thought blurb Commemorating Earth Day's 50th Anniversary

April 22, 2020 marked the 50^th Anniversary of Earth Day, an occasion that is commemorated across the globe. For the occasion, the international environmental NGO Earth Day Network worked in tandem with organisations across the world to create a global digital surge of environment consciousness. There was an outpouring of energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to create a new plan of action for our planet. Earth Day 2020 was a catalyst that galvanized unparalleled global collaboration.

  In India, on the eve of World Earth Day, Sanctuary Asia launched a month long celebration of nature and wildlife, by inviting leading experts in nature, conservation and wildlife, to share their experiences through online sessions, talks, discussions and webinars. To commemorate the event, thought blurb, a communication and design agency from Mumbai created a digital film with user-generated content by sourcing footage from the people who recorded wildlife sightings in the heart of the city or close to their residential premises during the lockdown. The campaign ran in social media. Viewers immediately connected with the core message that asked ‘are we Listening?’.

 Karuna Singh, Regional Director, Asia, Earth Day Network: “The lockdown has given us a rare opportunity. On the one hand we’ve seen the re-emergence of nature and how quickly it recovers from lack of human interference.  On the other, it emphasized that in the grand scheme of things, humans must play a positive role to ensure that Earth – the only home we have – stays clean, green, pollution free and that the planet is not our exclusive domain, but to be shared with other species as well. The question ‘are we listening’ requires answers that need us to immediately think long and hard about.”

 Bittu Sahgal, Founder, Sanctuary Nature Foundation: “These animals have always been around us. We are noticing them now, because in their experience we are behaving better. This film makes a strong case for living in harmony with our environment.”

 Nidha Luthra, Executive Director, thought blurb: “This pandemic has made us realize that a true democracy is not just for those who look and talk like us but also for those who don’t. This film is a reminder that there are more tenants on the Earth and not all of them live in concrete buildings.”