Waving rainbow and green flags, the demonstrators beat drums and played flutes as they set off on a 20-kilometer (12-mile) march from the center of Cancun to the guarded luxury hotel where talks were underway.

“We urgently need a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and we’re demanding that the United States, Japan, China and the Group of Eight to heed this plea from the world’s people,” said Rafael Alegria, a Honduran activist for the peasant movement Via Campesina.

US activist Ash-Lee Woodard of the Grassroots Global Justice Alliance said that more than 30 similar demonstrations were taking place across North America for those who could not come to Cancun.

“No agreement is better than a bad agreement,” she said.

Protesters said they were opposed to any violence. Police official Veronica Fajardo said that some 5,000 to 6,000 police would patrol the streets and that they did not expect to close any roads.

The talks in Cancun are making incremental progress toward a global deal on fighting climate change, with the conference focused largely on the architecture of a future agreement.

The peasant activists have been particularly upset about an expected role of the World Bank and free markets in distributing the billions of dollars in aid being pledged by wealthy nations to the most vulnerable states.

Many demonstrators also want a continuation of the Kyoto Protocol, whose requirements run out at the end of 2012, faced with the growing likelihood that a new treaty will not yet be in place.

The press conference began with Moderator Anne Petermann, of Global Justice Ecology Project evoking the name of Lee Kyung Hae, the South Korean farmer who committed suicide atop the barricades during protests against the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Cancún in 2003.  She pointed out that it is now climate change that is killing farmers and other marginalized peoples, and that the UN Climate Conference has degenerated into the World Carbon Trade Organization.

Speakers at the press conference included Delegates from the Paraguayan and Nicaraguan delegations, as well as Tom Goldtooth, of Indigenous Environmental Network, Mary Rose Taruc of the the Asian Pacific Environmental Network and Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, Kari Fulton of Youth 4 Climate Justice, Josie Riffaud of La Via Campesina, Luis Enrique of the MST of Brazil, and Ricardo Navarro of Friends of the Earth International.

Following the press conference, activists from Youth for Climate Justice and the Grassroots Global Justice Alliance led a protest out of the press conference and onto the front stairs, where Bolivian Ambassador Pablo Salon spoke to the crowd and the media frenzy. The youth activists went on to loudly denounce the inaccessibility and unjust nature of the talks and express outrage over having been repeatedly denied permission to hold a youth delegation protest on the UN grounds.  As the youth marched away, they were accosted by UN security, stripped of their badges, put onto buses and evicted from the climate conference.

Simultaneous to this action, La Via Campesina and the Mexican Space – Climate Dialogue were holding two mass marches, one on the highway leading to the Moon Palace–where the climate conference is taking place, the other one in the City Center.

• See more photos here…

Indigenous Environmental Network and Grassroots Global Justice Alliance march with thousands in Cancun to Demand Respect for Indigenous Rights and a Rejection of REDD
Cancún, Q. Roo, Mexico, December 7, 2010 – As thousands of people marched today on the COP-16 climate summit to condemn the false solutions and backroom deals being pushed in the negotiations, solidarity actions unfolded in over 100 cities around the world. The march was organized by La Via Campesina, the world’s largest federation of peasant and smallholder farmers, and was the anchor action of the 1000 Cancúns Global Day of Action for Climate Justice.

The diverse array of social movement organizations, representing Indigenous peoples, small farmers, youth, communities impacted by the climate change to call for mobilizations and actions worldwide for climate solutions based in traditional Indigenous knowledge, community-based practices, human rights and the rights of nature.

Simultaneously, the press conference hosted by Global Justice Ecology Project and organized by La Via Campesina, Indigenous Environmental Network and Friends of the Earth International turned into a spontaneous action as speakers expressed anger over the direction of the climate talks in Cancún. Following the press conference, activists from Youth 4 Climate Justice and Grassroots Global Justice led the protest out of the climate talks.

Anne Petermann of Global Justice Ecology Project opened the press conference by evoking the name of Lee Kyung Hae, the South Korean farmer and La Via Campesina member who took his life during mobilizations against the World Trade Organization here in 2003 wearing a sign saying “The WTO Kills Farmers.” “Then we were fighting against the World Trade Organization,” Petermann said. “Today we have to fight the World Carbon Trade Organization.”

Tom Goldtooth, the Executive Director of the Indigenous Environmental Network explained why so many people around the world were taking action. “It is clear that the false solutions offered at this COP-16 and previous COPs are being used to create markets and generate capital without regard to the fundamental concern for reducing emissions. The Cochabamba People’s Agreement remains a statement of the people of the world and against the commercialization of our climate, our air, our forests, our water and our very existence as humanity but it has been unilaterally deleted in the current negotiating text. As Indigenous peoples, social movements and affected peoples we reject the carbon market mechanisms of REDD.”

Mari Rose Taruc of the Asia Pacific Environmental Network and Grassroots Global Justice Alliance described the situation facing her community of Richmond, California which lives in the shadow of a massive Chevron refinery. “Our communities are already dying from pollution. Unfortunately the UN process is focused on market based mechanisms that will allow companies like Chevron to buy offsets instead of reducing emissions at their source, creating more toxic hot spots in low income communities of color.”

Representatives of ALBA countries, Miguel Lovera, Chief Adviser of Paraguay and Paul Oquin of Nicaragua also expressed their solidarity with the people and condemned the moves of developed countries to avoid their historical responsibility and climate debt.

“We are here as young people from impacted communities to make sure that our voices are heard and respected,” said Kari Fulton, founding member of Youth 4 Climate Justice. Fulton continued, “Whether you live in the forest, whether you live in the hood, you will be impacted by false solutions. And REDD, REDD+, REDD++, is a false solution that will create a market in forests at the expense of human rights and the environment. We are here to say we want you to protect the Rights of Mother Earth and the voices of the people.”

Following the press conference, activists from Youth for Climate Justice and the Grassroots Global Justice Alliance led a protest out of the press conference and onto the front stairs, where Bolivian Ambassador Pablo Solon spoke to the crowd and the gathered media.

Solon stated, “What is most important is the struggle of the people and their demands for real solutions to climate change… Every year, 300,000 people die because of natural disasters caused by climate change. This will grow to millions if we do not have, here, a real agreement, instead of a Cancun-hagen”.

The youth activists went on to loudly denounce the inaccessibility and unjust nature of the talks and express outrage over having been repeatedly denied permission to hold a youth delegation protest on the UN grounds. As the youth marched away, they were accosted by UN security, stripped of their badges, put onto buses and evicted from the climate conference.

Tom Goldtooth, Pablo Solon and other delegates were later able to make their way to join the thousands-strong People’s Assembly for Environmental and Climate Justice, held in the street less than two miles from the official climate conference.

Notes:
Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) is a network of Indigenous Peoples empowering Indigenous Nations and communities towards sustainable livelihoods, demanding environmental justice and maintaining the Sacred Fire of our traditions.
IEN has brought 17 indigenous leaders to Cancun as part of the Grassroots Solutions for Climate Justice — North America Delegation uniting representatives from fossil fuel impacted communities who are on the frontlines of solving the climate crisis. To book interviews or get further background information on North American climate justice organizing contact the IEN Media Hotline: +52 998 108 0748

http://redroadcancun.org   http://grassrootsclimatesolutions.org

Photos available at http://pitch.pe/107956
by Orin Langelle, Global Justice Ecology Project, and the Indigenous Environmental Network Media Team.

Indigenous Peoples Protest Canada’s Tarsands Gigaproject on 2 December

The Indigenous Environmental Network and allies protest the Tar Sands gigaproject scheme in front of the Moon Palace where UN climate negotiations are taking place.

12.01.2010– Media Contacts: Indigenous Environmental Network
Clayton Thomas-Muller + 52 998 108 0758
Melina Laboucan-Massimo k +52 998 108 0748
ienCop16media@gmail.com
PHOTO & VIDEO: Coming soon at http://pitch.pe/106329

Cancun, Mexico, Dec 2, 2010 — Indigenous Peoples of Canada and their allies from around the world are in Cancun at the COP-16 climate summit demanding real action to reduce fossil fuel pollution. Over twenty people with color-coded T-shirts that spelled out the words “Shut Down the Tar Sands” in both English and Spanish gathered in front of the Maya building to directly deliver their message to UNFCCC delegates. Participants included Indigenous community representatives from fossil fuel impacted community across Canada and the U.S., many carrying personal banners linking tar sands with the destruction of their territories.

Melina Laboucan-Massimo of the Lubicon Cree comes from a community impacted by tar sands. “We have seen the destruction of our lands happen right before our eyes. Our water is being contaminated and we are seeing droughts throughout the region. My family used to be able to drink from our watershed, and now within my lifetime we can no longer do so. Young and old people alike have developed respiratory illnesses as neighboring plants emit noxious gases into the air. First Nations and farming communities have reported health effects to the wildlife and livestock. The area is drastically changing – I fear for the future of my homeland.”

The tar sands are the fastest growing source of GHG emissions in Canada. Unless Canada changes track emissions from the tar sands industry are set to triple to over 120 millions tonnes. Clayton Thomas-Muller of the Indigenous Environmental Network said, “Our communities demand real solutions to address the climate crisis and that means shutting down the tar sands and a moratorium on new fossil fuel development.”

Indigenous communities are not only being impacted in the tar sands region, but are feeling the effects of tar sands infrastructure spreading throughout North America such as the Keystone and pending Keystone XL pipelines. “Our traditional way of life has been devastated by oil refineries. There is already a web of pipelines under the ground, and now the Keystone has plowed through our territory bringing further spills,” explains Casey Camp-Horinek of the Oklahoma Ponca Nation. “No amount of money can replace the destruction of our land, water and air. The Keystone XL pipeline is not needed or wanted.”

Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) is a network of Indigenous Peoples empowering Indigenous Nations and communities towards sustainable livelihoods, demanding environmental justice and maintaining the Sacred Fire of our traditions. IEN has brought 17 indigenous leaders to Cancun as part of the Grassroots Climate Justice Solutions North America Delegation uniting representatives from fossil fuel impacted communities who are on the frontlines of solving the climate crisis. To book interviews or get background on North American climate justice organizing, contact the IEN Media Hotline: +52 998 108 0748.

- http://redroadcancun.org – http://grassrootsclimatesolutions.org

Wast

Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) and Global Alliance of Wastepickers and Allies (GAWA) stage protest in front of the entrance to the Exposition Center where the UN climate negotiations are taking place.

WASTE PICKER SOLUTIONS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION

From: Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA):

The Global Delegation of Waste pickers will be present in Cancun

(November, 2010) The Global Alliance of Waste Pickers and Allies will attend the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change with a delegation of representatives from Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and India to demonstrate that millions of waste pickers around the world, supported by international organizations with representation in dozens of countries, stand united and committed  to their struggle against climate change and false waste management solutions.

Who we are. The Global Alliance of Waste Pickers and Allies brings waste pickers from Latin America, Asia and Africa together with support organizations and environmentalists to offer real solutions to climate change mitigation and waste management. The solutions we propose make economic sense, respect the environment and promote social inclusion!

Our messages

We propose the creation of a global fund directly accessible to waste pickers and civil society to promote recycling, along with reducing and reusing, as effective mechanisms for reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, as opposed to “waste-to-energy” solutions of incinerators and landfills.

We reject financing of incinerators and landfills in operation through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The Alliance believes that the CDM promotes incineration, an activity that pollutes the environment and marginalizes waste pickers.

We call to support the struggles of waste pickers aimed at improving their living conditions and increasing recycling. Supporting waste pickers means making their jobs and national economies more sustainable.

We promote social recycling and inclusive zero waste programs with inclusion.

We promote social, economic and environmental inclusion of waste pickers.

Contact for further information and interviews: Magdalena Donoso (Spanish and English)
magdalena@no-burn.org / skype: magdalenadonoso / Cell phone in Cancun: 56-9-96526550

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