Standing in Solidarity with the Indigenous
This past month, the focus title of the New Internationalist October Magazine was, “Nature’s Defenders: Can Indigenous People Save the Planet?” The articles highlight indigenous people defending their natural resources from corporations and individuals who sit in offices working to meet consumer demand.
Indigenous people around the world tend to lead the struggle to save Earth because they have experienced first-hand the destruction of their natural resources to meet consumer demand.
- What is the average Earth citizen’s role in this struggle?
- How aware am I/are we that with each purchase I/we have demanded a product at the expense of others? What actions might decrease this expense and burden?
- How have I/we opened ears, eyes, and heart to the world view of extraction and consumption?
- What characteristics would be included in growth for our economies?
- Dam Projects for Hydropower
- Deforestation
- Diamond and Other Mineral Mining
- Land Grab in the Name of Development
- Mountaintop Removal
- Oil and Natural Gas Extraction
- Water Extraction
- Trading in more eco-friendly natural forest products cultivated by the indigenous people.
- Community tourism for sustainable development.
- Alternative energy solutions that are less invasive.
Reflection:
- How are these costs really worth the consumption individuals make?
- What makes individuals feel that they deserve to have this or that NEW product?
- What justifications do I use to declare that my material goods have landed up in some other country for consumption?
- In what ways do I keep challenging myself and community to take bigger steps in reducing consumption?
- Support local indigenous groups and alternative economies that place Earth rights and indigenous rights first.
- Avoid unethical investment in corporations destroying the planet.
- When purchasing, think local, organic and fair trade as much as possible.
- Allow for space in mind and heart for imagination of a sustainable way of living, then create it. (An example of Eco-City Dreaming Comes True is located here.)
- Hold governments and corporations accountable for human rights abuses and Earth abuses.
- Read and reflect on the Rio+20 materials received in previous Action Alerts located at www.scnfamily.org/stand (under side tab of Action Alerts)
- Rio+20 official website- offers up-to-date information and resources on the conference.
- Green Economy - Learn more about what a green economy is and share what you have learned. "A Green Economy is one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental and ecological scarcities."
- Earth Charter - Reread the Earth Charter which is a declaration of fundamental ethical principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century.
- Urge your national leaders to attend Rio+20. (The U.S. - President Obama: email- comments@whitehouse.gov; regular mail – The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington D.C. 20500.)
- Write a letter to your local newspaper about the Rio + 20 Conference to be held in June 2012.
- Pray for the success of Rio+20
- Amazon Watch
- Cultural Survival
- Friends of the Earth International
- Indigenous Environmental Network
- Indigenous Peoples: Issues and Resources
- International Rivers
- Rainforest Foundation
- Revenue Watch International
- Servindi
- Survival International
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The Social Protection Floor and the Eradication of Poverty
A Social Protection Floor (SPF) is an issue that keeps arising at the United Nations. The SPF corresponds to a set of basic social rights, services and facilities that all global citizens should enjoy. It can be seen as a core obligation of ensuring the realization of minimum essential levels of rights embodied in human rights treaties.
The two main elements that would help to realize these human rights are:
- Ensuring the availability, continuity, and geographical and financial access to essential services, such as water and sanitation, food and adequate nutrition, health, education, housing and other social services such as life and asset saving information; and
- Realizing access by ensuring a basic set of essential social transfers, in cash and in kind, to provide a minimum income and livelihood security for poor and vulnerable populations and to facilitate access to essential services. It includes social transfers to children, people in active age groups with insufficient income and older persons.
The SPF will continue to be on the United Nation’s agenda as an essential tool in the eradication of poverty. The theme for the 2012 Commission for Social Development is the eradication of poverty. This is a policy year so governments will be making decisions and the SPF will figure prominently in the recommendations of NGOs and, hopefully, in the resolutions passed by governments.
Actions:
- More information about the Social Protection Floor is located here.
- Thousands of people from more than 110 countries from global North and South have signed on to the online campaign initiated by our New York based NGO Committee on Social Development at the UN, ‘Support the Social Protection Floor Initiative.’ Please add your signature here.
- Pray for the success of this campaign and that government leaders recognize their responsibility for all of their citizens and agree to a Social Protection Floor.
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G20 Meets in Early November
The G20 is scheduled to meet November 3-4, in Cannes, France. According to David Shorr of The Stanley Foundation, “the G20 is a group of the world’s largest economies, convened because of their impact on the overall economic picture. Since 2008, when the first meeting was held, the leaders have been working toward long-term systemic issues.” While no set agenda exists yet, Oxfam believes that “world leaders will address not only the financial meltdown but issues such as climate change, volatile food prices and growing inequality.”
Action: Spiraling food prices have driven millions into poverty and the situation threatens to get worse. Oxfam invites individuals from around the world calling on G20 leaders to act now on this issue.
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Update on U.S. FY 2012 Budget and Super Committee
Both the Senate and House have passed legislation to extend FY 2012 spending until November 18. It is the hope of Congress to avoid another short-term appropriations bill by coming to an agreement on an omnibus bill for FY 2012 for discretionary programs. Both House and Senate leaders have agreed to accept the total $1.043 trillion overall cap on funding passed in the Budget Control Act on August 2. However, the details are likely to cause differences that will need to be resolved. Programs to be watchful for in their funding include:
- Implementation of the Affordable Care Act
- Defense Spending
- Housing and Urban Development
- Emergency Food and Nutrition Programs for Women, Infants and Children
Simultaneously, the Super Committee is working on a deficit reduction package of $1.2 trillion in cuts by November 23. Super Citizens are needed to be watchful as these processes continue to unfold.
Action: American voters are encouraged to contact the super committee urging them to NOT cut social safety net programs (including Medicaid, SNAP and unemployment insurance), increase revenue to decrease the deficit and cut unnecessary military spending. The Super Committee list is located here.
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