KCP - Catholic Diocese of Broome

The year 2006 has been declared the UN International Year of Deserts and Desertification. The logo for the year is at the end of this article. The Diocese of Broome has permission to use the logo in its publications this year.

The elements of the logo are explained as follows :
THE TREE covers the logo as a protective roof, symbolizing the fight against deforestation through conservation, afforestation and reforestation activities. Moreover the tree represents intelligent cultivation, the control of drought and the rebirth of life itself.

THE SUN, symbol of warmth and life, is a strong feature in desert landscapes and a very important element in the life of all those living in these regions.

THE DUNES are formed of several colours: the brown to represent the intensified soil conservation; the yellow and the orange to represent the sand dunes and all the living creatures of the desert; and finally the green, to show vegetation and agriculture.

The rich brown earth colour and the paler shade of the "International Year of Deserts and Desertification" have been chosen to represent the fertile soils that can be obtained if desertification is properly controlled and deserts are respected.

Our own Christian tradition has a rich history of desert spirituality. The desert figures in both Hebrew and Christian scriptures and conjures up both positive and negative images. But one consistent message is that the desert is the place where we confront our own demons and also the place where we can meet our God. For example, it was the journey in the desert that convinced the Israelites that God was a God not confined to any one place, but an “everywhere God”.

So while there is an ecological imperative to resist the encroachment of the desert into fertile lands and to care for the earth, the water and the air of our planet, this year could also be a time to re-examine the place of ‘desert time’ in our busy lives and how best to allow space for our God to be present to us. Perhaps time is our most precious non –renewable resource; we need to use it wisely. ‘Wasting time’ in quiet and really allowing our immediate environment to touch us in such a visually rich place as the Kimberley could not help but move us to conservation and restoration of that environment; vital aims of this international year.
Happy contemplation!