to a place we never imaged we've ever been, where in the very depth of the african rainforest, surrounded by trees, flowers and butterflies, the mother gorillas cuddled their babies.

yes, that's a memorable scene in one of my favorite movies, called gorillas in the mist, based on a true story of mrs. diana fossey, who spent most of her lifetime in rwanda to protect the ecoenvironment there until the very end of her life.

to me, the movie not only presents an unforgettable scene but also acts as a timeless reminder that we should not develop the tourist industry at the cost of our eco-environment.

all these appalling facts have brought us to the realization that we can no longer stand by and do nothing, because the very thought of it has been eroding our resources. encouragingly, the explosive growth of global travel has put tourism again in the spotlight, which is why the united nations has made 2002 the year of ecotourism, for the first time to bring to the world's attention the benefits of tourism, but also its capacity to destroy our ecoenvironment.

now every year, many local ecoenvironmental protection organizations are receiving donations - big notes, small notes or even coins - from housewives, plumbers, ambulance drivers, salesmen, teachers, children and invalids. some of them cannot afford to send the money but they do. these are the ones who drive the cabs, who nurse in hospitals, who are suffering from ecological damage in their neighborhood. why? because they care. because they still want their mother nature back. because they know it still belongs to them.

this kind of feeling that i have, ladies and gentlemen, is when it feels like it, smells like it, and looks like it , it's all coming from a scene to be remembered, a scene to recall and to cherish.

the other night, as i saw the moon linger over the land and before it was sent into the invisible, my mind was filled with songs. i found myself humming softly, not to the music, but to something else, someplace else, a place remembered, a place untouched, a field of grass where no one seemed to have been except the deer.

and all those unforgettable scenes strengthened the feeling that it's time for us to do something, for our own and our coming generation.

once again, i have come to think of mrs. diana fossey because it is with her spirit, passion, courage and strong sense of our ecoenvironment that we are taking our next step into the world.

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