(This article is dedicated to the victims of the 3.10 airplane crash, including the domestic and international colleagues who went to Nairobi to participate in the 4th Session of the UN Environment Assembly.)
While people were still immersed in the Sunday leisure, the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) delegation led by the Secretary-General Dr. Zhou Jinfeng, was also participating in the Second Global Session of the United Nations Science Policy Business Forum of the Environment, an overture of the 4th Session of the United Nations Environment Assemble (UNEA4) in a tense and orderly manner in Nairobi, a five-hour time difference – everyone was informed of a sad news: on March 10, a Boeing 737 plane carrying 157 people from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Nairobi, Kenya, crashed shortly after takeoff and all the passengers on board were killed.
The social media that alienated people from each other, but brought them closer, played a huge role immediately: Dr. Zhou received a lot of greetings from many people – not knowing that Dr. Zhou, who was eager to rush from Italy to Nairobi for the meeting, did not linger in the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but arrived one day earlier in Nairobi, the venue of the United Nations events one day in advance – on the same route as the crashed flight. Looking back at the screenshot of the moment shared on Wechat by Dr. Zhou, we can’t help but sweat.
A Nigerian journalist who met with Dr. Zhou at the Greenaccord Forum in Italy the pervious day immediately contacted Dr. Zhou, any including him, many people asked Dr. Zhou, directly and indirectly, about his situation. Such natural behavior that people at unexpected momentous moments makes us have mixed feelings. When people learned that Dr. Zhou was already in Nairobi, everyone was relieved. Dr. Zhou left a message on the moment via Wechat: “Because of the plane crash, many friends greeted, thank you very much. Fate is not finished yet, how can I go? There is a photo to prove… Cherish life and sincerely mourn the victims.”
So far, the United Nations has officially issued a statement to mourn the death of the United Nations colleagues in the crash, and at the opening of the 4th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly, all stood up to mourn. The wrecked flight reportedly contained passengers from more than 30 countries around the world, including 19 United Nations staff members, some of whom may have travelled to attend the United Nations Environment Assembly. According to the news of the Consular Protection Center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 11th, the eight Chinese citizens who died in the flight of Ethiopian Airlines were initially confirmed. Four were employees of the Chinese company, two were international staff of the United Nations system (including one Hong Kong citizen), and the other two were on their private travel. In the face of this deeply sad air disaster tragedy, some UN official said it was “shocking... People who strive for the well-being of Africa often travel on this route.”
For the well-being of people--the lost lives cannot be redeemed--we cannot control, predict when we will leave the world, never know when the accident and tomorrow come first-but we can grasp how to maximize the bloom of life and maximize its value when we are alive. So, when we work hard, what other difficulties cannot be overcome, and what obstacles cannot be through?
Here, we would like to extend our deepest condolences to all the people who died in this tragedy and their families. May the dead rest in peace. At the same time, we must live well and fully.
(Photo credit: CBCGDF. Please indicate the source.)
Origina Chinese article:
http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4937/7918.html
By / Niu Jingmei