24 April 2009
From 20-24 April, 2009, Indigenous representatives from the Arctic, North America, Asia, Pacific, Latin America, Africa, Caribbean and Russia met in Anchorage, Alaska for the Indigenous Peoples’ Global Summit on Climate Change. We thank the Ahtna and the Dena’ina Athabascan Peoples in whose lands we gathered.
We express our solidarity as Indigenous Peoples living in areas that are the most vulnerable to the impacts and root causes of climate change. We reaffirm the unbreakable and sacred connection between land, air, water, oceans, forests, sea ice, plants, animals and our human communities as the material and spiritual basis for our existence.
We are deeply alarmed by the accelerating climate devastation brought about by unsustainable development. We are experiencing profound and disproportionate adverse impacts on our cultures, human and environmental health, human rights, well-being, traditional livelihoods, food systems and food sovereignty, local infrastructure, economic viability, and our very survival as Indigenous Peoples.
Mother Earth is no longer in a period of climate change, but in climate crisis. We therefore insist on an immediate end to the destruction and desecration of the elements of life.
Through our knowledge, spirituality, sciences, practices, experiences and relationships with our traditional lands, territories, waters, air, forests, oceans, sea ice, other natural resources and all life, Indigenous Peoples have a vital role in defending and healing Mother Earth. The future of Indigenous Peoples lies in the wisdom of our elders, the restoration of the sacred position of women, the youth of today and in the generations of tomorrow.
We uphold that the inherent and fundamental human rights and status of Indigenous Peoples, affirmed in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), must be fully recognized and respected in all decision-making processes and activities related to climate change. This includes our rights to our lands, territories, environment and natural resources as contained in Articles 25–30 of the UNDRIP. When specific programs and projects affect our lands, territories, environment and natural resources, the right of Self Determination of Indigenous Peoples must be recognized and respected, emphasizing our right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent, including the right to say “no”. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) agreements and principles must reflect the spirit and the minimum standards contained in UNDRIP.
Calls for Action
1. In order to achieve the fundamental objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), we call upon the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC to support a binding emissions reduction target for developed countries (Annex 1) of at least 45% below 1990 levels by 2020 and at least 95% by 2050. In recognizing the root causes of climate change, participants call upon States to work towards decreasing dependency on fossil fuels. We further call for a just transition to decentralized renewable energy economies, sources and systems owned and controlled by our local communities to achieve energy security and sovereignty.
In addition, the Summit participants agreed to present two options for action which were each supported by one or more of the participating regional caucuses. These were as follows:
A. We call for the phase out of fossil fuel development and a moratorium on new fossil fuel developments on or near Indigenous lands and territories.
B. We call for a process that works towards the eventual phase out of fossil fuels, without infringing on the right to development of Indigenous nations.
2. We call upon the Parties to the UNFCCC to recognize the importance of our Traditional Knowledge and practices shared by Indigenous Peoples in developing strategies to address climate change. To address climate change we also call on the UNFCCC to recognize the historical and ecological debt of the Annex 1 countries in contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. We call on these countries to pay this historical debt.
3. We call on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, and other relevant institutions to support Indigenous Peoples in carrying out Indigenous Peoples’ climate change assessments.
4. We call upon the UNFCCC’s decision-making bodies to establish formal structures and mechanisms for and with the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples. Specifically we recommend that the UNFCCC:
a. Organize regular Technical Briefings by Indigenous Peoples on Traditional Knowledge and climate change;
b. Recognize and engage the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change and its regional focal points in an advisory role;
c. Immediately establish an Indigenous focal point in the secretariat of the UNFCCC;
d. Appoint Indigenous Peoples’ representatives in UNFCCC funding mechanisms in consultation with Indigenous Peoples;
e. Take the necessary measures to ensure the full and effective participation of Indigenous and local communities in formulating, implementing, and monitoring activities, mitigation, and adaptation relating to impacts of climate change.
5. All initiatives under Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) must secure the recognition and implementation of the human rights of Indigenous Peoples, including security of land tenure, ownership, recognition of land title according to traditional ways, uses and customary laws and the multiple benefits of forests for climate, ecosystems, and Peoples before taking any action.
6. We challenge States to abandon false solutions to climate change that negatively impact Indigenous Peoples’ rights, lands, air, oceans, forests, territories and waters. These include nuclear energy, large-scale dams, geo-engineering techniques, “clean coal”, agro-fuels, plantations, and market based mechanisms such as carbon trading, the Clean Development Mechanism, and forest offsets. The human rights of Indigenous Peoples to protect our forests and forest livelihoods must be recognized, respected and ensured.
7. We call for adequate and direct funding in developed and developing States and for a fund to be created to enable Indigenous Peoples’ full and effective participation in all climate processes, including adaptation, mitigation, monitoring and transfer of appropriate technologies in order to foster our empowerment, capacity-building, and education. We strongly urge relevant United Nations bodies to facilitate and fund the participation, education, and capacity building of Indigenous youth and women to ensure engagement in all international and national processes related to climate change.
8. We call on financial institutions to provide risk insurance for Indigenous Peoples to allow them to recover from extreme weather events.
9. We call upon all United Nations agencies to address climate change impacts in their strategies and action plans, in particular their impacts on Indigenous Peoples, including the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). In particular, we call upon all the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and other relevant United Nations bodies to establish an Indigenous Peoples’ working group to address the impacts of climate change on food security and food sovereignty for Indigenous Peoples.
10. We call on United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to conduct a fast track assessment of short-term drivers of climate change, specifically black carbon, with a view to initiating negotiation of an international agreement to reduce emission of black carbon.
11. We call on States to recognize, respect and implement the fundamental human rights of Indigenous Peoples, including the collective rights to traditional ownership, use, access, occupancy and title to traditional lands, air, forests, waters, oceans, sea ice and sacred sites as well as to ensure that the rights affirmed in Treaties are upheld and recognized in land use planning and climate change mitigation strategies. In particular, States must ensure that Indigenous Peoples have the right to mobility and are not forcibly removed or settled away from their traditional lands and territories, and that the rights of Peoples in voluntary isolation are upheld. In the case of climate change migrants, appropriate programs and measures must address their rights, status, conditions, and vulnerabilities.
12. We call upon states to return and restore lands, territories, waters, forests, oceans, sea ice and sacred sites that have been taken from Indigenous Peoples, limiting our access to our traditional ways of living, thereby causing us to misuse and expose our lands to activities and conditions that contribute to climate change.
13. In order to provide the resources necessary for our collective survival in response to the climate crisis, we declare our communities, waters, air, forests, oceans, sea ice, traditional lands and territories to be “Food Sovereignty Areas,” defined and directed by Indigenous Peoples according to customary laws, free from extractive industries, deforestation and chemical-based industrial food production systems (i.e. contaminants, agro-fuels, genetically modified organisms).
14. We encourage our communities to exchange information while ensuring the protection and recognition of and respect for the intellectual property rights of Indigenous Peoples at the local, national and international levels pertaining to our Traditional Knowledge, innovations, and practices. These include knowledge and use of land, water and sea ice, traditional agriculture, forest management, ancestral seeds, pastoralism, food plants, animals and medicines and are essential in developing climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, restoring our food sovereignty and food independence, and strengthening our Indigenous families and nations.
We offer to share with humanity our Traditional Knowledge, innovations, and practices relevant to climate change, provided our fundamental rights as intergenerational guardians of this knowledge are fully recognized and respected. We reiterate the urgent need for collective action.
Agreed by consensus of the participants in the Indigenous Peoples’ Global Summit on Climate Change, Anchorage Alaska, April 24th 2009
Showing posts with label Manifesto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manifesto. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
GOAMAP manifesto seeks debate on mining in State
Herald, 18 April 2009, Panaji
With elections round the corner political manifestoes promising the goodies, which never be fulfilled, are rolling out by dozens, but don’t think these manifestoes are solely the domain of political parties!
Now the Goa Federation of Mines Affected People (GOAMAP) has come out with a manifesto to political parties on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections calling these for a debate to rescue the future of the State which, according to it, is being held to ransom by the mining industry.
GOAMAP, which is a citizen’s initiative composed of people directly affected by mining, has called for a comprehensive review of all mining leases in Goa. One-fourth (1/4) of the State (67,822) hectares of land is under mining leases that were granted by the Portuguese from 1929 to 1959, it claims.
It states that since then the population of the State has increased three times and as a result complete feasibility study on mining must be undertaken immediately.
GOAMAP has held that mining should be closed down in a phased manner beginning with eco-sensitive zones like forests, agriculture, people’s habitats, lakes, springs, ponds, rivers, wells and all other water bodies, dams etc.
It has proposed that mining leases should be terminated where people are protesting due to its ill effects. Places like Advalpal, Colamb, Rivona, Sirgao, Morpilla, Khola, Kudnem, Pali, Bicholim, Sattari, Surla, Mayem, Cavrem, Sulcorna, Sarvan an Korgao figure in the list.
It has also called for termination of mining leases in watershed areas and catchment areas of major dams like Selaulim, Opa an Assanora, supplying water for drinking, irrigation and industry.
GOAMAP has asked the political parties to confiscate wealth accumulated by mining companies in the last 50 years and from it create a special fund for the restoration of settlements where mining leases have been terminated.
With elections round the corner political manifestoes promising the goodies, which never be fulfilled, are rolling out by dozens, but don’t think these manifestoes are solely the domain of political parties!
Now the Goa Federation of Mines Affected People (GOAMAP) has come out with a manifesto to political parties on the eve of the Lok Sabha elections calling these for a debate to rescue the future of the State which, according to it, is being held to ransom by the mining industry.
GOAMAP, which is a citizen’s initiative composed of people directly affected by mining, has called for a comprehensive review of all mining leases in Goa. One-fourth (1/4) of the State (67,822) hectares of land is under mining leases that were granted by the Portuguese from 1929 to 1959, it claims.
It states that since then the population of the State has increased three times and as a result complete feasibility study on mining must be undertaken immediately.
GOAMAP has held that mining should be closed down in a phased manner beginning with eco-sensitive zones like forests, agriculture, people’s habitats, lakes, springs, ponds, rivers, wells and all other water bodies, dams etc.
It has proposed that mining leases should be terminated where people are protesting due to its ill effects. Places like Advalpal, Colamb, Rivona, Sirgao, Morpilla, Khola, Kudnem, Pali, Bicholim, Sattari, Surla, Mayem, Cavrem, Sulcorna, Sarvan an Korgao figure in the list.
It has also called for termination of mining leases in watershed areas and catchment areas of major dams like Selaulim, Opa an Assanora, supplying water for drinking, irrigation and industry.
GOAMAP has asked the political parties to confiscate wealth accumulated by mining companies in the last 50 years and from it create a special fund for the restoration of settlements where mining leases have been terminated.
GOAMAP drafts manifesto to rescue State from ills of mining
Times of India, April 17, 2009, Panaji
The document demands the creation of a special fund from the confiscated wealth of mining companies to restore settlements in areas where mining leases have been terminated.
The abolition of private ownership in Goa’s mining sector and confiscation of wealth accumulated by mining companies over the past 50 years is one the demands made in a proposed manifesto by a citizens’ initiative in the state recently.
Known as the Goa Federation of Mines Affected People (GOAMAP), the citizens’ initiative has proposed the manifesto to political parties and the public to debate and rescue Goa from the ills of mining.
The manifesto demands the creation of a special fund from the confiscated wealth of mining companies to restore settlements in areas where mining leases have been terminated. The fund must also rehabilitate mining workers after the closure of the mines in greater interest of Goa, its water and its future generations, document states.
The manifesto demands the withdrawal of all police cases against those opposing the mining industry in Goa as well as a comprehensive ecological auditing of mining industry in Goa for its performance over the past 50 years.
Another demand on the manifesto is a comprehensive review of all mining leases in Goa. One-fourth of the State is bound by leases that were granted by the Portuguese colonial regime from 1929 to 1959. Since the population of Goa has trebled after that, a complete feasibility on mining in Goa must be undertaken immediately, the manifesto states.
The manifesto also demands a shutdown of mining in Goa in a planned manner beginning with eco-sensitive zones like forests, agriculture, horticulture, people’s habitat, lakes, springs and other water bodies.
It also demands the termination of mining leases where people protest its ill effects, such as Advalpal, Colamb, Rivona, Shirgao, Morpilla, Khola, Cudnem, Pali, Bicholim, Sattari, Surla, Mayem, Cavrem, Sulcorna, Sarvan and Korgao.
The manifesto also ask for the termination of mining leases in watershed areas and in catchment areas of major dams which supply water for drinking, irrigation and industry. These include Selaulim, Opa and Assanora as well as the western ghat’s sanctuaries, protected areas and their buffer zones, government forests and private forests.
Another demand is termination of mining leases in tribal and other villages of inhabitance and cancellation of all environmental clearances by the ministry of environment and forest, New Delhi.
The document demands the creation of a special fund from the confiscated wealth of mining companies to restore settlements in areas where mining leases have been terminated.
The abolition of private ownership in Goa’s mining sector and confiscation of wealth accumulated by mining companies over the past 50 years is one the demands made in a proposed manifesto by a citizens’ initiative in the state recently.
Known as the Goa Federation of Mines Affected People (GOAMAP), the citizens’ initiative has proposed the manifesto to political parties and the public to debate and rescue Goa from the ills of mining.
The manifesto demands the creation of a special fund from the confiscated wealth of mining companies to restore settlements in areas where mining leases have been terminated. The fund must also rehabilitate mining workers after the closure of the mines in greater interest of Goa, its water and its future generations, document states.
The manifesto demands the withdrawal of all police cases against those opposing the mining industry in Goa as well as a comprehensive ecological auditing of mining industry in Goa for its performance over the past 50 years.
Another demand on the manifesto is a comprehensive review of all mining leases in Goa. One-fourth of the State is bound by leases that were granted by the Portuguese colonial regime from 1929 to 1959. Since the population of Goa has trebled after that, a complete feasibility on mining in Goa must be undertaken immediately, the manifesto states.
The manifesto also demands a shutdown of mining in Goa in a planned manner beginning with eco-sensitive zones like forests, agriculture, horticulture, people’s habitat, lakes, springs and other water bodies.
It also demands the termination of mining leases where people protest its ill effects, such as Advalpal, Colamb, Rivona, Shirgao, Morpilla, Khola, Cudnem, Pali, Bicholim, Sattari, Surla, Mayem, Cavrem, Sulcorna, Sarvan and Korgao.
The manifesto also ask for the termination of mining leases in watershed areas and in catchment areas of major dams which supply water for drinking, irrigation and industry. These include Selaulim, Opa and Assanora as well as the western ghat’s sanctuaries, protected areas and their buffer zones, government forests and private forests.
Another demand is termination of mining leases in tribal and other villages of inhabitance and cancellation of all environmental clearances by the ministry of environment and forest, New Delhi.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Goa Mining affected People’s Manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections 2009
Open cast Iron Ore, Manganese and Bauxite is Goa’s number one enemy. Goa’s water bodies have been major casualty in the process of mining. The consequences are very grave for the present and future generations of Goa especially to its water bodies like wells, lakes, springs, rivulets, ponds and even rivers. Water is life that we stand to defend from mining industry scientific or otherwise, legal as well as illegal. Direct attack on water by mining industry has led to sharp shortage of water for drinking purpose, industry, tourism and agriculture. Mining silt in agricultural lands coupled with depletion of ground water has created acute food insecurity in Goa. Majestic Western Ghats Mountains are being dug and sold for thousands of crores every year to China, Japan and other countries of the World. Goa is going through ecologically humiliating phase due to mining that is benefiting few mining companies in huge manner creating huge accumulation of wealth in their possession. Large number of villages in Goa has been transformed from fertile water surplus into water deficient, water dependent silted and infertile villages due to large scale pumping out of water by private mining companies thereby increasingly depleting its ground water table. This is not short of Goa’s great plunder leading towards catastrophe. Those who are opposing it are beaten up, branded ‘Naxalites’ slapped with defamation suits in far away courts such as Calcutta High Court and Police cases including attempt to murder criminal cases and prosecuted. In order to deal with the menacing mining industry in Goa the citizen’s initiative composed of people affected directly by mining in Goa – Goa Federation of Mines Affected People (GOAMAP) proposes following manifesto to the Political Parties and to the Public to debate and rescue the future of Goa that is currently held ransom by the mining industry.
1. Comprehensive review of all the mining leases in Goa. 1/4th of Goa that is 67,822 hectares of land is under mining leases that were granted by Portuguese Colonial regime from 1929 to 1959. Since then population of Goa has increased by three times. Complete feasibility on mining in Goa must be undertaken immediately.
2. Closedown of mining in Goa in phased manner beginning with eco-sensitive zones like forests, agriculture, horticulture, people’s habitats, lakes, springs, ponds, rivers, wells and all other variety of water bodies, dams etc.
3. Termination of mining leases where people are protesting due to its ill effects: Advalpal, Colamb, Rivona, Sirgao, Morpilla, Khola, Cudnem, Pali, Bicholim, Sattari, Surla, Mayem, Cavrem, Maina, Sulcorna, Sarvan, Korgao etc.
4. Termination of mining leases in Watershed areas of Goa.
5. Termination of mining leases in catchment areas of major dams supplying water for drinking, irrigation and industry i.e Selaulim, Opa and Assanora.
6. Termination of mining leases in the Western Ghats forests i.e. Sanctuaries, Protected areas and its buffer zones, Government Forests and Private forests.
7. Termination of mining leases in tribal and other people’s habitat villages.
8. Cancellation of all the Environmental Clearances by Ministry of Environment and Forest, New Delhi.
9. Abolition of private ownership in Goa’s mining sector.
10. Confiscation of wealth accumulated by mining companies over the past 50 years.
11. Creation of Special fund from the confiscated wealth from mining companies towards restoration of settlements with dignity in areas where mining leases in operations has been terminated. This fund also to provide rehabilitation to mining worker after closure of the mines in greater interest of Goa, its water and its future generations.
12. Withdrawal of all the police cases against those opposing mining industry in Goa.
13. Comprehensive ecological auditing of mining industry in Goa for its performance over the past 50 years.
14. Monthly Action Taken Report (ATR) by the Members of Parliament from Goa to be made available to Public and Press in Goa detailing the progress made in implementation of the above points.
Sebastian Rodrigues
Convenor
1. Comprehensive review of all the mining leases in Goa. 1/4th of Goa that is 67,822 hectares of land is under mining leases that were granted by Portuguese Colonial regime from 1929 to 1959. Since then population of Goa has increased by three times. Complete feasibility on mining in Goa must be undertaken immediately.
2. Closedown of mining in Goa in phased manner beginning with eco-sensitive zones like forests, agriculture, horticulture, people’s habitats, lakes, springs, ponds, rivers, wells and all other variety of water bodies, dams etc.
3. Termination of mining leases where people are protesting due to its ill effects: Advalpal, Colamb, Rivona, Sirgao, Morpilla, Khola, Cudnem, Pali, Bicholim, Sattari, Surla, Mayem, Cavrem, Maina, Sulcorna, Sarvan, Korgao etc.
4. Termination of mining leases in Watershed areas of Goa.
5. Termination of mining leases in catchment areas of major dams supplying water for drinking, irrigation and industry i.e Selaulim, Opa and Assanora.
6. Termination of mining leases in the Western Ghats forests i.e. Sanctuaries, Protected areas and its buffer zones, Government Forests and Private forests.
7. Termination of mining leases in tribal and other people’s habitat villages.
8. Cancellation of all the Environmental Clearances by Ministry of Environment and Forest, New Delhi.
9. Abolition of private ownership in Goa’s mining sector.
10. Confiscation of wealth accumulated by mining companies over the past 50 years.
11. Creation of Special fund from the confiscated wealth from mining companies towards restoration of settlements with dignity in areas where mining leases in operations has been terminated. This fund also to provide rehabilitation to mining worker after closure of the mines in greater interest of Goa, its water and its future generations.
12. Withdrawal of all the police cases against those opposing mining industry in Goa.
13. Comprehensive ecological auditing of mining industry in Goa for its performance over the past 50 years.
14. Monthly Action Taken Report (ATR) by the Members of Parliament from Goa to be made available to Public and Press in Goa detailing the progress made in implementation of the above points.
Sebastian Rodrigues
Convenor
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