On the sidelines of the United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP15), which is taking place in Montreal, several civil society associations united in the COP15 Collective are organizing a series of public events, one of them combining nature and culture : the “poetic cabaret” Cohabit the Earth, at the Gesù on December 17, with Émile Proulx-Cloutier, Dumas, Ève Landry, the author Elisabeth Cardin and several other guests by the group Les Cowboys Fringants and its bassist Jérôme Dupras, “conductor” of the evening, who participates also at the conference as director of the Canada Research Chair in Ecological Economics at the Université du Québec en Outaouais and who gives us his impressions of the current event.
Scientist and musician, Jérôme Dupras was the perfect man to organize such an evening, especially since “for the Cowboys, the relationship to the territory and the protection of the environment have been present in our work for twenty-five years”. When the possibility of organizing such a concert arose a month ago, the Cowboys did not hesitate to dive in, seeking the help of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) to finance and disseminate the operation.
“We could have had a kind of high mass around a show Cowboys, with everyone standing together and Go! go! the biodiversity ! “, but we wanted poetry,” explains Dupras, joined between two panels at the Palais des Congrès. “We wanted to pause for a moment, take a step back and understand that there is beauty in nature, but also less beauty. All red flags are raised regarding species and ecosystem extinctions, public health, epidemics, etc. It’s scary, but to see people taking to the streets for the cause and to see governments lighting up on these issues, it gives hope. »
“During these conferences, we hear about science, politics, the fact that it’s a great international meeting, but can we also take a moment to marvel at the living and show humility in the face of nature? ? Art lends itself to this encounter”, which will be hosted by Michel Faubert and broadcast live on the Web. As a musician, Dupras will also unveil a few pieces from an instrumental album (to be released February 10, 2023) recorded in trio with Jérôme Dupuis-Cloutier and Guillaume St-Laurent. This “curfew project” is called Solastalgie, the clever word for what is commonly called “eco-anxiety”.
During this evening where dance, poetry, storytelling and music will give us a different understanding of the complex issue of preserving biodiversity, two members of the First Nations will make their voices heard: Innu multidisciplinary artist Katia Rock (Maliotenam) and Atikamekw singer-songwriter Sakay Ottawa (Manawan).
The invitation was obvious, and not just because the Cowboys Fringants are fans of their work, explains Dupras: “The figures speak for themselves: on a planetary scale, 80% of biodiversity is managed, maintained, cohabited by the First Nations, who nevertheless represent 5 to 6% of the world’s population. »
“Without wanting to generalize, he continues, the vision [qu’ont les Premières Nations] of the importance of nature and their way of interacting with it are much more enduring than the western relationship with nature, which has brought us to where we are today. I think we have a duty to listen to these different visions. It’s true on an international scale, but it’s also true for us where, unfortunately, we have obscured the whole notion of traditional knowledge in our own management of the territory. The reconciliation that we talk about so much should also take place on a natural dimension. »
The expert in ecological economics, who is also part of the Advisory Committee on Climate Change of the Government of Quebec, also points out that, since the opening of COP 15, “what occupies the main place in conversations, c is the voice of Indigenous peoples, in Canada and elsewhere.
“My vision of the COP is that it is a necessary evil: we are always a little disappointed [par ses recommandations], but if we are not meeting, in person, to discuss these issues, we are not pointing the finger at the less good players and convincing our leaders to do more. For example, when the Canadian delegation arrives at COP27 heavily surrounded by representatives of oil companies, it also allows us to put our finger on the problem and say: perhaps the climate issue in Canada is not tackled as frankly as the politician says. It highlights that we are holding double talk. »
Does he think that this COP15 will lead to concrete measures to preserve biodiversity? “It will be heads or tails, he notes, lucid. I hope it becomes an equivalent of the Paris Agreement [sur le réchauffement climatique, 2015], but for biodiversity. But what is very clear is that the fact that this conference is being held in Montreal will have a concrete impact in Quebec and Canada and that the announcements made in recent days will lead to concrete projects for the coming years. What is also interesting are the very strong positions taken by the governments of Quebec and Canada. It could give us a form of international leadership on biodiversity in the coming years. »