Just added my Connectography Speech of Gabon!
Check out the video and let’s learn about Gabon together.
Connectography Speech for World Environment Day 2025 | Jung Ryeowon (Gabon) | 124
(I learned that in Libreville, the capital of Gabon, you can visit La Stèle de la liberté (The Stele of Freedom). I found it fascinating that this monument stands on the very spot where the enslaved Africans aboard the ship L’Elizia were freed and found liberty. What intrigued me most was the statue itself—depicting a figure with the lower body of a man and the upper body of a woman.
The sculpture faces inland with its back to the ocean, breaking free from chains and celebrating liberation. This imagery was especially moving to me, as it seemed to symbolize how enslaved Africans—regardless of gender—arrived on the shores of Libreville and stepped onto the land of freedom.
Given how deeply meaningful this monument is, I began to wonder about the two stone pillars that stand beside the statue. They surely carry some symbolic meaning as well. If you know what they represent, I would be grateful if you could share that information with me.)
Recently, the weather in Korea has become warm and spring-like, quite different from March when it was still snowing. It was really chilly not long ago, so it's surprising how quickly it has warmed up. The forsythia flowers are already in full bloom, and I can see them even here in Yeongjongdo, Incheon. I heard that cherry blossoms have already bloomed in Seoul—hopefully, they’ll bloom here in Yeongjongdo soon too.
The photo below was taken yesterday, as of April 11 when I’m writing this. Aren’t the yellow flowers and the green grass just beautiful? (Among Gabon’s landmarks, La Stèle de la liberté seems to be one of the most significant. I imagine that most Gabonese people have visited it at least once. However, when I tried searching for “La Stèle de la liberté,” only the “Statue of Liberty” from the U.S. would appear in the results. It was difficult to find a full image of the Gabonese monument.
If you happen to have a complete image of La Stèle de la liberté, rather than just partial views, could you please show it to me?)
I believe that the joy of being surrounded by beautiful grass and nature can be felt even more deeply in Gabon. But as you know, not only in South Korea, but all over the world, these natural respites are gradually disappearing. That made me curious about Gabon’s stance on this issue, so I looked into it from various angles. I found out that Gabon has been heavily dependent on crude oil for decades. However, recently, the Gabonese government has shifted its focus toward the Congo Basin rainforest—rich in valuable timber—as a potential future economic foundation, considering the possibility of oil depletion. When I learned this, I started to worry, because deforestation is one of the major global issues we as world citizens are responsible for.
Still, I was somewhat relieved to find that while Gabon has been criticized by climate activists for allowing palm oil plantations and plywood production, it also enforces strict conservation regulations—unlike countries like Brazil, where large-scale deforestation is taking place. Gabon is making serious efforts to develop as an emerging economy, isn’t it? I truly believe Gabon’s current efforts are meaningful. One of the main reasons is that the country is pursuing both economic growth and environmental protection at the same time. When South Korea was going through its own phase of rapid development, I don’t think we managed to protect the environment as effectively—so Gabon’s approach feels all the more admirable.
Still, I can’t help but wonder: can these environmental protection efforts be sustained over time? What do you think, as someone reading this now? Considering that the development of oil and mineral resources makes up a significant portion of Gabon's GDP, the debate between prioritizing national revenue and protecting the environment seems bound to resurface. Also, what kind of environmental education or awareness would be needed at the national level for Gabon’s people? I’d love to hear diverse perspectives on this.
