10 November 2011 – Today, on the 16th anniversary of the murder of Nigerian writer Ken Saro-Wiwa - a day of remembrance of the victims of mining, oil and gas - Friends of the Earth International releases a new report and renews its commitment to the struggle for justice for the communities who suffer the consequences of extractive industries.

The new report [1], released on November 10, is entitled 'Memory, Truth and Justice for Heroes in the Resistance against Mining Oil and Gas' and exposes the murders of many human rights and environmental activists all over the world for defending their rights and natural resources.

Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders were executed on 10 November 1995 for speaking out against the impact of Shell and other oil companies in the Niger Delta.

Nnimmo Bassey, the chair of Friends of the Earth International, from Nigeria, said:

“Ken Saro-Wiwa was a hero who died because of the world’s addiction to fossil fuels. His words still ring true in our ears today. This is why we set November 10 as a day of remembrance of the victims of mining, oil and gas. We demand that those who have orchestrated the murder of people for the sake of profits should be held to account. We also demand environmental justice and an end to fossil fuels: be it crude, tar sands or coal.”

Romel de Vera, coordinator of the Resisting Mining, Oil and Gas program of Friends of the Earth International, said:

“We condemn the fact that many governments favor and protect the interests of extractive industry corporations instead of the right of communities to land and resources. The list of community rights defenders, environmentalists and social activists killed in the course of their struggle against mining, oil and gas continues to grow even longer. On November 10, remembrance actions are held all over the world to commemorate their heroism and celebrate their lives and struggles, as well as to condemn the culture and cycle of death forced upon us by the extractives industry.”

Natalia Atz Sunuc, coordinator of the Resisting Mining, Oil and Gas program of Friends of the Earth International, said: “Many brothers and sisters have been murdered in Asia, Africa, and the Americas for defending life and their territories. We demand an end to the repression against those who defend life and an end to the criminalization of the people who defend their territories. The work of our heroes shall not be in vain”.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

IN AFRICA

Nnimmo Bassey, Executive Director of ERA-Friends of the Earth Nigeria and chair of Friends of the Earth International: Alamat E-mail ini dilindungi dari robot spam. Anda perlu mengaktifkan JavaScript untuk melihatnya , +234 803 727 4395 (Nigeria)

IN ASIA

Romel de Vera, coordinator of the Resisting Mining, Oil and Gas program of Friends of the Earth International, Alamat E-mail ini dilindungi dari robot spam. Anda perlu mengaktifkan JavaScript untuk melihatnya , or Tel +632 92 81 372 (Philippines)

IN LATIN AMERICA

Natalia Atz Sunuc, coordinator of the Resisting Mining, Oil and Gas program of Friends of the Earth International: Alamat E-mail ini dilindungi dari robot spam. Anda perlu mengaktifkan JavaScript untuk melihatnya or Tel +502-47815617 (Guatemala)

NOTES
[1] The report can be downloaded from here

Link : http://www.foei.org/en/media/archive/2011/new-report-victims-of-mining-oil-and-gas

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colombians call on government to honour water referendum

Kamis, 19 Januari 2012 06:13

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Filed Under: water privatization corporate power

More than 1000 Colombians demonstrated in the capital as part of international water week in order to reclaim water as a fundamental right.

On March 18 2009, Colombians demonstrated in support of a referendum on the right to water as part of International Water Week. More than 1000 people participated in the demonstration which included young people from universities and schools, environmentalists, trade unionists and neighbourhood communities from all over Bogota.

The demonstration’s strength and impact rested on the young people’s cultural expressions as they sought to reclaim water as a vital element of their territory and access to water as a fundamental right, far removed from the thinking promoted by transnational corporations and other private actors.

The march sent a strong message to the MPs who were discussing the Water Referendum Bill in the House of Representatives. The bill demands the enforcement of the popular decision, supported by over two million Colombians, to treat water as a fundamental human right for everyone.

However, while the Columbian congress is questioning the cost implied by the implementation of the proposal, delaying its approval, the figures of inequality in the country continue to rise. Nearly 53% of the rural population has no access to drinking water. In the capital alone, there are nearly one million people without access to water, because they cannot afford it.

Friends of the Earth Colombia/CENSAT demand the lawmakers reflect the citizen’s decision in the recent referendum and they encourage the national and international community to support this initiative and to continue moving forward in the building of a social and environmental movement that defends access to water as a fundamental human right.

update

On May 19 the Colombian congress ignored the will of the people and 'modified' the bill taking out the reference to water being a basic human right.

Rafael Colmenares from the Committee in Defence of Water and Life decalred that the popular initiative "no longer exists, it was blocked"

"We are not advocates of the referendum that will be voted on," he continued, after two and a half years of efforts to gather signatures and raise awareness on the issue."

In response the committee is studying possible legal actions to ensure that the original text of the bill is put before the legislative committe. Meanwhile, the Colombian citizens who signed the referendum calling for access to water for everyone, will once again take to the streets and demand that the will of the people is recognised.

document actions

Link : http://www.foei.org/en/what-we-do/water/latest-news/colombians-march-for-water-referendum

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failure to protect biodiversity denounced

Kamis, 19 Januari 2012 06:08

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More than 100 representatives of environmental NGOs and local communities met in Penang, Malaysia recently to denounce the role of governments and corporations in biodiversity loss, deforestation and the failure of governments to meet the targets set to halt biodiversity loss under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

The representatives were attending Friends of the Earth International’s pre-conference of a Peoples Gathering on Forests, Biodiversity, Community Rights and Indigenous Peoples that took place on October 14-17, 2010.

The event was organised by Friends of the Earth Asia Pacific and Hosted by Sahabat Alam Malaysia – Friends of the Earth Malaysia at Jerejak Rainforest Resort, Penang, Malaysia.

Those in attendance called for an immediate halt to the destructive projects being promoted by governments and corporations that enter communities under the guise of development but instead bring environmental destruction and serious human rights violations.

"Despite being the UN’s International Year of Biodiversity no meaningful progress has been made at the international level to ensure a halt or even a slow-down biodiversity loss and environmental degradation," said Isaac Rojas, international forests and biodiversity coordinator for Friends of the Earth International (FOEI), speaking at the Friends of the Earth Asia Pacific conference on Forest, Biodiversity, Community Rights and Indigenous Peoples.

Link : http://www.foei.org/en/what-we-do/forests-and-biodiversity/latest-news/failure-to-protect-biodiversity-denounced

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foei statement in support of the 99%

Kamis, 19 Januari 2012 06:03

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Friends of the Earth International is inspired and energized by the current unfolding of world-historic, transformative events. From the popular uprisings in Northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula to the indignados of Europe, from the encampments of the #occupy movement to the student movements in Latin America and the UK, people from all over the world are calling for economic and socio-political justice.

Friends of the Earth International's Executive Committee show solidarity with the Occupy Edinburgh movement, October 2011.

Our history of campaigning against transnational corporations and environmentally destructive economic policies has clearly indicated that we must attain economic justice in order to save the planet.

We believe that the vast inequalities lived by the 99% today are the consequence of the globalized capitalist system which subsidizes dirty industry and invests in military expansion at the expense of securing healthy and just economies with strong social services.

This system has resulted in a legacy of ecological devastation that will be passed on to our children and to the many generations thereafter.

Friends of the Earth International’s key struggles for environmental justice take place at the local level. Whether we are defending the rights and livelihoods of people in Ogoniland, Palestine, Ireland or Honduras, we stand together in the struggle against economic injustice and corporate greed. To save our communities and our environment, we stand united in calling for a profound transformation of the current globalized political economic system.

growing inequalities

In many parts of the world people are losing their livelihoods and social security as a result of an expanding economic crisis. In addition, many people are suffering the impacts of other ongoing related crises: in food and water, forests and biodiversity, energy and climate. Each of these crises is the result of an economic system that promotes the endless commodification, privatization and over-consumption of our common natural resources. We see how these crises only exacerbate global socio-economic inequalities.

We also believe that the growing economic inequalities within our societies are coupled with growing inequalities in political power. The great majority of us live within broken, unresponsive political systems. The influence of big business has expanded to such an extent that our national and global governance institutions have largely been captured by corporate lobbyists. The world's democratic institutions should by definition serve the peoples' interest, and in so doing also protect our environment. But if our democratic institutions fail to represent the common good, if our national and global governance institutions are controlled by corporate interests instead, then we must mobilize to the streets to demand that the system changes. Today, the transformation of our world begins with people mobilizing and demanding real, systemic change.

an alternative system

We cannot expect the same global market model that has caused climate change, ecological destruction and poverty to solve the problems we are facing today . We must work together to strengthen our resistance to this system. We must work to create new, transformative economic models that promote our collective prosperity, social equity and real environmental sustainability. We strongly believe that an alternative system must be created, and it must include both environmental and economic justice at its core. We must create economies not for profit, but for life.

The spirit of the times is one of urgency. We at Friends of the Earth International, along with other allied social movement organizations, recognize our own struggles in the struggles of the 99%. We offer our solidarity and our support, and we join this movement whole heartedly.

Mobilize, Resist and Transform!

Link : http://www.foei.org/en/what-we-do/economic-justice/latest-news/foei-statement-in-support-of-the-99

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gm giant basf leaves europe

Kamis, 19 Januari 2012 05:57

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Friends of the Earth International is delighted to hear that Germany-based BASF is halting the development and commercialisation of genetically modified (GM) crops in Europe.

Speaking on 16 January, the day of the announcement, Adrian Bebb, from Friends of the Earth Europe said:

"This is another nail in the coffin for genetically modified foods in Europe. No one wants to eat them and few farmers want to grow them. This is a good day for consumers and farmers and opens the door for the European Union to shift Europe to greener and more publicly acceptable farming."

In its announcement BASF states that it has stopped the commercialisation of the Amflora potato, the GM crop licensed by John Dalli, Health and Consumer Commissioner in 2010. However, in the first year of cultivation the potatoes were contaminated with an unlicensed GM variety by BASF and withdrawn from the market.

Adrian Bebb continued:

"This is an embarrassment for Commissioner John Dalli. On coming into office he nailed his name to the GM mast, and approved BASF’s GM potato for commercial growing. Two years later, BASF has pulled the plug and the decline of GMOs continues."

further information
Find out more about Friends of the Earth Europe's GM campaign

Link : http://www.foei.org/en/what-we-do/food-sovereignty/latest-news/gm-giant-basf-leaves-europe

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