[E-rundbrief] Info 967 - UN-Klimakonferenz, Cancun, Berichte

[Matthias Reichl]

E-Rundbrief - Info 967 - Hermann Dworczak (A): Zwei Berichte 
von der UN-Klimakonferenz und alternativen Aktivitäten in 
Cancun (Mexiko); La Via Campesina News: The international 
Caravan of La Via Campesina advances for Cancun, examples of 
social and environmental devastation (water, soil...).

Bad Ischl, 3.12.2010

Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit

www.begegnungszentrum.at

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UN-Klimakonferenz in Cancun, Mexiko, und alternative 
Aktivitäten.

Herman Dworczak (aus Cancun)

3.12.2010

Fast eine Woche dauert hier in Cancun bereits der offizielle 
UNO-Klimagipfel COP 16. Weitergegangen ist bis jetzt nichts. 
Nun wird es selbst den Vereinten Nationen zu bunt. Deren 
Verantwortliche für Fragen des Klimawandels Christiana 
Figueres kritisierte in aller Offenheit den bisherigen 
schleppenden Verhandlungsprozess und unterstrich. "Nur 
irgendein Abkommen reicht nicht aus".

Für den mexikanischen Präsidenten Felipe Calderon und seine 
amerikafreundliche PAN-Regierung ist der Klimagipfel vor 
allem eine Show. Eine Show um von seiner extrem schlechten 
Performance abzulenken: vom rein militaristisch geführten 
Kampf gegen die Drogenbosse, der jährlich Tausende Tote 
fordert und so - nach allen ExpertInnenmeinungen- nicht 
gewonnen werden kann; von seiner katastrofalen 
Sozialpolitik- die jüngsten offiziellen Daten zeigen, dass 
die Zahl der Armen in Mexiko in einem Jahr von 31 auf 34 
Prozent gestiegen ist; und last but not least der brutalen 
Umweltpolitik, die - wie Greenpeace ausführt - ungebrochen 
auf die Gewinnung fossiler Brenstoffe setzt.

Die USA wieder haben bislang nur ihre zweite Garnitur 
hierhergeschickt, Japan will kein "Kyoto 2", die EU setzt 
gegenüber den in Armut gehaltenen Ländern vor allem auf 
Kredite und bilaterale Verträge, was diese weiter in der 
Schuldenfalle und Abhängigkeit beliesse.

Bewegung wird es aller Voraussicht nur dann geben, wenn es 
zu einer Art politischen "Zangenoperation " kommt: 
fortschrittliche, zukunftsweisende Vorschläge "von innen" - 
also von Staaten wie Bolivien, Venezuela oder Ecuador. Und 
Druck "von aussen" - durch die Proteste der sozialen, 
indigenen und ökologischen movimientos bzw. der politischen 
Linken. Ob letztere das schaffen wird sich u.a. heute 
weisen, wenn die "Karawane" von via campesina hier ankommt. 
Es wird sich zeigen, ob das Protestpotential eine kritische 
Masse erreicht,  die berüchtigten sektiererischen 
Spaltungslinien unter den unterschiedlichen Zugängen 
überwunden werden können und ein Brückenschlag mit der 
"Opposition im Moon Palace" stattfindet.

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Cancun - Bolivien startet politische Offensive

2.12.2010

Während sich die entwickelten Industriestaaten auf der 
Klimakonferenz im mexikanischen Cancun weitgehend in 
Allgemeinheiten ergehen und an Nebenfronten Scharmützel 
abhalten, geht Bolivien in die politische Offensive. 
Boliviens Botschafter bei den Vereinten Nationen Pablo Solon 
Romero legte im Plenum in einer griffigen Rede dar, welche 
Schritte unabdingabar sind zur Rettung des Planeten. Die 
mexikanische Zeitung "Por Esto!" sprach vom ersten "Bruch 
auf der COP 16".

Die USA haben bislang nur schwache politische Kaliber 
hergeschickt, worauf auch Brasiliens Praesident Lula 
aufmerksam machte. Sie "erwarten sich nicht viel" von Cancun 
- sprich von ihnen wird es keine konkreten Schritte gegen 
den Klimawandel geben.

Die Vertreter Japans haben gleich wissen lassen, dass sie 
nicht einmal die ohnedies sehr schwammigen Bestimmungen des 
Kyoto Protokolls über 2012 hinaus verlängern wollen. Also 
kein "Kyoto 2"!

Die international agierende Organisation "Friends of the 
Earth" hat die Gründung eines weltweiten Fonds 
vorgeschlagen, der insbesonders den in Unterentwicklung 
gehaltenen Ländern bei ihren ökologischebn Massnahmen 
finanziell unter die Arme greifen soll. Die EU möchte jedoch 
nur Kredite vergeben- was die Verschuldung der armen Länder 
weiter potenzieren würde.

Quer zu solchen imperialen Anwandlungen hat Bolivien die 
politische Offensive ergriffen. Boliviens Botschafter bei 
den Vereinten Nationen Pablo Solon kritisierte hier im 
Plenum die "Unausgewogenheit der Konferenz", in der "einige 
entwickelte Industrienationen" ihre Vorstellungen 
durchzuboxen versuchen und damit verhindern, dass es 
"tatsächlich zu Massnahmen gegen den Klimawandel kommt". 
Notwendig wäre, dass die "Indutriestaaten ihre Emissionen um 
40, 50 Prozent reduzieren". Tatsächlich jedoch "haben Länder 
wie Australien oder Österreich ihre Emissionen um 30 bzw. 10 
Prozent gesteigert".

Der indigene Praesident Boliviens Evo Morales wird ebenso 
wie Hugo Chavez aus Venezuela hierherkommen . Beide werden 
die hervorragenden Ergebnisse des cumbre de los pueblos zur 
"Rettung der Mutter Erde" im Frühjahr dieses Jahres in 
Cochabamba vorstellen - in der UNO-Vollversammlung kamen sie 
bereits zur Sprache.

Die Zivilgesellschaft und die politische Linke ist hier von 
Tag zu Tag stärker preasent: morgen Freitag, den 3. 
Dezember, wird die Solidaritäts-Karawane von "Via Campesina" 
eintreffen. Am kommenden Dienstag, den 7. Dezember, findet 
eine - internationale- Grossdemonstration statt. Ihre 
Botschaft macht immer mehr die Runde: "Systemwandel statt 
Klimawandel". Und die Proteste werden nicht auf Cancun 
beschränkt sein. Weltweit wird es zu Aktionen kommmen - in 
West und Ost. Auch in Oesterreich - wie etwa in Graz.

      Hermann Dworczak ( Austrian Social Forum/ ASF; 0043 /
676 / 972 31 10 )

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La Via Campesina News

The international Caravan of La Via Campesina advances for 
Cancun

[Pictures, articles and videos on www.viacampesina.org ]

caravaneros Mexico, Federal District, December 1st, 2010

The three caravans that left on November 28th for San Luis 
Potosi, Guadalajara and Acapulco arrived yesterday in Mexico 
City. They went by central urban avenues and today they 
headed to Cancun, where they will arrive on December 3rd.

They constitute the fourth caravan and will be joined by two 
more, one coming from Chiapas and the other from Oaxaca, to 
arrive together in the camp installed by La Via Campesina 
and The National Assembly of Those Affected by the 
Environment, the Mexican Electricians Union and the Movement 
for National Liberation.

This series of mobilizations seeks to publicize the grave 
conditions of social and environmental deterioration found 
in the cities, communities and towns of Mexico, due to the 
politics of privatization of public goods, the impunity with 
which industries operate with respect to environmental 
regulations and to the violations of the social and labor 
laws of the citizens.

The caravans have noted the serious pollution of the rivers 
in the country. It’s known that sixty percent of the 
groundwater and watersheds are contaminated; seventy percent 
of the soil has some form of erosion and the contamination 
of transgenic corn is present in fifteen states of the 
republic, to mention only the most dramatic cases.

The mask of the government trying to appear as an active 
defender of nature and preoccupied with the climate crises 
is deteriorating with the advance of the caravans.

REJECTION OF CANADIAN MINING

The first caravan started its travel in the city of San Luis 
Potosi and has its first act in the community of San Pedro, 
affected by the illegal exploitation of gold and silver by 
the Canadian company New Gold-Minera San Xavier. This 
illegal exploitation, with the complacency of the 
government, has devastated the hills of the Cerro de San 
Pedro, an emblem of the city and state of the same name.

The act began with a welcoming of the caravan by the 
citizens of San Pedro, who received the coalition of local, 
national and international organizations including:

The Broad Opposition Front to the San Xavier Mine, Pro San 
Luis Ecológico, The National Coordinator of Education 
Workers, representatives of the indigenous communities of 
Pame de la Huasteca Potosina, La Via Campesina, The Popular 
Front Francisco Villa and the National Organization of 
Popular Power.

As well as: The Movement for National Liberation – San Luis 
Potosí, the National Assembly of Those Affected by the 
Environment, the Canadian Environmentalist Council, Polaris 
Institute, Canada, ASUD, Italy and the Observatory of Debt 
in Globalization of Barcelona, Spain, among others.

During the meeting, the speakers explained that for fifteen 
years they have been fighting against the mining company, 
which despite its legal defeat, continued their extractive 
operations for three more years, still illegally, trampling 
on the civil and social rights of the local population.

While European countries are prohibiting the exploitation 
and use of cyanide mining, in Mexico and Latin America they 
continue permitting it. This demonstrates the incongruence 
in the international legislation, and the conflicting legal 
framework of two countries which results in the continued 
use of toxic substances in the extraction of minerals.

The international delegates gave the residents and activists 
a letter signed by more than thirty-six Canadian 
organizations promising to require the Canadian Parliament 
to adopt a law that prohibits this type of mining activity 
by Canadian companies.

The caravan continued its journey towards Dolores Hidalgo 
and Salamanca, Guanajuato; Pachuca, Hidalgo; and Ecatepec, 
Mexico, before arriving in the Capital.

THE DEATH OF THE LERMA SANTIAGO RIVER

The second caravan performed its first act in El Salto, 
Jalisco, a town situated thirty kilometers from Guadalajara, 
on the bank of the Lerma Santiago River.

This region once had a great natural diversity of corn and 
vegetables. There were mangoes, plums, guava, quince, white 
fish, carp, catfish and lots of birds and many other 
species. Their pride was the Salto de Juanacatlán, a 
waterfall of twenty-seven meters in height and one hundred 
and sixty seven meters in width.

By 1900 the government had installed a hydro-electric plant 
and the first industry in the region. With the plant as a 
beginning point, industry gained power over the municipality 
of Salto with industrial jobs and encouraged the illusion 
that with industry they would gain progress and end poverty.

The population went to factories and lost their view of the 
river. In a few years, the lack of planning, the 
urbanization of the jungle and the arrival of highly 
polluting industries transformed a paradise into a wasteland 
and converted the river into a receptacle for industrial 
poisons and excrements.

“When we returned, the river was dead. Today we are still 
poor, and sick, and now we have no river”, says Enrique 
Enciso Rivera.

Now the town is fighting for its life and to restore hope, 
and received the delegations that make up the caravan with a 
fighting spirit.

But they will never forget that less than two years ago, 
Miguel Ángel López Rocha, a young boy, accidentally fell in 
the river, and was in a coma for nineteen days and finally 
died due to heavy metal poisoning, hydrogen sulfide and arsenic.

In one act on the wide porch of a house, amidst the foul 
odors coming from the sewers that flow into the river, the 
members of the caravan (delegates of local, national and 
provincial organizations from Texas, California, Colorado, 
Oregon, Florida, Illinois and Chicago, also from Quebec and 
France) and the fighting locals share solidarity in their 
fights and make commitments. The road is long and uphill, 
but we must continue.

Already in Morelia, Michoacán, the professors of basic 
education of Section XVIII of the National Union of 
Education Workers (SNTE) and militants of the National 
Coordinator of Education Workers (CNTE) agreed to join the 
social struggles which aims to respect and preserve the 
environment.

AGAINST HYDROELECTRIC DAM LA PAROTA

To stop the construction of the megaproject of the 
hydroelectric dam that puts the ecosystems of the region of 
Guerrero in serious peril, the threatened local people began 
a mega movement.

The Board of Ejidos and Communities Opposing the Parota Dam 
(CECOP) has been continually fighting and able to hold off 
the government’s intentions until now.

The National Union of Regional Autonomous Peasant 
Organizations, the State Coordinator of Education Workers of 
Guerrero, the Environmental Justice Network of Italy, The 
Peasant Organization of the Southern Sierra, and various 
environmental groups from Holand, Ecuador, France, Italy, 
United Kingdom and the United States have demonstrated 
solidarity with the mobilizations of the CECOP in defense of 
the earth.

According to certain locals, the caravan represents a shield 
so that the government doesn’t continue to abuse the 
peasants, students, members of the CETEG and the people 
evicted from Puerto Marqués.

The teachers of the democratic expression of Section 
Twenty-Six of SNTE, affiliates of CNTE, following the lead 
of María Asunción Gil, Secretary of Housing, gave their 
support and that of the teachers of Zacatecas and Durango to 
the movement against the hydroelectric dam.

Before leaving with caravan three on the way to 
Chilpancingo, and from there the Capital, Rogelio 
Alquisiras, of UNORCA, said that the climate crisis is 
uniting all people and organizations to fight to force their 
governments to stop the devastation of natural resources and 
the use of fossil fuels that the planet can no longer bear.

Communication Team of CLOC/La Via Campesina
Pictures: Philippe Revelli

Contact:

Alfredo Acedo
Cel. 52 1 55 3943 0712
alfredo_acedo at hotmail.com
Skype: alfredoacedo



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Matthias Reichl, Pressesprecher/ press speaker,
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