EEG conducts its 12th Community Lecture
December 19, 2012
From: AMEinfo
EEG successfully conducted its 12th Community Lecture of the year on the 18th of December 2012, with the film screening of ‘Queen of the Sun: What are the Bees telling us?’ The event which is free and open to the public was hosted by the Canadian University of Dubai.
The event was kicked off with a warm speech by Mr. Farid Ahmed; EEG’s Honorary member, who welcomed the attendees to the 12th Community Lecture.
They were provided with a small brief regarding EEG’s activities during the last month.
EEG expressed delight in being able to successfully conduct 12 Community Lectures – the highest that EEG has ever conducted in a single year and thanked the audience for their continued support.
The year 2012 has created history in EEG’s records by surpassing its targets and achievements across all its programmes and campaigns.
The attendees were informed that the year was being closed on a very successful note as they managed to garner 42000 participants for its Clean Up UAE celebrated on 12.12.12.
This spellbinding and enlightening film explored the long-term causes that have led to one of our most urgent global food crises, illuminating the deep link between humans and bees.
The story unveils 10,000 years of beekeeping, highlighting how that historic and sacred relationship has been lost. Inspiring and entertaining, QUEEN OF THE SUN uncovers the problems and solutions in renewing a culture in balance with nature.
The movie is an in-depth investigation to discover the causes and solutions behind Colony Collapse Disorder; a phenomenon where honeybees vanish from their hives, never to return.
Queen of the Sun follows the voices and visions of beekeepers, philosophers, and scientists from around the world, all struggling for the survival of the bees.
While other bee films focus exclusively on commercial beekeepers, Queen of the Sun emphasizes the biodynamic and organic communities who have differing opinions from many of the outspoken migratory commercial beekeepers and are often overlooked by the media despite their deep and profound insights into the long-term issues that have brought about the recent collapse.
Bees fly millions of miles to keep the earth in bloom and have provided humans with honey, wax and pollination for our food for over 10,000 years. Through animation and illuminated imagery, the movie uncovers how bees were highly revered by the Egyptians, Mayans and Greeks, but the bond between humans and bees, once a sacred partnership is now a complicated, profit-driven, industrial enterprise.
Queen of the Sun draws from the insights of Rudolf Steiner an Austrian scientist who, in 1923, predicted that in 80 to 100 years, bees would disappear.
Steiner said, “The mechanization of beekeeping and industrialization will eventually destroy beekeeping.” Gunther Hauk, a main character in the film and a protégé of Steiner’s, against all odds, begins to build the first bee sanctuary in the world.
Surrounded by industrial agriculture, he is creating a 600-acre farm to help support the bees in crisis. Through his insights, we are launched into a journey around the world to uncover the compelling perspectives concerning the complex problems bees are facing such as malnutrition, pesticides, genetically modified crops, migratory beekeeping, parasites, pathogens and lack of genetic diversity from over queen breeding.
Seeking answers through unique and unusual beekeepers and scientists who have heart-felt respect for their bees we confront and address the harsh realities causing the bees to disappear. Queen of the Sun finds practical solutions and discover the deep link between bees survival and our own.
The characters in the movie share a common belief that solutions to the bee crisis lie in a renewal of agriculture and beekeeping that supports the needs of the bee and therefore supports the planet. While their solutions are simple and practical, they are not easy. Queen of the Sun demonstrates their immense efforts to rebuild a community in balance with nature.
Media amplifies alarm about the worldwide collapse of bee colonies and scientists hunt for a silver bullet cure. In the meantime, bee advocates strive to renew a culture that takes its cues from the hive. They have wisely recognized that the bees, themselves, are our guides and they have looked to the bees’ example of collaboration and community as the model for their own actions
As part of his concluding remarks, Mr. Farid Ahmed thanked the audience for attending the Movie Screening and was hopeful of showcasing other such informative films which help raise awareness on pressing environmental issues. She wished everybody good holidays and prayed for a fruitful and productive 2013.
EEG thanked the Canadian University of Dubai for the venue and Abela & Co. for sponsoring the refreshments.
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