In 1987, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias helped protect the future of the people of Costa Rica and won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work bringing stability and peace to once strife-torn Central America. Now, he has turned his attention to another threat to the future of his people: the dangers of environmental degradation.

A note from President Oscar Arias on Making Peace with Nature:

"Without any doubt, we are a country blessed by nature. And without any doubt, we are a country of peace. We abolished our army in 1948, declaring peace on the world. We built on that wise decision by spending our money on books instead of weapons, teachers instead of soldiers, national parks instead of army bases. In my country, peace is not just a dream. It is a way of life.

But in today’s world, peace among people is not enough. When I returned to the Presidency in 2006, this was clearer than ever before. As a human race, we cannot keep the peace if we are shooting missiles of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. We cannot keep the peace if we are creating acid rain that falls like bombs upon the Earth.

We cannot keep the peace if we are knocking down forests with tractors the size of tanks, promoting the extinction of many species before we even give them a name. Whether or not we come from countries at war, all of us are waging a war against our planet.

Costa Rica is a small country, but it can be a great leader. Nearly sixty years ago, we became the first nation in the world to abolish our army. Today, we seek to make history once again by becoming the first nation in the world to protect its national wonders, on land and under the sea, in perpetuity.

This time, we will not be leading alone. We are joined by our comrades-in-peace, all over the world. We are joined by those who understand that Costa Rica por Siempre is not just an investment in Costa Rica: it’s an investment in our common home, our planet Earth.

Your help will be rewarded by the grateful hearts of my people, but also by something even more important: safe and healthy lives for all of our children and grandchildren. If we succeed – and we will, for we must – we will take a powerful step towards giving them a future that is green; a planet that is safe and strong; clean air to fill their lungs; and the first global peace that can last forever."

Back to Forever Costa Rica

Nature picture credits Photo © Government of Costa Rica (President Oscar Arias)