Russian Eco-Activist honored for Challenging Forest Destruction

Konstantin Koutsyllo/Reuters

Ever heard the term civil disobedience? 

In layman’s language, civil disobedience is when you intentionally break a law in order to bring attention to a situation you consider unfair. People who engage in civil disobedience try to do so peacefully, often in what’s called a sit-in. They know they’re going to be arrested. In fact, they want to be arrested in order to raise public awareness on the situation they consider unjust.

An eco-activist from Russia was just honored for her civil disobedience. Yevgenia Chirikova was a winner of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for protesting against a planned highway that would destroy an old-growth forest near her home.

While Russian authorities obviously would disagree, the Goldman foundation said Ms. Chirikova did what few Russians dared to stand up for the what’s right.

Her battle, it should be noted, is far from over.

To learn more, check out this Christian Science Monitor story.