Civic Responsibility in Costa Rica

by Alfredo Cazorla

For three years we have been able to verify day by day the civic responsibility and the love of nature that the Costa Rican exemplifies.  In no country in which my family and I we have resided have we felt that the citizenship in general have such a developed sense of responsibility toward their country. 

In Europe the love and preservation of nature has traditionally been left to ecologists, special interest groups, and the political "left." The large multinationals, the mega hotel chains, etc., seem to carry out only what is required, but their objectives remain purely economic in most cases, caring little about harm to nature or the European ecosystem.

It is enviable to see Costa Rican children grow up learning at home and in school to take care of, to preserve, and to love the natural environment of their country.  Costa Rica is a small country with a large soul and a priceless wealth that is the people themselves.  All foreigners who share the Costa Rican habitat have the obligation to integrate and to continue the fine example set by Costa Ricans so that we contribute to making a prosperous and great country.  We should be critics about anything that destroys our ecosystem and not  allow Costa Rica to become a destination overrun with unscrupulous investors that cut the trees and destroy our mountains; we should treat mother nature with the same love with which she receives us, so that we can bequeath to future generations a better planet.