Dec 8th 2010
Wednesday we were credentialed to go into the “inside UN space” with governmental representatives. We were able to get our credentials through Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA). We spent most of the day in the NGO space and attended the official launch of the United States Strategy for REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) and how they are committed to “preventing deforestation” through such measures and carbon credits. They focused on the new programs and funding that will result. The technical presentation focused on the flagship program and projects the US is implementing, as well as planned investments and activities in forest carbon sequestration. Luckily the audience was stacked with Grassroots Global Justice, Indigenous Environmental Network and the Environmental Justice Leadership Forum. Questions were asked about the rollouts blatant disregard for indigenous rights and I got in the question:
“What are the specific safeguards for communities such as mine, Detroit Michigan, that are already overburdened by industrial toxins and will be impacted by REDD measures such as carbon credits. And what are the safeguards are there to protect the indigenous people use of their own land since the UN article 43 on the rights of indigenous people are nonbinding.”
The main message of our delegation is that the REDD+ proposal is bad for people in the community. From the “forest to the hood we are all united” that the most affected communities must be protected. Ahmina and I decided that we have to do a community debrief of our experience here and what we learned. We are thinking around Jan. 10th as a good date and we’ll outreach to our EJ coalitions, PMA group and USSF Detroit group.
Ahmina spoke on a Sustainable Cities panel Thursday at 9am about the Detroit incinerator, our actions to shut it down as well as incinerator alternatives. She will write up her talk and add it to the Grassroots Global Justice (GGJ) Blog. All our reflections, pictures and film footage from us and all the GGJ delegates will go up on their website.
On Thursday afternoon we went to see Evo Morales speak, the Bolivian President. We were so fortunate and we sat in the international delegation section. He addressed La Via Campesina (international peasant movement)– the alternative climate forum that focused on how climate change is affecting farmers around the world. Obviously Food Security was a predominant theme is his talk. My two favorite Evo quotes from the speech were, “The UN is meeting on the moon (Moon palace was the name of the UN conference center for the governmental delegates) while we are here on earth coming up with the real solutions to climate justice” and “Climate Change is not a business venture!”
There was a very long dedication and ceremony by the Bolivian indigenous community before his talk and soon after Evo came on stage there was a huge double rainbow on each side of the stage. Everyone was crying and laughing and it was all extremely emotional. The folks in our IEN delegation were all saying that it is unbelievable to have a president saying the things he is saying. What an amazing time.
To check out photos, interviews and footage from marches check out the Redroadcancun.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment