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American teacher revisits land where forest grown from $5,000 donation in 1999_我的网站

A |     "I think a lot of people have been very surprised, not least in the Armed Forces themselves have been very surprised to hear that there has been a particularly strong positive discrimination in favour of ethnic minorities in the Royal Air Force," Matthew Gordon-Banks, a former Tory lawmaker and retired senior research fellow at the UK’s Defence Academy, explained.,Gordon-Banks suggested that neither the UK Army nor the Royal Navy lack appropriate diversity: "We've seen considerable changes in recent years in our army and even those soldiers who guard the Queen on ceremonial duties ̶ we're seeing a wide range of ethnic minorities also serving, not just white faces," he said.,However, the RAF has possibly become the least attractive service given the fact that the UK has reduced its number of planes and ships, according to the former British lawmaker. He does not rule out that the RAF is "suffering from recruitment problems which have exacerbated the potential lack of diversity at the current time.",‘The Biggest F*** Up in the RAF': UK's Training of Fast Jet Pilots in Crisis, Leaked Docs Claim6 August, 11:14 GMT,Gordon-Banks went on to recall that the head of the British Armed Forces, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, "made clear that he wanted the Royal Air Force chiefs to make diversity a priority” in his very first speech as the combined head of the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force in December 2021.,"So that means, in my view, that the combined head of our Armed Forces is the person who actually started this particular issue," Gordon-Banks claimed. "And the head of the Royal Air Force, Chief Marshal Sir Michael Wigston, subsequently committed to doubling the number of women to 40% in the RAF by 2030 and also having 20% ethnic minorities serving in our Air Force. And this seems to be a target which has been described as too far, too fast, and in pursuing it, it actually puts diversity targets ahead of ensuring what is best for our Armed Forces operational effectiveness.",Gordon-Banks emphasized that he would be the first to say that having a good ethnic minority and diverse mix in the Armed Forces which reflects the multicultural kind of country that the UK is, is a positive thing. However, it should not come at the expense of operational effectiveness, the former Tory politician noted.,The head of the RAF’s recruiting team – herself a senior female officer whose identity has not been disclosed – recently resigned "in disgust at what reports claim is the imposition of a de facto recruitment freeze on white men in favour of women and candidates from an ethnic minority background," according to the Daily Mail.,"The very idea that a female group captain, head of recruitment of the Royal Air Force, has felt it necessary to tender her resignation because she believes that operational effectiveness is being hindered by an alleged stopping of recruitment of white faced recruits in order to boost ethnic minority recruitment is clearly ridiculous, and that such a senior officer should feel it necessary to tender her resignation highlights a very serious issue, but it's an issue which is being created by the very head of our Combined Armed Forces, Admiral Tony Radakin himself," highlighted Gordon-Banks.,WorldRAF Recruitment Head Reportedly Resigns After Service Temporarily Stops Hiring White Men17 August, 05:57 GMT,"Then you look at the head of the RAF and he's prepared to break the operational requirement of the air force just to meet diversity [targets]," one source said, as quoted by Sky News. Sources within the British Armed Forces have argued that these diversity targets are "impossible.",Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, a contender to become the UK's prime minister, has recently commented on the emerging controversy. "The only thing that should matter in recruitment is the content of your character, not your sex or the colour of your skin," a spokesperson for the Sunak campaign said. "That the Ministry of Defence would allow Britain's security to potentially be put at risk by a drive for so-called 'diversity' is not only disgraceful, it is dangerous.",For its part, the RAF disputed the allegations, insisting that there is no pause in RAF recruitment and no new policy with regards to meeting in-year recruitment requirements, according to Sky News.,"What we should be doing in the UK is ensuring that we are recruiting the best irrespective of ethnicity," Gordon-Banks concluded.。    

    Yin Yunzhen introduces to Sakolsky the harvest from the once-barren wasteland. Photo: Lin Xiaoyi/GT
On Monday afternoon, American teacher Ronald Sakolsky visited the homeland of Chinese desert fighter Yin Yuzhen in Uxin Banner of Ordos, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. This was a place the American man had visited in 2000 and it has completely changed since then.
In 1999, Sakolsky, a teacher in a China-US education exchange program, was touched by a report on Yin and her husband's afforestation efforts in the harsh wilderness of Mu Us Desert, and raised $5,000 to support her green cause. During that visit, they took pictures - in front of the sunken pit where the Yin couple once resided and in the barren land with a finger-thin sapling they had just planted against a backdrop of dust and bare earth.
What has the $5,000 changed? 
On Monday, they came to the Sakolsky forest - a permanent tribute honoring Sakolsky's early contribution to the region's ecological revival - and replicated the vintage pictures, standing in front of a pit that has long been abandoned and beside a newly planted sapling. This time, however, there are bushes and trees in the background. 
This contrast not only witnessed their friendship across time and the Pacific Ocean, but also showcased a promise Yin has kept for 27 years and a green dream that has been made possible through generations of joint unwavering efforts from Yin, her husband and countless other sand fighters. 
Homecoming with family cooking 

Yin hosted Sakolsky on Monday at her home,  filling the air with the aroma of home-cooked meals during their long-awaited reunion. Watermelons were served along with other fresh fruits and vegetables, all harvested locally. Yin told the Global Times earlier that she learned the English word "more" to persuade him to eat more.  
In 1999, Yin had few options for showing her hospitality, so she cooked a bowl of plain noodles for Sakolsky. Now, the harsh wasteland has transformed into a vibrant green oasis, thanks to unwavering afforestation efforts.
In the courtyard, the Global Times reporter saw Yin grinning from ear to ear with pride as she introduced the produce from the farmland - green pepper longer than a palm, a bottle gourd even bigger than Yin's head, and bags of foxtail millet packaged with the assistance of Yin's grandchildren, who are proud of the family's generations of commitment to green causes.    
During a tour of Yin's home, Sakolsky was impressed by the beautiful house with its green courtyard, saying "You deserve every centimeter of this house." Throughout the visit, he repeatedly praised Yin's hands, which the desert fighter and model worker used to change both the land and her own life through arduous work. 
The $5,000 Sakolsky donated in 1999 was equivalent to three years' income for Yin's entire family at the time. Today, that money has grown into more than 50,000 trees.
But Yin's journey did not stop there. Over the following decades, with the support of China's growing ecological restoration policies — including subsidies for afforestation and compensation for forest managers — she transformed the barren land into a productive family forest farm. Her success has inspired many others in the region to take up tree planting and sand control, transforming what was once a desperate struggle into a sustainable livelihood.
From the sandy hollow where the Yin couple lived in in 1985 and the earth hut they resided in until 1993, to the solid brick house Sakolsky saw when he last visited, and the two-story house the big family now lives in, the change in living environment is a clear example of ecological dividends.  
Uxin Banner lies in the heartland of the Mu Us Desert. The desertification rate was over 90 percent in the 1950s and forestation coverage was merely 7.2 percent as of 1980. Now, the forestation rate has increased to 33 percent, while plantation coverage has expanded to 85 percent, per official data. 
    Sakolsky and Yin enjoy watermelons and other fruits at Yin's home. Photo: Lin Xiaoyi/GT
Carry on the greenness, kindness 
This miracle would have been impossible without numerous people like Yin, long-term systematic planning and scientific governance. 
Chen Ziliang, an expert from the local forestry and grassland bureau, said that Mu Us Desert's sand‑control journey has evolved from collective afforestation to contract desert‑reclamation, moving beyond the simple goal of "keeping trees alive" to restoring vegetation based on water‑resource conditions.  
Putting the idea of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" into practice, Uxin Banner no longer views "greenness" and "growth" as an either‑or proposition. On restored sandy lands, the under‑forest economy, eco‑agriculture and eco‑tourism have flourished. Sand‑fixing shrubs are now processed into animal feed and biomass fuel, and local authorities are exploring photovoltaic‑powered desert control, the Global Times learned. 
Sand control is no longer just about keeping sand away; it's a development approach that guarantees a greener and better living environment alongside a booming economy and increasing incomes. 
On Monday afternoon, when Sakolsky finally stepped into the forest named after him, this American teacher witnessed the Chinese woman's perseverance and commitment to her promises. The $5,000 donated without expectations has grown into a thriving forest of around 50,000 trees. 
"A promise is a promise. Ms. Yin fulfilled her promise," Sakolsky said. After 27 years, the wasteland is green, and Sakolsky and Yin are "brother and sister." 
"This is the answer to how we guide young people: We must teach them love and perseverance. We need to show young people photos of Ms. Yin planting trees, digging the soil with her bare hands," Sakolsky remarked while packing a jar of sand. He said he planned to bring it back to the US, telling his grandchildren it is not just a jar of sand, but "a jar of love."   
Sakolsky told the Global Times earlier that the younger generation only knows about the dust-covered landscape from photos and stories of the elderly. It is important to tell them how the greenness is achieved, and how every single person can contribute to making an extensive forest in the harshest environment. 
"I see where China and America can work together. I see it, so I will not quit. She [Yin] never quit. 'Quit' is not in her vocabulary," Sakolsky said with emotion on Monday. 
"Chinese and Americans can be family. We can get over the differences if we focus on the similarities... If we focus on our similarities and not our differences, we can solve the problems."
At the end of Monday's schedule, Yin and Sakolsky planted another sapling together, just as they did about three decades ago, but in a completely different landscape. 
This new sapling carries on the story of not only greenness through generations of joint efforts, but also kindness across the Pacific Ocean. 
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