Climate Change Exchange

Our relationship with Our Mother, Our Earth

World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth in Cochabamba

 

 Emma Dolan, Christian Aid’s contry manager for Bolivia reports from the conference

Day Three, Wednesday, April 21, 2010 

Today’s debate centered around the rights of Mother Earth. The first session was opened by two eminent liberation theologians and inspirational men – Leonardo Boff and Miguel D Escoto, who have dedicate their lives to fighting injustice and for the rights of the abused and downtrodden across the world. And still the fight. They fight now for the future of humanity that depends totally on this planet, a planet which is being hurt through the predatory and exploitative development models that treat natural resources as expendable commodities. 

Alberto Acosta, ex Minister for Energy in Ecuador and a key actor in mainstreaming the rights of Mother Earth in the countries new constitution, referred the sacredness of the Planet, how we should venerate her and respect her as a Mother from which all life grows. He also referred to when Jesus Christ kicked out the salesmen in the temple – in a reference to big business and government who are desecrating the sacredness of the Mother Earth through ever increasing greed and exploitation. 

This debate continue into the afternoon, in the plenary sessions of the working groups which have been coordinating virtually over the internet over the past three months receiving inputs from people and organisations that have come to Cochabamba and other who are following the vents from a distance this week. The working groups in which are partners have participated have worked tirelessly over the past few days, often late into the night with the objective of presenting agreed position papers to the social movements and the participating Heads of State who will be flying into Bolivia tomorrow. 

There was great confusion about where the venue for the plenary sessions were. I walked over a mile in the midday heat to a local hotel, only to find when I got there that the venue had been changed to the place I had just come from – so I had to walk all the way back. I participated in the plenary session which presented the results of the working groups on Climate Justice Tribunals and Rights of the Mother Earth.  

I was very happy to see that both presentations were led by the indigenous leaders from two of the principle peasant and indigenous movements which are founding members of the Bolivian CC Platform that we support together with OXFAM and CAFOD. Cristian Dominguez and Tata Rafael  have become protagonists of social movements and indigenous groups in Bolivia and beyond, fighting and lobbying for climate justice at national and international levels. They were included in the Government delegation in Copenhagen and also participated in a delegation to the UK to speak to our campaigners and supporters in December last year. 

The Climate Justice Tribunal has been spearheaded by our partner Fundación Solón which, with support from CA, OXFAM and CAFOD, undertook the first emblematic Climate Justice Tribunal in Bolivia last year, in which nine cases from different countries were presented, including one from Peru by one of our partners there. Since then the idea of institutionalizing and installing an International Climate Justice Tribunal has taken hold with social movements at international level. It is now an integral part of the government of Bolivia’s proposal to fight Climate Change and call for the end to impunity to governments, corporations and individuals which commit crimes against the planet and therefore against humanity. 

There was general consensus around the results from the climate justice group – the same certainly could not be said for the next group on the rights of Mother Earth. The presentation echoed much of what had been said by the theologians in the morning about our spiritual and physical interdependence and coexistence with all living beings. However, there was a swell of thirty of more people who all wanted to comment on the draft text presented.  If the truth be known, rather than make specific comments of additions to the text, it seemed to me that most people went to the mike in order to stand on a soap box and make passionate speeches to the sizeable audience of about three hundred, from everything from vegetarians to animal and plant rights etc etc… After more than an hour and a half of ranting, it was all getting out of control. The  audience called loudly for the moderator too limit the interventions. In response to the moderator setting some ground rules, the people lining up behind the mike ranted with more passion and more volume refusing to withdraw and there was a free for all as they all wanted to talk over each other, interrupting and contradicting themselves. There was obvious frustration, but I felt that apart from the few people expressing particular rather weird and irrelevant ideas, most people’s views were actually expressed in the text already – just perhaps not textually or with the priority that they believed was called for. 

I was sat on the floor next to a partner from India as the room was full to bursting. He seemed rather overwhelmed and expressed his surprise by the passion and fury of the shouting, whistling, foot stamping, clapping, flag waving, cheering audience and speakers. I have been living in Latin America long enough now to no longer be surprised by this long drawn out, but unquestionably energetic and completely entertaining way of watching empowered people reach consensus. 

Its about wanting to BE MORE not about wanting to HAVE MORE

World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth

 
Day Two: Monday 20th April 

Tiquipaya is bursting at the seams – nearly ten thousand more people than expected are participating in this global climate change event. They represent in total one hundred and thirty countries. The narrow streets are throbbing and filled with the sounds, colours and music from all over the world. It’s been hailed as the Eco Woodstock of its time and the atmosphere is very festive - a celebration of solidarity and hope in the face which the politicians and world leaders almost extinguished in Copenhagen last year.  

This morning we attended the official inauguration of the event at the local football stadium. There was music, dancing from various indigenous groups in traditional clothes and an offering to Mother Earth, asking her permission to undertake this event in a ceremony that is typical in Bolivia and reflects the reciprocal relationship with the planet. The President Evo Morales and representatives from indigenous people from five continents addressed the crowds. “The People Who Can Change the World are here" declared the representative from Alaska, "We will protect the Earth. We cannot fail." The president of Friends of the Earth from Nigeria said, "The environment is our life in Africa. To come to Bolivia and to see the beauty around us I understand why Bolivians love their Mother Earth."  The words from the representative from India spoke of "a new dawn, a new moment of history where people come together to take collective action across border, across cultures to put Mother Earth first. The emphasis is on the sovereignty of the People rather than on Nations. This Conference will pump new energy into our climate justice movement in Bolivia." The Brazilian social movements whipped up the crowd, getting them to chant "Globilazemos la Lucha!" (Let’s Globalize the Fight). "Our planet is under threat. This means our lives are under threat. We must work together to build on this big global movement in defense of Mother Earth". 

Not only the international speakers, but also the people that I met crowded onto the pitch, all spoke of the inspiration of Bolivia and the social movements who have spearheaded this event. It made me feel proud of our role as CA in the establishment of a Bolivian Civil Society Platform in Response to Climate Change and strengthening the coordination between diverse and already empowered social movements  – but also rather wary. Bolivia is being hailed as an example to follow – but yet I know there are so many contradictions still which we need to critically address and analyze in order to ground the rhetoric to bring about real change at national level with an economy still based largely on extractive carbon industries and also personally to ensure that we strive to  put into the practice the emblematic policy which directs and is mainstreamed through our the new constitution "TO LIVE WELL"  as opposed to live BETTER  which drives us into competition with our neighbours to have more and more. As the representative from Africa said – It’s not about wanting to LIVE BETTER but rather to BE BETTER. 

Our partners from Africa and Asia were overwhelmed by the party and the visibility of indigenous communities who were the protagonists of the inauguration. Our partner from India, ran back to the hotel to change into his indigenous clothes and his return to the stadium was like that of a celebrity as the South Americans crowded around him, wanting to have their photos taken with him and with a constant stream of questions about his country. He was glowing with all the attention! 

We walked through the throbbing dirt streets back to the university campus. More queues to get in, more queues to pick up the welcome pack and more queues to find something to eat. The place was completely chaotic with hundreds of stands, dancing groups and meeting and conference rooms dispersed throughout the campus. Nobody really knew where to go for what. However, the information was passed informally from one person to another in the lines and somehow it all worked out, nobody lost their patience – even if, like me, they ended up in a panel discussion that was different from the one indicated in the printed programme. In fact perhaps the most stressful part was actually deciding which working groups and panels to go to as there was just too much going on all at once. 

I ended up in the university sports hall which was packed to the gills with over three thousand people.  The panel discussions reflected the views of our partners yesterday – see yesterdays blog – rejecting false solutions and challenging social movements of the south to join forces and deliver proposals for alternative and sustainable models of development that they are part of, can manage themselves and are not top down solutions to cleanse the guilt of rich industrialized countries of the north "We will not be your park keepers" said an African panelist, "we will not ease your guilt and give your permission to continue with your predatory consumerism because you have donated to a conservation charity. " The same panelist noted that the Stone Age did not end because the world ran out of stones.  We must not wait to end the carbon age until every coal mine or oil seam has run dry – we still have time to develop new technologies that will give us alternatives to overcome this crisis of civilization we are facing now – before it is too late.

 The discussions extended until after eight. More chaos trying to get on one of the free buses back not the city and to the military barracks and schools that have opened their doors to the thousands who have no beds due to the limited hotel capacity of Cochabamba. I met up with our African partners as we were pushed along on a human wave all in search of a free bus. I was concerned that they may find it all a bit too much, but no, when I asked them how they were they said "Tired, very tired, but completely inspired."

World People's Conference on Climate Change in Bolivia starts!

Emma Dolan, Christian Aid’s contry manager for Bolivia reports from the conference

Day One: Monday 19th April

For seven hours, Cecila Cordova, Bolivia Programme Officer and I joined the wiggly queue that wound its way around Tiquipaya which is a usually sleepy village, half an hour from the town of Cochabamba, surrounded by the Andean mountains. The sun was so hot; we cooled off eating ice lollies and squeezing in with the other patient folk next to us in the thin strips of shade by the side of the road.

Fifteen thousand people from non governmental organizations, indigenous groups, peasants organizations, unions and students of all ages - wearing brightly coloured embroidered traditional indigenous clothes; smart shirts; hippy garb and one-hundred-percent-cotton-eco-chic -  from one hundred and twenty five countries have descended on Tiquipaya to contest the failure of the worlds` top leaders in Copenhagen last December to commit to the reduction in greenhouse emissions necessary to halt the process of global warming affecting everyone living on this planet- such the population of the capital city of La Paz, where I live, and where we depend for much of our water from the snow capped glaciers, admired from every view point in the city, which are now disappearing at an alarming rate due to rising temperatures.

The first indigenous president Bolivian President Evo Morales is recognized by many as an international environmental champion, drawing on ancestral indigenous knowledge and political support from highly mobilized peasant and indigenous movements. However, there is another camp that discards him as a radical ideologist that seeks to undermine the capitalist system and UN climate change negotiations by constantly questioning the motives and backtracking of the rich countries of the north and the limited and false solutions they offer to resolve this global crisis.

However, the scope and expectations around this event have reached way beyond Bolivian borders and it is being seen as a truly international opportunity for citizens and social movements from across the globe to become protagonists in developing proposals to fight climate change. Post Copenhagen, it is clear that these citizens have lost hope and faith in our political leaders to bring about real and urgent change – It’s up to us now.

Partner Meeting

On this first day of the event, we met with nineteen representatives of our partners and associated organisations that have travelled from across Latin America, from Africa and Asia. Some having undertaken  three day epic journeys - dodging volcanic dust, countless flight delays, dealing with bolshie immigration officers etc to reach Bolivia - that is perhaps one of the most remote and most isolated countries in the western hemisphere.

Mariana Paoli, our Campaigns Officer for the South and based in London, was sadly thwarted in her attempts to participate in this event due to the flight cancellations because of the erupting volcano in Iceland. So caught on the hop, I facilitated this meeting of our partners. Each shared experiences of working with communities affected by climate change, campaigning and advocacy.

Despite the rich diversity among this group and the communities and issues that they work with, the main issues raised reflected great synergy.

• There was consensus about the rejection of "false solutions" such as carbon markets, agro fuels and mono crops which bring no benefits to the communities most affected by climate change and indeed they may exacerbate soil erosion, deforestation and debilitate food security. They allow the rich countries of the north to continue unchecked in their destructive consumerism based on extractive and exploitative industries and attitudes. "How can we use mechanisms that uphold and strengthen the capitalist system to resolve a problem that has been caused by this self same system? There is no evidence that these will provide any solution, but they continue to promote them because it is also a way of making money for big business and governments" Carolina Amaya, El Salvador

• Climate Justice is imperative "We are calling for shared responsibility for this global crisis – however the extent to which this responsibility is shouldered should be differentiated recognizing the historical responsibility of the northern countries whose industrialization contributed more to this crisis” Javier Rivera, El Salvador. There is a challenge to operationalise this Justice through institutionalizing permanent climate justice tribunals. It needs to move beyond a conceptual discussion, but rather it should bring individuals, countries and business into account for eco crimes that affect people and the environment. There are already important lessons to be learned from the first symbolic tribunal held in Bolivia last year and the Peoples Tribunal and Water Tribunal held in other countries.

• All our partners work to raise awareness about climate change among a wide variety of people and organisations – forest people, afro descendents, indigenous communities, farmers, fishers, urban workers and youth etc. However, this is much more than simply informing – many of these groups know only too well from personal experiences the dramatic and negative affects of climate change. Our partners work with these groups to raise a critical awareness that questions and identifies the causes of climate change and pulls on their ideas and experiences to develop responses and proposals that are channeled through local, national and international decision making forum. Referring to the wealth of ancestral knowledge and life styles which value quality over quantity  Marcelo Calazans, a partner from Brazil said "Stop looking at us a mere victims of climate change. We can be the answer. Listen to us. "

• The fight against Climate Change cannot be tackled alone by any one organization or interest group. Our partners recognize that it is key to work through alliances and networks at local, national and international levels to reach shared objectives. This is not always easy, it is time consuming and often complicated working with people and organisations with diverse political cultures  - but the advantage is that the voices of the most vulnerable and excluded groups are amplified and channeled to forums where they would otherwise not be heard.

• The upcoming conference in Mexico is an opportunity but it is not an end in itself, but rather part of a long process to bringing about real change. The fight goes beyond Mexico. The partners recognize that the political environment and position of the Mexican government which is pro markets and supports many of the "false solutions" identified above, changing national laws to accommodate legislation to facilitate carbon markets and agro fuels. The Mexican government will want to avoid the chaos, that they perceived, that was caused by the mass presence of social movements that took place in Copenhagen. They see themselves as mediators between the North and the South. The summit will take place in a remote conference centre with little access to the public. The government will press to limit the participation and mobilization of social movements in and around the negotiations.

Some reflections: Looking through the ash to identify campaign opportunities on the other side

Although the irruption of the volcano in Iceland, which is so much in the news, and will no doubt overshadow the events in Cochabamba this week, has nothing to do with climate change – perhaps it will make people think about their relationship with this planet. Rethink the arrogance which leads us to think that we have tamed and controlled this orb. But no, Mother Earth has shown her true fury – bringing life as we know if to a halt over the past few days – closing airports, halting high carbon air travel and international commerce with dramatic knock-on social effects – separating families, stranding teachers and their students, after their Easter break far from home and the work place, causing exotic fruit grown for export to Europe to rot in storehouse and necessitating the mobilization of armed forces to try and bring back normality and assure security for an increasingly frustrated European population and business community."Its incredible…unbelievable…who could have imagined this…" are many of the comments and sighs of exasperation I have heard over the past few days from friends and family, as they watch the news or are stuck in airports far from their destinations. The effects of the climate change and the catastrophic effects on life as we know it perhaps seem less like science fiction now to people around the globe, and this should be seen as an opportunity to act and revaluate our relationship with the earth - or Mother Earth as she will be referred to during the next week by the participants in Cochabamba.