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Greetings and an article Elizabeth Peredo
by Elizabeth Peredo 02 May '14

02 May '14

Dear Silke and friends. I want to share an article on climate change and reflections forme the cominos perspective. Please spread it out. Warm regards, Elizabeth *Climate change: a challenge that goes beyond politics* *Elizabeth Peredo Beltran** It has rained incessantly in the Bolivian Amazon and in the Valleys. The waters that have flooded our territory since January, are thought to be the result of the worst rains in 40 years. More than 60,000 families have been affected – meaning that at least 350,000 people have had to leave their homes. They have lost almost everything they own: their animals, their crops, their daily lives. UNICEF has reported that 60,000 Bolivian children have been affected. 900 schools have had to suspend activities for almost a month due to high risk. Over fifty people have died and some of their bodies have still not been recovered. And we cannot yet tell what the magnitude of the impact on health, food and the ability of communities to rebuild their lives will be as the floodwaters recede and the extent of the destruction is slowly revealed. One small example of how poverty triggers the vulnerability of communities comes from the situation of the indigenous people in the TIPNIS communities-. Though reports speak of huge losses of corn, rice, potatoes, soybeans, vegetables and livestock – with estimates of over 250,000 head of cattle missing –it remains to be seen in the next few months what the economic impact of floods will be for these peoples themselves, and what the impact will be at both regional and national levels. In the face of the dramatic situation presented by this disaster both authorities and civilians across the whole country have mobilized to collect food, medicines and everything necessary to bring help to the affected communities. Above and beyond these good intentions to come together to provide aid for those affected by the floods in the Amazon region and in the Bolivian valleys, we were however far from being capable of confronting the dimension of such a disaster. Rainfalls are also far from being recognized as not an occasional event but rather as climate events that will repeat more frequently in the future. Not far from this region, droughts are hitting hard: in both the Chiquitanía region and the Chaco regions of Santa Cruz and Tarija there have been losses of thousands of hectares of crops, which is resulting in a silent forced migration to the cities. Just some months back the Bolivian Defence Ministry reported 247,000 hectares of land affected by the lack of rain, by snow or by fire. Meanwhile the loss of our glaciers is a sorrow to which we are becoming accustomed. Climate change is not just a scientific issue, nor is it just something which is of exclusive interest to UN negotiations, nor it is a warning for the future: it is already present in our times, in our territories, and it comes with violence. Climate change affects people’s lives and it is already claiming many victims. We share this grief with millions of people across the planet who are suffering the sameconsequences. 6,200 dead, with more than 11 million people affected by super typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines just a few months back. A million people without electricity after snowstorms caused by the late winter polar vortex in the U.S.A. Thousands of people affected in the UK in what was considered the worst flooding in 200 years. Thousands of hectares of forest burned annually in Australia by the alarming drought and heat. Thousands affected in Central America, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Paraguay and other countries. 25 million souls driven into uncertainty by water shortages, the result of droughts and heat waves in California. A deadly landslide with more than one hundred people missing in Washington State (USA), the result of heavy rains. Millions of humans and ecosystems at risk in various parts of the world... News that nobody wants to hear, but which we will inevitably be forced to confront in our own lifetimes, even though the news appears first as cold statistics in the press. We need to connect the dots to realise that climate change is a phenomenon that challenges us to overcome short-term visions and the empty rhetoric of "Mother Earth", devoid of concrete actions. Climate change is a consequence of the violent exploitation of nature, of endless economic growth systems based on fossil fuel consumption, understood as an irreplaceable condition for human "welfare". This obsolete idea has been inculcated into our lives on a social, a psychological and on a cultural level. What can we do to finally to take on board that the emissions from burning fossil fuels, of large scale cattle exploitation and of deforestation emissions -both in the North and in the South- are destroying our atmosphere? Where are the effective means of caring for the Common Goods kidnapped by corporations and the global addiction to unlimited growth? How long do we have to wait till the polluters begin to stop poisoning us and prevent worse consequences? When and how will there be compensation for the damage? (almost 71.5% of global emissions are from developed countries where only 17.3% of the world population reside). What can we do to avoid the likelihood that the so-called "development" of the global South will repeat that same destructive patterns (disguised by the promises of progress and of happiness)? Unfortunately, and not only in Bolivia, this theme has become distorted. It became an issue of political and economic interest, rather than simply being recognised as a matter of life or death, a challenge for survival. The *Fifth IPCC* *(AR5)* report has established in an unequivocal way that climate change is caused by human activity and that it is causing climate chaos everywhere. This report has warned that climate change presents enormous risks related to the access to water, food and livelihood. Some scientists and activists have been highly critical of this report for being - when all is said and done - conservative in nature, especially when it comes to expressing the urgency of the matter. They note that climate change is occurring faster than the IPCC scenarios had indicated, and that the Arctic ice-melt –and its consequent methane release (one of the greatest global threats) - has been underestimated due to pressure mounted by the rich nations and by the oil lobby. Other voices are questioning the possibility that the IPCC report has opened up opportunities for false solutions like “geo engineering” and unproven technologies, instead of insisting in a stronger way on the restriction of the use of fossil fuels. *Denialism around the world* In the context of this global emergency, surprisingly, a political/ideological current called "denialism" has emerged. Denialists claim that these phenomena do not correspond to the saturation of the atmosphere as a direct result of human action, rather they claim that it is simply due to the planet’s "natural cycles". Denialists, as if we have need of such a service, have devoted their activism to denial of scientific reports. They have become a strong global current that accompanies the rhythms of economical development and investment, blaming environmentalists for creating unnecessary uncertainty. Their position is in essence linked with the corporate oil lobby, large corporations and private capital dedicated to the continued exploration for -and exploitation of- fossil fuels. Their political/industry alliances are indestructible. Bill McKibben, activist founder of 350.org has claimed that if oil reserves recognised by the world stock markets were exploited, this would consume five times the remaining atmospheric carbon budget. A calamity! Meanwhile, denialism among U.S. republican representatives commands an impressive lobby so that the US doesn’t even contribute to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) nor the UN platform on Economic and Social issues (ECOSOC), even more: they promote the "persecution" of their country’s scientists who assert that anthropogenic climate change is a reality. James Hansen, one of the NASA scientists, is one of their favourite targets. Denialism does have definite concrete political realities as describe above, but the term also describes an attitude in society, a broad social space of indifference to both global and climate change. This attitude holds significant way in civil society because people find it very difficult to change their lives in order to prevent global disaster. They prefer to close their eyes to the future. In the field of social psychology this is called "cognitive dissonance". Clive Hamilton, Professor at the Australian Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, has concluded that denialism is an expression of the failure of humanity to confront this crisis of global dimensions. Another form of "denialism", - although they don’t much like it mentioned – is that which comes from governments and from other circles of power and decision-making who disregard the urgent need for action despite the information is available to them. Through their decisions they deny the urgent need to change the current model of development, the energy grid, and the management of the response to the crisis of global climate change. The alarming information provided by science is available to governments first hand. Just remember the Philippine climate change negotiator to the UNFCCC who moved a global audience during the climate talks in Poland 2013, demanding *"an end to this madness"*, after super-typhoon Haiyan devastated part of his country. Though negotiators responded to his words with minutes of silence and expressions of solidarity, negotiations continued as if nothing had happened. Business continued "as usual", and the production and consumption of fossil fuels throughout the world continued "as usual". Convention agreements fall paradoxically by the wayside; the dictates of the capitalist system are at once stronger and more binding than the multilateral agreements. Negotiators seem to speak in unison: *“We can vouch for what we have accomplished in the negotiations, but not for the policies in our own countries*”. The big decisions - those linked to the economic system, to the energy matrices, and to capitalist production, that permanent engine of depredation - are kept in place by regional governments at the territorial and local levels. *Bolivia and the challenge of climate change* The recent floods in Bolivia have brought us one step closer to these big questions. To a greater or lesser extent, our understanding is framed by the controversies that are taking place across the globe. We observe the impacts of the climate crisis: polarisation, crisis, demands, the taking up of positions and proposals that go beyond the scope of the climate negotiations. In Bolivia this has also brought about controversy. This is mediated by national and regional political tensions. Thus the people from the Amazon villages wonder: *“What do we do now? What will sustain our families? Are we less important than cattle?”* The tensions unleashed by the floods demonstrate how far we are from responses on the scale that is required. Distancing oneself from that which the government says, from local government demands, from Brazilian silence (motivated by the possible causal effects of recently constructed mega-dams), from the political declarations… what really matters is the construction of a society which is resilient to these global changes, and, therefore, a society able to build a new world based on solidarity and empathy. There are some lessons that I venture to pinpoint from the dramas that we have lived through in the recent floods in our country: - We do not need heroes, nor do we need the usual political battles. Rather, we require a long-term view that takes into account climate change and other global changes, seeing the incorporation of cross-cutting measures as critical at every level of public administration and of public life. Nurturing Nature and the Human Rights of the population, especially the poorest people, should be high priorities. - While negotiations on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) are now the only multilateral scenario for global commitments (though they are near to collapse due to their own inefficiency), today local priorities are more important than ever. This is where we can see whether or not we are making progress in stopping this catastrophe and changing the world to care for and regenerate life fabrics that are still alive. - Resilience must be considered in a multi-dimensional way, from what it means to meet the challenge of sustainable energy and to restore harmony, to the development of technical skills in agriculture, water management, human settlements, etc. Resilience also means ensuring a healthy social tissue, strengthening solidarity, respect and mutual recognition. - Resilience means also developing a more complex viewpoint that redefines “development" for these times of global changes. To face properly climate change, states must take seriously the fossil fuels use menace. They have to think how to stop and change “fossilized” economies and societies. - The care and restoration of Nature should become an obsession for all –particularly for governments – learning from the capability of the people (amply expressed in those days of rain) to give solidarity. Learning from Mother Earth itself and from its diversity, from the local knowledge of each people and town from the positive progress of mankind. We need to neutralize "denialism" as a collective attitude; it is not an unalterable condition. It is simply because people are unable to change their depredatory habits, because the channels for proactive and restorative activity are blocked by the systems of political power, by energy systems and by the markets that surround us. There is a growing global consciousness which is looking for ways to activate itself; It is trying to pave the ways to do so and to enable people to build resilient communities not just using technologies and systems, but also in more intimate fabrics - solidarity, love, compassion –which strengthen the possibilities for healthy interactions, and feed the desire to heal Nature, nourishing empathy and sentiments for others. Climate change is challenging humanity. It demands a huge effort from all of us to restore and heal the planet. This requires discipline, rebelliousness and creativity in order to confront a truly global emergency with substantial implications for life and civilization. It is an emergency that by whatever political calculation – from wherever it comes - is simply... unacceptable. La Paz, Bolivia April, 2014 *Elizabeth Peredo Beltrán** is a Bolivian Social Psychologist, researcher and author. She is one of the promoters of the Blue October Campaign for water as a Common in her country, Elizabeth belongs the APMM (Mountain People’s Association). She is a member of Food and Water Watch’ board of directors in Washington DC and is the Executive Director of the cultural Solon Foundation in Bolivia.* *Translation and edition in English: Thanks to Tony Phillips and Monica Stopplemann*

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Fwd: Call for Papers on the "Commons" for Ecología Política
by Silke Helfrich 26 Feb '13

26 Feb '13

awesome call! see below, I am happy that more texts are being produced in Spanish and that the political-ecology community links to the discourse! Best Silke (ENGLISH BELOW) Les escribimos desde la revista Ecología Política, una revista semestral en español con más de 20 años de historia, que trata cuestiones ambientales y su relación con la sociedad. La revista se distribuye principalmente en España y América Latina, y se dirige principalmente a académicos y movimientos ambientales y sociales. Se puede encontrar más información y la versión electrónica de los primeros 41 números en www.ecologiapolitica.info <http://www.ecologiapolitica.info>. El próximo número se publicará en junio y estará dedicado a la temática de los Bienes Comunes. Nos gustaría invitarle a enviarnos propuestas de artículos sobre esta temática o bien sugerencias de personas que podrían escribir un buen artículo sobre este tema. Los tipos de artículos que se publican en la revista son: ·*Artículos en profundidad* relacionados con la temática principal del número. Son artículos que analizan en detalle la temática y su extensión es cercana a las 8 páginas. ·*Artículos cortos* de carácter regional relacionados con la temática principal. Son artículos de una extensión aproximada de 4 páginas en los que se analiza un caso de estudio concreto. ·*Artículos de opinión *relacionados con la temática con una extensión aproximada de 2 o 3 páginas, aportan una visión crítica y personal de la temática. ·*Redes de resistencia*: referencias de iniciativas de resistencia local <http://ecologiapolitica.info/ep/enviar.htm> y comunitaria a impactos ambientales. Las propuestas de artículos deberán incluir un pequeño resumen del artículo. La *fecha límite para el envío de propuestas es el 8 de marzo* y la fecha límite para el envío del artículo definitivo es el 3 de mayo. Las propuestas se deben mandar a secretariado(a)ecologiapolitica.info <mailto:[email protected]>. Esperamos sus aportaciones con mucho interés. No duden en contactar con nosotros para cualquier cuestión. Saludos, Coordinación de la revista Ecología Política secretariado(a)ecologiapolitica.info __________________________________________ We are writing to you on behalf of /Ecologia Politica/, a semi-annual journal in Spanish addressing environmental questions and their link to society. The journal is more than 20 years old and distributed mainly in Spain and Latin America. Its target is academics and environmental/social organisations. You can find more information under www.ecologiapolitica.info <http://www.ecologiapolitica.info>, where you can also download the digital version of the first 41 issues. The next issue will be focused on "Commons" which will be published in June, 2013. We would like to invite you to send us proposals of articles about this topic or proposals of people who could write a good article about it. We publish the following types of articles: ·*In-depth articles*related to the main subject of the issue. These are articles which analyse the topic in detail, and their length should be approximately 8 pages. ·*Short articles*with a regional approach and related to the main subject of the issue. They analyse a concrete case study and are approximately 4 pages long. ·*Opinion articles*related to the subject of the issue. They give a personal and critical vision of the subject matter. ·*Articles about resistance or social movements*related to the subject matter. The proposals should include an abstract of the article. *Deadline for sending proposals of articles will be 8/03/13 *and deadline for sending the final version will be 3/05/13. The proposals have to be sent to secretariado(a)ecologiapolitica.info. We are looking forward to receive your proposals. If you have any questions or you want more information about details please don't hesitate to contact us. Best wishes, Coordination of Ecología Política journal. (secretariado(a)ecologiapolitica.info) -- Gabriel Weber gweber(a)ent.cat Ent, environment and management C/Sant Joan, 39, primer pis Vilanova i la Geltrú. 08800 Barcelona Tel/Fax +34 938935104 Twitter: @ENTmediambient www.ent.cat www.fundacioent.cat Blog: ent.cat/blog https://www.facebook.com/entmediambient Per subscriure't a l'enviamENT mensual / Para suscribirte al ENTvío mensual: CAThttp://ent.cat/mailman/listinfo/butlleti_ent-consulting.com CAShttp://ent.cat/mailman/listinfo/boletines_ent-consulting.com -- "Either we undertake voluntary change now - or we face involuntary change later." Chris Martenson Dipl.-Ing. Ludwig Schuster Projekt Manager Sustainability livingcity.de <http://livingcity.de> - wir machen stadt Herrfurthstr. 12 d-12049 Berlin mobil +49 (0)177 288 23 37 tel+49 (0)30 568 248 57 (neu!) http://www.livingcity.de USt-ID DE274956892 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Haftungsausschlussklausel: Diese Mail ist vertraulich. Wenn Sie nicht der beabsichtigte Empfänger sind, dürfen Sie die Informationen nicht offen legen oder benutzen. Wenn Sie diese Mail durch einen Fehler bekommen haben, teilen Sie uns dies bitte umgehend mit, indem Sie diese Mail an den Absender zurücksenden. Bitte löschen Sie danach diese Mail. Disclaimer: This e-mail is confidential and should not be used by anyone who is not the original intended recipient. If you have received this e-mail in error please inform the sender and delete it from your mailbox or any other storage mechanism.

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Revista Pillku con entrevistas realizadas en taller DF
by Santiago Hoerth Moura 25 Feb '13

25 Feb '13

Queridos y queridas amigas, Es un gusto volver a escribirles y comunicarme con ustedes. Esta vez para contarles que hemos lanzado hoy lunes 25 de febrero el número 7 de la revista Pillku, que es la revista de comunes y cultura libre de Código Sur. Aquí les dejo el link de la revista donde podrán acceder a todas las notas y entrevistas. http://www.pillku.org/ Hemos abordado nuevamente el tema de los comunes con las entrevistas que realizamos en el taller del DF y algunas notas adicionales que buscamos. Esperamos que sea un aporte al debate y al reflexión de los comunes desde América Latina. Les ruego que lo vean y lo compartan entre sus contactos. Los comentarios en la web o vía mai son bienvenidos y esperados! Ahí me cuentan sus impresiones. Gracias! Abrazos grandes para tod*s!!! San Santiago Hoerth Moura Coordinador General ---- Código Sur www.codigosur.org Twitter: @sanhoerth Mis teléfonos: Celular en Argentina: (54911) 6603 6292 Celular en Costa Rica: (506) 8808 3631 Mis contactos de chat: Jabber, Google Talk y MSN: san(a)codigosur.org Skype: sanhoerth

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Fotos del Taller
by Santiago Hoerth Moura 28 Nov '12

28 Nov '12

Querid*s amig*s Lo prometido es deuda. Aquí le mando una selección de las fotos de los últimos dos días. Son un total de 69 fotos con Licencia CreativeCommons. Las pueden bajar desde acá: http://www.flickr.com/photos/90496244@N05/ Si necesitan alguna en mayor calidad me dicen y se las mando individualmente, pero sino era muy pesado de subir. Les dejo un gran abrazo. San

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primera certificacion de carbono en un proyecto REDD en tierras colectivas
by Camila Moreno 22 Nov '12

22 Nov '12

Ola compas, Sobre lo que les comentaba semana pasada, sobre la valorizacion - para cooptacion- de los comunes, vean justo esta noticia sobre proyecto de REDD en tierras comunales de afrodescendientes y indigenas en la region del Chocó - Darién en Colombia. El proyecto, un contracto de 30 años, fué el primer del mundo en tierras comunales a recibir la certificacion VCS (verified carbon standard) y aún tuvo un "plus" en su valor agregado por recibir el stanrds ´gold´ del esquema CCB (clima, comunidad y biodiversidad), de certificacion de creditos de carbono. El ´plus´ es justamente por promover la sensibilizacion sobre los derechos colectivos y formas de manejo comunales, valorizando asi los creditos de carbono que genera para los mercados... Es el nicho que lo nosotros en la critica llamamos de ´carbono gourmet´ (deveras son como los mismos traders se refieren a ellos). La noticias exalta como los modos de vida tradicionales pueden ser preservados via los mercados en un esquema win-win (por lo menos 50% de las ganacias de los creditos comerciados se quedn con las comunidades, los otros 50% con la empresa desarrolladora...) Bueno, para dar-les un ejemplo de lo que nos enfrentamos con la defensa de los comunes on the ground y sus contradiciones. En portugues abajo abrazos Camila Saludos, Camila http://www.institutocarbonobrasil.org.br/redd_/noticia=732401 Notícias /REDD+ REDD+: Colômbia tem 1º projeto do mundo a receber créditos por conservação em terras coletivas19/11/2012 - Autor: Jéssica Lipinski - Fonte: Instituto CarbonoBrasil O Projeto Corredor de Conservação Chocó-Darién se tornou na semana passada a primeira iniciativa de REDD+ certificada pelo Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) da Colômbia e o primeiro do mundo a receber créditos de carbono florestal pela conservação em terras coletivas.A iniciativa colombiana, que compreende 13.465 hectares, deve evitar a emissão de 2,8 milhões de toneladas de dióxido de carbono para a atmosfera nos próximos 30 anos. A região, que antes era palco de conflitos violentos, desmatamento ilegal e mineração e enfrentava a migração de seus residentes, teve sua paz relativamente restaurada, e, através do projeto, visa gerar renda para as famílias locais através da preservação de suas florestas e biodiversidade. “Essa conquista demonstra que proprietários de terras afrodescendentes e indígenas podem ter um papel central na proteção das florestas tropicais e na prevenção das mudanças climáticas”, comentou Brodie Ferguson, fundador e diretor de gestão do Anthrotect, empresa que desenvolveu o projeto. “Pela primeira vez, comunidades dependentes de florestas em Chocó estão gerando renda a partir dos mercados de carbono enquanto preservam suas formas tradicionais de vida”, acrescentou Ferguson.Entre as atividades da iniciativa, estão incluídos o aumento da sensibilização para a identidade e os direitos coletivos, a resolução de disputas de terra, o planejamento de uso da terra participativo e alternativas econômicas sustentáveis.Auxiliados por um sistema de sensoriamento remoto, as comunidades também monitorarão a biomassa florestal e o habitat da vida selvagem. Além de gerarem as atividades e terem um papel na gestão do projeto, os habitantes locais também receberão pelo menos 50% dos lucros com a venda de créditos de carbono da iniciativa.No início do ano, o projeto também havia recebido a validação Nível Ouro do padrão Clima, Comunidade e Biodiversidade (CCB). A certificação do projeto vem em um momento em que muitas iniciativas de REDD+ estão enfrentando dificuldades devido à incerteza do mercado e aos desafios na obtenção de certificações, já que muitas delas criaram conflitos com as comunidades locais por serem acusadas de não cumprir suas promessas de desenvolvimento social e proteção ambiental.“Nosso modelo de negócios atende às necessidades fundamentais das pessoas e seus ecossistemas. Produzir dividendos de conservação e financeiros duráveis é um ponto de partida para um novo tipo de prosperidade – um que pode suportar gerações”, concluiu Emily Roynestad, diretora de desenvolvimento de negócios do Anthrotect.Imagem: Chocó-Darién / Wikimedia Commons

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Fwd: Campaña: Llamado a la acción contra la siembra de maíz transgénico a campo abierto en México.
by Ana de Ita 17 Nov '12

17 Nov '12

Hola colegas, gracias por su trabajo y este mensaje va para probar el funcionamiento de la lista y pare pedirles solidaridad con los campesinos mexicanos creadores del maíz a quien las transnacionales están cercando Abrazos Ana Inicio del mensaje reenviado: > De: Unión de Científicos Comprometidos con la Sociedad <admin(a)unionccs.net > > > Fecha: 16 de noviembre de 2012 02:23:54 a.m. GMT-06:00 > Para: undisclosed-recipients:; > Asunto: Campaña: Llamado a la acción contra la siembra de maíz > transgénico a campo abierto en México. > > Estimados afiliados de la UCCS: > > Agradecemos su apoyo firmando esta nueva campaña emprendida por la > UCCS. > > Declaración: Llamado a la acción contra la siembra de maíz > transgénico a campo abierto en México. (Español) > > Statement: call to action vs the planting of GMO corn in open field > situations in Mexico. (Engish) > > > -- > Unión de Científicos Comprometidos con la Sociedad > San Pedro 70, Col. El Carmen > 04100 Coyoacán, D.F., México >

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Primer correo a la lista
by Franco Iacomella 16 Nov '12

16 Nov '12

Hola a todos, están recibiendo este correo a través de la lista de correo integrada por quienes participamos del Deep Dive LA. A partir de ahora, para escribir a todo el grupo sencillamente escriban a la siguiente dirección: commons-deepdive-la(a)lists.ourproject.org. Si tienen alguna consulta sobre el funcionamiento de este canal de comunicación, no duden en escribir. ¡Un abrazo!, -- Franco Iacomella

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