Bolivia: Summit defends rights of Mother Earth

Bolivian President Evo Morales addresses a huge rally for indigenous people in Cochabamba, Bolivia, October 2009 [CAFOD/Pilar Olivares]

Latin American and Caribbean countries join forces to call for climate justice and the defence of the rights of the Earth ahead of climate change talks in Copenhagen

At a summit meeting of ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of the Americas) on October 17, members called on developed countries to recognise the “climate debt” caused by their historical carbon emissions.

The network, consisting of nine counties representing 73 million people, also demanded that rich nations “adopt significant commitments to reduce greenhouse gas discharge and approve mechanisms to help countries to preserve, protect and conserve their forests”.

Addressing climate debt

Held in Cochabamba, Bolivia, the event was hosted by the country's president Evo Morales and attended by leaders from countries including Ecuador, Venezuela and Cuba.

Before the summit began, Bolivia’s social movements of indigenous people debated their position on crucial topics including climate change at a huge rally in Cochabamba’s football stadium, attended by all the ALBA presidents.

In his speech to the rally, President Morales responded: “The Earth existed before humanity and will exist without humanity. But humans cannot exist without the Earth, therefore we must defend her rights. By defending the rights of Mother Earth, we are defending human rights.

“We are preparing a document to take to Copenhagen. We are listening to the social movements – how can we all together adopt programmes and policies at the service of all people?”

Members of the Bolivian Platform on Climate Change, supported by CAFOD, joined the rally. The Platform brings together social movements and other non-governmental organisations from across Bolivia. It is now an influential lobbying organisation and its representatives will form part of the official Bolivian government delegation to Copenhagen this December.

Cristián Domínguez from the Platform, who will be attending December’s talks, affirmed that the Bolivian government was listening to its people, but insisted a globally binding deal was vital at Copenhagen.

“It’s not the decision of one country, but of all the countries of the world,” he said. “It’s not about the interests of states or political parties, but the interests of the citizens of the world.”

The summit came at the end of a week of activities by the Climate Change Platform. Among these was a Climate Justice Tribunal, attended by our partners from Peru and Honduras as well as Bolivia.

The non-binding tribunal heard nine cases against companies and governments for causing climate change. The issues highlighted ranged from the melting of Bolivia’s glaciers to the planting of trees for carbon offsetting in Ecuador.

The tribunal came out with a strong message - that it is "not enough to adapt to climate change, first of all we bear moral responsibility to make reparations and address the causes".

The summit final declaration stated that “human beings are part of an interdependent system of plants, animals, hills, forests, oceans and air with which they must coexist in harmony and balance respecting the rights of all”.

Ahead of the crucial UN climate summit in Copenhagen The Wave, the UK's biggest ever demonstration in support of action on climate change, is being organised by Stop Climate Chaos on Saturday December 5, 2009.

join our networks