Leaders from the Global South protest against WWF International in Geneva

First action of the Social and Climate Justice Caravan

In front of the international head
quarters of WWF (World Wildlife Fund) in Gland-Geneva, participants of
the Social and Climate Justice Caravan made their first protest action.
Delegates from farming organisations, indigenous and fisher folk from
the South denounced the greenwashing carried out by WWF in their
respective countries.

Radio recording from the action, multilingual - Leaders from the Global South protest against WWF International in Geneva (34minutes)

web: http://www.climatecaravan.org/

blog: http://climatecaravan.wordpress.com/

climate caravan radio: http://radio4all.net/index.php/contributor/4090

Social & Climate Justice Caravan -reader PDF: http://www.climatecaravan.org/images/Caravan_bulletin_0...9.pdf

The participants of the caravan unfurled banners and
protested in front of the surprised directors of the WWF. With a
megaphone they began a large litany of the many cases where the WWF
have ignored the wishes and the needs of the local people with their
objective to “conserve” the natural world.



In the last years the WWF have initiated various round table
discussions about sustainable production with the most controversial
commodities at the environmental and social level, like soya, African
palm oil, sugar, cotonl , aguaculture and agrofuels. These spaces of
multi sectoriall dialogues are rejected from the social movements,
because they confuse and divert the attention from the severity of the
reality. In many places these models of production are the causes of
human rights violations. The WWF were accused of covering up the
environmental and social impacts of the multinationals supposed
“conservation” projects.



Javiera Rulli of Argentina, denounced the round table for Responsible
Soya (RTRS) led by the WWF for being a platform for industry and the
biggest polluters. Rulli denounced the rticipation of the worst and
most criminal agrobusiness corporations, such as Monsanto, Syngenta,
Cargill, ADM and Bunge. She also reprimanded the WWF for promoting
carbon credits for the cultivation of soya.



Jorge Galeano, a farmer leader for agrarian and popular movements in
Paraguay, objected to the certification of GM (Genetically Modified)
soya as sustainable cultivation. He also expressed his rejection of the
acceptance of the sustainable criteria in the soya fields where they
spray agrotoxics at a distance of 20m from urban dwellings. The
fumigation actions sicken people, especially impacted in their health
are children and women. Galeno concluded that soya is responsible for
death and destruction. The round table of “responsible soya” is a lie.



Elisangela Araujo, general coordinator for the FETRAF (Federation of
familiar agriculture of Brazil) denounced the corporate concentration
which implicates soya in Brazil. According to her it is impossible that
that soya in large scale is sustainable. FETRAF participated in the
first conference of the RTRS but abandoned the initiative on account of
there not being protection for the interests of the typical
agricultural farmer.



Roland Vibal, of SeaFish for Justice , an association of Asian
fisherfolk, informed people about the oncoming mega project of
privatization of the coral reefs “The Triangular Coral Initiative”.
This project will signify the expulsion and disappearance of sustenance
for many thousands of fishing families and it was imposed on the region
without the consent and participation of the local population.
According to Vibal it is intolerable that with the objective of
alleviating Climate change by the expulsion of people of the south and
their territories. They, the fisherfolk are victims of climate change
and not the cause!



The leader Jose Goyes from the political Commission for regional
indigenous Council of Cauca and la Minga social and community referred
to the round table of sustainable palm oil (RSPO). The RSPO in Colombia
is certificating monocultures implemented by paramilitaries. The
communities of African descended farmers and indigenous are expelled by
paramilitary groups with violence to appropriate their lands. How is it
possible to qualify this as sustainable production? He asked them.



Mister Goyes also accused the WWF for its complicit silence in lieu of
the fumigation of coca fields in Colombia which has caused damage to
the heart of life for communities and irreparable damage to the native
forests.



Finally, a speaker for the Swiss coalition for social and climate
Justice denied the role that the had been given to the WWF by the Swiss
government as the only official representative of civil society in the
official delegation in Copenhagen.



A representative of the WWF tried to sympathise with the delegates and
gave his thanks for the “visit”. This expression was loudly reacted to
by the demonstrators who returned to denouncing the role of WWF in
climate change.



For more information about the caravan:

www.climatecaravan.org



Audio recording from the protest found at RADIO 4 ALL

(http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/wwf_denunciation_-_m...n.mp3)

Languages : French, English, Spanish, Portugese



________________________________________________________________________________________________



Social & Climate Justice Caravan



Two important summits take place at the end of 2009 in Europe: the 7th
conference of ministers of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva
and the UN climate summit in Copenhagen (COP15). With a week between
them, 60 activists from the global South will travel across Europe
through Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France and Denmark. They will draw
attention to the consequences neoliberal globalization and climate
change have on their lives and show how to fight against them. Together
with local activists, they look for alternatives to free trade and the
privatisation of resources, and unite the North and South in their
fights for another world.



The 7th Ministerial Conference of the WTO takes place in Geneva from
30th November to 2nd December 2009. It is the first WTO conference for
10 years to take place in Europe, and not on an island nor in the
desert. It also begins on the 10th anniversary of the protests in
Seattle, which forced the World Trade Organization 1999 to the abort
its negotiations, striking a major blow for the WTO. It was a great
success for the anti-globalization movement. A few days later, from 7th
to 18th December, the UN climate summit takes place in Copenhagen,
where member states will decide upon how they will protect the climate
once the Kyoto Agreement runs out in 2012. Global social justice
movements are mobilizing to converge on Copenhagen in order to protest
together for fairer handling of the consequences of the climate change.



The Social & Climate Justice Caravan 2009 wants to link the
protests against the WTO with the protests against the climate summit.
Between 3rd and 9th December, 60 representatives from global movements
from the South will drive two routes from Geneva to Copenhagen. The
Western route goes through Paris and Brussels, the Eastern one through
Freiburg, Frankfurt and Cologne, including a delegation to Berlin. The
activists will meet up in Hamburg in order to drive together over the
Danish border to Copenhagen. With public meetings, discussions and
actions planned, the caravan wants to draw attention to the
consequences of trade liberalisation and climate change on people in
the global South. Through meetings and workshops, participants seek to
establish networks with local activists and hope to mobilize as many
people as possible to Copenhagen.



caravan video:



The World Development Movement: Justice for the World's Poor (WDMUK) - http://www.youtube.com/user/wdmuk

WTO section - http://www.youtube.com/user/wdmuk#p/c/AA573A53CA344BCC



Jurgen from Social and Climate Justice Caravan at WTO protest in Geneva

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz_P3VMFwe4



Filippino campaigner at WTO protest in Geneva 28 Nov 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUBFdSV1WTg



Wilfredo Marbella from the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Peasant
Movement of the Philippines) describes the impacts of WTO policies in
his country



South Korean farmer at WTO protest in Geneva, November 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ27n7oT7iY

Social & Climate Justice Caravan - READER

Social & Climate Justice Caravan - READER

LEADERS FROM THE SOUTH PROTEST AGAINST WWF INTERNATIONAL - No to liberalization, resist eco fascism

LEADERS FROM THE SOUTH PROTEST AGAINST WWF INTERNATIONAL - Philipeno fisherman fights for climate justice

WWF international deputies listen to complaints from global south