue to be put to good use. Overall, he is upbeat that all is not lost on the environmental front. “Catastrophic climate change is not inevitable. We have an opportunity through our creativity and our activism to push for a green economy that creates sustainable jobs; we need to pursue an energy revolution which seeks to promote the use of renewable energy such as wind and solar power and increased energy efficiency. “If we are able to harness all of these opportunities, we can address the issues of poverty, job creation and protecting the climate simultaneously,” adds Naidoo. ▲ Mike Simpson