Amidst the deepening ecological crisis and widening social injustice, the Health of the Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has tasked environmental justice advocates to always be at alert in responding to the existing, emerging socio-ecological and other issues.

Speaking at an eco-comedy live show organized by HOMEF and Environmental Right Action in Benin City, Edo state at the weekend, the Executive Director of HOMEF Nnimmo Bassey mentioned that activists are often faced with traumatic experience and even stark opposition on the field hence the need for resilience and courage.

He stated that the eco comedy was organised to explore the relevance of humour and storytelling in curbing burnout and promoting wellbeing in the course of activism.

He said “Activists are always at alert -responding swiftly to important existing and emerging socio-ecological and other issues. Often times they are faced with traumatic experiences on the field and met by stark opposition or even failure. This leads to burnout which can become persistent and reduce productivity, as well as lower quality of life.

Speaking on the overlapping ecological and social crises, he tasked the activists to remain rooted in purpose, conscious of our collective power, and alert to the urgency of the moment saying “humour and laughter should inspire us o think about who we truly are and the socio-ecological issues that we need to address, comedy and humour are not neutral but viable tools for action.”

Dr. Bassey acknowledged the serious and often numerous challenges that activists face year after year sometimes with little success owing to deep-rooted systemic disorders. He stressed that giving up is very dangerous as activists must remain consistent and persistent even if the change does not happen in their lifetime, to surrender is to allow injustice to prevail unchecked.

Furthermore, he noted that humour is a great tool for educational purposes and can be used to break barriers – whether personal, structural, or systemic notion of power was also central saying communities and individuals often underestimate their own power, especially in the face of institutional failure or injustice.

He said real change begins when people recognize that power lies in their voices, their unity, and their refusal to remain silent adding that the small acts of speaking out, using caricatures to campaign and sharing stories contribute to a larger movement for justice.

The Deputy Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action, Barr. Mariann Bassey-Olsson, building on the importance of integrating humour in activism, noted that if activists lose their joy, they will lose the movement. Humour allows us to stay human without which we would lose empathy and the motivation to instigate change. While the realities that we face are grievous, our response must not be stripped of humanity.

Mrs Olsson established that humour does not attempt to make light of the socio-ecological struggles but helps to break tension and strengthen commitment. “We are not laughing because things are easy; we are laughing because we refuse to be broken. Humour reaches where policy papers cannot. Activism must sustain people, not consume them”, she explained.

Moreover, Mrs Olsson added that “when we laugh together, we heal, we reconnect. We remember why we started. This isn’t a distraction. It is resistance!” Humour allows civil society activists to release tension, reconnect with one another, and sustain the energy needed for long-term struggle.

Eco-Comedy emerges from a growing recognition that activists across the world, rather than retreat, claim humour as a political and cultural strategy, one that enables movements to communicate complex issues in accessible and relatable ways, connect with broader and more diverse audiences, and sustain emotional strength and collective resilience.