previous cyberactions http://www.foei.org daily 1 2010-09-29T21:00:23Z Stop the destruction of Sumava National Park, Czech Republic http://www.foei.org/en/get-involved/take-action/archived-cyberactions/stop-the-destruction-of-sumava-national-park-czech-republic Please join Friends of the Earth Czech Republic in calling on their government to abandon plans to cut down large areas of previously protected forest rich in biodiversity and home to endangered wildlife. czech forest protest 2Sumava is the largest national park in the Czech Republic, and arguably the closest thing the country has to real wilderness. The national park encompasses more than 600 square kilometres of mountain spruce forests, peat bogs and other wetlands, glacial lakes and flower rich meadows.

 

The park is home to vital populations of lynx, caterpillar, black grouse, Ural owl and European elk. Sumava is a Natura 2000 site under both Bird and Habitat Directives, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, and its peat bogs and peat forests are listed as under the Ramsar convention on wetlands.

 

However, the a new director of the national park Jan Strasky has proposed large scale logging of spruce forests in the national park. This will lead to enormous clearcuts across the national park.


Beautiful habitats of ancient mountain forests will be lost. The official reason for this is bark beetle gradation – the majority of the trees to be cut are said to be infected by bark beetle. However, bark beetle is a key species in mountain and waterlogged spruce forests and natural processes should be strictly protected in central parts of national parks. Environmental groups believe the beetle is simply an excuse to cede to logging interests who continually lobby politicians for new concessions.

 

Jan Strasky, the park director, is a former politician and a long-time critic of modern nature conservation. He famously said: "Nature is the enemy and therefore one must fight it. If it wasn't for my ancestors who fought various animals I would not be here today”.

 

He has also announced plans for various projects such as, a ski lift, the enlargement of the road to the Austrian border to support the construction of new private buildings, and even the establishment of new municipalities inside the national park.

 

Friends of Earth Czech Republic (FoE CR) and other environmental organisations wrote to the Czech authorities to urge them to halt the logging in what until now has been declared as non intervention (strictly protected) forests.

The letters had no effect and the logging continued. As a result FoE CR, Greenpeace, Birdlife and other organisations started a peaceful blockade of the felling area. They were joined by some leading scientists and members of the general public. 

 

A court ruling eventually put a stop to the blockade by FoE CR. However, up to 70 members of the general public and other NGOs continue to protest despite heavy handed tactics from the police and other members of the securtiy services.

 

The heavy police and military presence suggests that this battke is not only about the logging of 3 to 6 thousand trees but rather a demonstration of political power aiming to devastate the national park.

 

Please join us in writing to key Czech officials who are responsible for the national park and ask them to stop logging what is locally referred to as the wild heart of Europe.

 

see the devastation for yourself

Watch video of the blockaders surrounding by police on YouTube
See photographs of the protests and logging on Facebook

 

Take action

Send an email to the director of the national park and government ministers

Read a translated response that some people who took the action have received from the Czech authorities

]]> No publisher PhilLee 2011-08-03T15:49:25Z Page Standing in solidarity with the victims of oppression http://www.foei.org/en/get-involved/take-action/archived-cyberactions/working-in-solidarity Friends of the Earth International stands in solidarity with individuals and communities defending their rights all over the world. Find out what we're doing and how you join us. .leftbox-cyber { float:left; background:#FFFFFF none repeat scroll 0 0; border:1px solid #9ACD7E; color:#848E99; line-height:140%; margin-right:10px; margin-top:5px; padding:5px; width:270px; }

honduras-demo-4Sept 2009: Hondurans calling for a return to democracy are harassed by the police.

Throughout the world individuals and communities are harassed for defending their rights. Attacks, imprisonment and false accusations are commonplace. Often people are intimidated merely for being associated with environmental groups such as Friends of the Earth International.

 

We are receiving more and more requests for our solidarity as governments around the world disregard the human and environmental rights of their people and instead work in the interests of transnational corporations.

 

We respond to such requests by putting pressure on the governments, organizations and individuals involved. This pressure often comes in the form of writing letters to those in authority, issuing statements to the media and lobbying governments.

 

This pressure works best though when our supporters are behind us adding their names to those letters, taking part in mass online petitions - or cyberactions as we call them - taking to the streets or acting in more subtler ways to demand an end to the injustice.

 

Whilst international outrage can help bring a situation back from the brink we also need to address the underlying issues as to why governments feel it is legitimate to deny people their rights in the first place.

 

In all our work we aim to expose the abuse of power wherever we find it. Many of our member groups work with grassroots communities, educating them on their rights and supporting them to speak out in the face of injustice. We can't respond to every incident that takes place though - there are just too many. So, whenever the need arises we will work together with other environmental, civil society and human rights groups to ensure the voices of the oppressed are always heard. 


take action now

Find out what you can right now to make a difference

]]> No publisher PhilLee 2011-06-28T10:12:42Z Page Japan earthquake and tsunami appeal http://www.foei.org/en/get-involved/take-action/archived-cyberactions/japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-appeal On March 11, an earthquake of magnitude 9.0 struck the north-east coast of Japan causing a major tsunami and serious damage across northern Japan. Friends of the Earth Japan is collecting money to support the reconstruction of the damaged region and campaign for the rights of people affected by the nuclear disaster. Please find out what Friends of the Earth Japan are doing and donate directly via the English page on their website.

]]> No publisher PhilLee 2011-03-16T11:00:00Z Page Support Colombian communities affected by flooding http://www.foei.org/en/get-involved/take-action/archived-cyberactions/support-colombian-communities-affected-by-flooding Colombia has experienced the worst floods in several years. More than two million people have been affected by widespread flooding that has been ongoing since September 2010. Colombia floods-2010-1The government has declared a social, economic and environmental emergency as the whole country tries to cope with the worst flooding since 2007.

 

The areas most affected are the Caribbean region, Antioquia and Bogota. In November last year, a dam in the Caribbean region broke and flooded four towns; one of them, the town of Santa Lucia, was so inundated that it had to be abandoned. In Antioquia, an entire neighbourhood was covered by a landslide.

According to Censat/Friends of the Earth Colombia, the situation is more serious than the media is reporting. They report large waves hitting the coast putting the lives of people living there at risk. In addition, the Urra dam is completely full and the authorities have announced that they will soon have to release some water which will no doubt exacerbate the flooding.

Our response

Friends of the Earth Colombia are working with ASPROCIG ( the Producers Association for Community Development of the Greater Sinú Region) to relocate people from affected areas and provide food and shelter to families who have lost everything.

In the long term they will continue the work they began after the 2007 floods; this involves working with communities on improving sanitation and making homes more resilient to flooding to ensure they are prepared for future disasters.

]]> No publisher PhilLee 2010-12-17T11:30:47Z Page success: ban mining with cyanide in Costa Rica http://www.foei.org/en/get-involved/take-action/archived-cyberactions/ban-mining-with-cyanide-in-costa-rica Thanks to the work of campaigners in Costa Rica and around the world a court has ordered the Crucitas gold mine in Costa Rica to close. costarica-gold-1-lgFind out more about this victory

 

The project was given the go ahead during the administration of President Oscar Arias despite the threat to the rich biodiversity in the San Juan river basin, home to endangered species of trees and the great green macaw. 

]]> No publisher PhilLee 2010-06-29T12:55:48Z Page human rights observers killed in mexico http://www.foei.org/en/get-involved/take-action/archived-cyberactions/human-rights-observers-killed-in-mexico-1 Friends of the Earth International is shocked and saddened to announce the murders of two human rights observers in Mexico last month. bety-cariñoOn April 27, human rights activist Betty Cariño and Finnish international observer Tyri Antero Jaakkola were killed by armed paramilitaries as they took part in a humanitarian mission to take food and medicine to the Autonomous Triqui Community in San Juan Copala, Oaxaca. The community had been left without electricity, water, medical access and basic provisions as a result of an ongoing paramilitary blockade.

 

The humanitarian mission consisted of Mexican and European human rights activists and journalists. Despite the mission having made their presence known to the relevant authorities, they were ambushed by a paramilitary group and two of the observers were killed.  

 

Both of the victims were widely known and respected in their fields of expertise and had also worked closely with Friends of the Earth member groups.

 

Betty Cariño was known by many Friends of the Earth  groups for her work with the National Coordination Team of the Mexican Network of People Affected by Mining (REMA) and the Centre for Community Support Working Together (CACTUS)

 

Jyri Jaakkola was involved in several Finnish organisations that worked on creating equal and environmentally sustainable relationships with the global north and south. He worked with Friends of the Earth Finland on several occasions.

 

Environmental and human rights groups working in the area blame the Governor of Oaxaca for ignoring the plight of the Triqui Community and allowing the paramilitaries to operate with impunity while the authorities turn a blind eye.

 

Killings are a common occurrence in the Triqui region for those who defend indigenous rights and resources. Scores of people have been assassinated, including two women from San Juan Copala's community radio station in 2008.

 

For generations Triqui communities have been caught in a cycle of violence, fuelled by land grabs and repression. As a result, in 2007, the village of San Juan Copala broke away from the government that had failed to protect its people and declared itself an autonomous municipality. In response the governmental and paramilitary repression went into overdrive.

 

Friends of the Earth International is increasingly concerned about the criminalisation of solidarity movements around the world and will continue to denounce these cowardly acts . We urge you to join us.

 

 

]]> No publisher PhilLee human rights solidarity 2010-05-11T10:29:30Z Page take action on tar sands http://www.foei.org/en/get-involved/take-action/archived-cyberactions/take-action-on-tar-sands Efforts to tackle climate change are under threat from the disastrous practice of tar sands excavation carried out by some of the major oil companies. Together with the UK charity Fair Pensions we called on pension providers to pressure BP and Shell to disinvest in tar sands. tar sands logoTar sands – a naturally occurring mixture of sand or clay, water and an extremely dense and viscous form of petroleum called bitumen – cause more damage to the climate than conventional oil.

 

The greenhouse gas emissions of converting tar sands into fuel is three to five times higher than for conventional oil. The associated pollution, deforestation and disturbance of wildlife also threaten the traditional livelihoods and well-being of indigenous communities.

 

 

tar sands handTake action: outcome

This agm season, fairpensions co-ordinated two shareholder resolutions, asking bp and shell to publish details of the environmental, social and financial risks associated with their tar sands projects.

 

The resolution was discussed by BP shareholders on 15th April and by Shell shareholders on 18th May. Thanks to thousands of our supporters taking action, last week's Shell AGM saw 1 in 10 shareholders refusing to heed the company's recommendation to vote against the resolution, just weeks after 1 in 7 investors in BP (controlling GBP10 billion in the company's stock) refused to back management on tar sands. These results come despite a massive charm offensive by both companies' "investor relations" teams.

 

These results - with some of the biggest pension funds in the world supporting our resolutions - are a big achievement, which a number of financial analysts have said will send a strong signal to Shell and BP. Not only is it rare for campaigners to secure sufficient investor support to even have such resolutions discussed, but securing this level of votes (well over 10% in both cases) is also exceptional.
 
The campaign has had an impact at all levels of the investment chain. The grassroots mobilisation efforts of FairPensions and others prompted over 6,000 people to contact their pension funds and other large BP and Shell investors to express their concerns about tar sands. People contacted us to say that this had caused them to question where there money was invested (at least one even withdrew their pension from a certain fund as a result). Money managers (some of whom said they'd never seen this level of public interest before) were forced to sit up and take notice of the views of the people on whose behalf they invest billions of pounds. In turn, fund managers were forced to ask questions of BP and Shell and focus their attention on tar sands, often for the first time. This unprecedented experiment in investor democracy was a timely effort to ensure that, in the wake of the financial crisis, the City's relationship with major companies receives the scrutiny it deserves.
 

BP and Shell's response

Both companies rushed to meet with investors following the filing of the resolutions, and made important disclosures as a result. This is particularly true for BP, which had previously employed a 'silent running' tactic - ("whatever you do, don't mention the tar sands!"). As a result of this campaign, BP was suddenly holding high level meetings to explain its Canadian projects with key players in the City. Important new information came to light as a result which will be picked over by oil and gas analysts as well as environmentalists in the months ahead. BP can also expect to come under fire for its reliance on an energy demand scenario that assumes no government action on climate change, entailing a potential global temperature increase of up to 6°C - catastrophic for both people and the planet.
 
As for Shell, the resolutions prompted detailed disclosures on carbon price, predictions for oil demand, and their Carbon Capture & Storage plans for mining projects. However, they have still failed to say anything to shareholders about how they are managing risks associated with planned tar sands projects which make up the bulk of Shell's tar sands projects, and have higher financial and environmental costs. Investors are also keen to understand how pursuing tar sands projectscan be reconciled with Shell's stated preference for a managed transition to a stable, lower carbon economy.
 
It's clear that whatever BP and Shell think they've done to reassure investors so far, they have not gone far enough. It's clear that pension funds and fund managers were forced to sit up and take notice of the views of the people on whose behalf they invest billions of pounds. And it's clear that this season of shareholder activism (incidentally, similar resolutions were tabled at Exxon, ConocoPhillips and Statoil as well) has catapulted tar sands up the agenda of BP and Shell, of the City, and of the public.
 
Looking to the future, several major investors have come out and said publicly that they will be pressing BP and Shell for a much greater level of transparency on tar sands. In turn, FairPensions will be working with pension funds and fund managers to ensure that this kind of scrutiny is indeed maintained, not only on tar sands but also on other environmental, social and governance issues. Furthermore, the tar sands campaign has laid the groundwork for pension fund members to really get engaged with their funds on other issues of concern, and we will continue to work to support people in making their voice heard.

 

further information

Find out more about tar sands oil and the campaign to halt its extraction

]]> No publisher PhilLee 2010-03-26T12:58:52Z Page Stop the eviction of the native communities of Lacandon Jungle, Chiapas, Mexico http://www.foei.org/en/get-involved/take-action/archived-cyberactions/stop-the-eviction-of-the-native-communities-of-lacandon-jungle-chiapas-mexico Friends of the Earth International strongly condemn the police operations in the Tzeltal communities in the state of Chiapas, which have evicted families from the Biosphere of Montes Azules, Lacandon Jungle. The evictions are thought to have taken place to make way for palm oil plantations. In January 2010, the government of Chiapas, Mexico began the violent eviction of the communities of the Lacandon Jungle. Several helicopters landed in the community of Laguna El Suspiro, carrying  60 police officers. The officers  violently forced men, women and children out of their homes and flew them to the city of Palenque, about 100 kilometres away.

The eviction took place without any explanation, prior notice or a warrant. The residents were not even allowed to collect their belongings.

A day after the eviction, four helicopters landed on the nearby Laguna San Pedro Guanil community. According to eye witness statements the community was surrounded by a large number of heavily armed police officers, who shouted at the indigenous residents that the operative was carried out under a federal warrant, and dragged 12 people to the helicopter.

The displaced families were also taken to Palenque, where they were interrogated by the police. During the interrogation they were denied access to lawyers and translators. When the proceedings ended, the families say they were forced to sign a document even though they ignored its contents.

Witnesses in the region reported that after the evictions took place all the houses and belongings of the residents were set on fire.

 

conservation actions

In response to the evictions the Secretary General of the regional government together with state and federal environmental authorities said the evictions were “conservation actions” and they were important to carry out to avoid the destruction of the important ecological site.

However, the Secretary General announced that palm oil plantations were part of their plans:

“Both governments [national and regional] have defined programs for the conservation of Lacandon Jungle, and for the Biosphere reserve, where important programs are implemented like the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor.

“Governor Sabines has promoted the productive reconversion program for the jungle region in Chiapas to avoid the logging of the Lacandona Jungle. The programs to grow palm oil are rendering excellent results, not only to improve the economic situation of the growers, but also to be used for transportation with benefits for the environment”.

Friends of the Earth Mexico believe that:

  • The Chiapas Government is undermining the will of the Chiapa residents by using lies and violence, especially against the native peoples.
  • The authorities are offering precious conservation areas to the highest bidder
  • The government's denial of  housing, health care and food sovereignty to indigenous peoples are in  violation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

 

We're calling for:

  • The immediate halt to evictions of native peoples communities from Chiapas.
  • The enforcement of the UN Convention of  Human Rights and all the international legally binding agreements and conventions signed and ratified by the Mexican government.
  • The rejection of the false climate solutions that only benefit transnational corporations and corrupt politicians
  • A halt to all the big megaprojects of the so called Mesoamerican Project
  • A halt to tree monoculture plantations that are not forests and which, in turn increase greenhouse gas emissions and displace indigenous communities from their lands.

 

]]> No publisher PhilLee 2010-02-18T17:55:00Z Page Justice for the assassinated Union Fenosa activists http://www.foei.org/en/get-involved/take-action/archived-cyberactions/justice-for-union-fenosa-activists On February 17, 2010, Victor Galvez a leader of the Natural Resources and Indigenous Peoples Rights group (FRENA) became the third member of the group to lose his life in suspicious circumstances. FRENA is involved in exposing the excessive charges levied by energy company Unión FENOSA in Guatemala. Your help is needed in denouncing and calling for an investigation into these deaths. The Spanish transnational corporation Union Fenosa has been operating in Guatemala since 1998 when electricity distribution was privatised in the country.

 

Thousands of consumers have filed complaints about the quality of the service and excessive billing for years. According to the record of the National Commission of Electric Energy, over 90,000 complaints were filed from January to May 2009 against the two subsidiaries of Union Fenosa in Guatemala: Distribuidora de Electricidad de Occidente (DEOCSA) and Distribuidora de Electricidad de Oriente (DEORSA).

As a result of the company's failure to act, the residents of San Marcos, Guatemala became involved with the Natural Resources and Indigenous Peoples Rights group known as FRENA. The movement opposes high charges for electricity and proposes the creation of a municipal company that will provide public electricity accessible to all. The leaders of FRENA have received many death threats as a result of the work they are doing.

 

Another tragic death

On February 17 another FRENA leader was killed. Octavio Roblero was shot at 5.30 pm outside his business at the bus terminal in Malacatan, San Marcos. Octavio was one of a number of FRENA activists who had received death threats. An appeal for his protection was filed before the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Justice in January but he was not granted the protection he needed.

Octavio Roblero, Evelinda Ramirez and Victor Galvez are all believed to have been shot for their work in exposing the abuses against the population committed by Deocsa, a subsidiary of Union Fenosa in Guatemala. They spoke out against the blackouts and excessive billing by Deocsa.


Friends of the Earth Guatemala believe it is necessary to carry out a thorough investigation in order to find the perpetrators of the murders and to determine responsibility at all levels.

They also believe all these incidents are an attempt to silence the actions of the social movements and human rights advocates who expose the violation of civil and constitutional rights of Guatemalans by different actors who find shelter in the impunity favoured by the Guatemalan government.

 

The Spanish government also have a responsibility to see that these murders are investigated. After complaints were filed with the Spanish authorities they have failed to implement any diplomatic or political measures necessary to clarify or stop this situation.

 

take action

Please add your name to the letter below and send it to the following people:

Álvaro Colom, President of Guatemala; José Luís Rodríguez Zapatero, President of the Spanish Government; José Montilla, President del Govern de la Generalitat de Catalunya; government Trade agencies and executives of Unión Fenosa, Gas Natural, La Caixa and Repsol YPF.

 

 

background on Victor galvez and Evelinda Ramirez Reyes

In July 2009 Victor Galvez, the leader of FRENA in the town of Malactan, was brutally attacked. Three months later in October he was fatally shot thirty times in view of many passers-by. 

 

In response to the killing and intimidation there were many protests, demonstrations and road blocks which resulted in the government declaring a state of emergency in San Marcos. This state of emergency is still in force today and strongly restricts constitutional freedoms, such as the right to free speech, meetings and demonstrations.

 

In January a FRENA delegation arrived in Guatemala city to carry out several meetings with civil society organizations, and government agencies. The meetings were organized to expose DEOCSA, a subsidiary of Union Fenosa. When the meetings ended, the delegation returned to San Marcos.

 

During the return journey, the vehicle of Evelinda Ramirez Reyes and three other members of FRENA, was ambushed by a white car driven by two young men. The men fired shots into the vehicle injuring the driver.

 

As the driver tried to reverse and find a way out of the situation more shots were fired, this time hitting Evelinda in the chest. She died of her wounds.

 

Evelinda Ramirez Reyes was a 26 year-old single mother of a five year-old boy and a committed member of FRENA and the Committee of Peasant Unity. She will be sorely missed.

]]> No publisher PhilLee 2010-02-05T16:20:00Z Page Execution of Local Communities In the Name of Conservation http://www.foei.org/en/get-involved/take-action/archived-cyberactions/execution-of-local-communities-in-the-name-of-conservation Hundreds of campaigners recently called on the Prime Minister of Swaziland to uphold the rights of local communities evicted from their land and intimidated in the name of conservation. We now await the government's response. No publisher Joukje Kolff 2010-01-05T15:00:00Z Folder Investigate the killing of innocent protesters in Guatemala http://www.foei.org/en/get-involved/take-action/archived-cyberactions/investigate-the-killing-of-innocent-protesters During the Global Mobilization in Defense of Mother Earth a man was tragically killed as he took to the streets to peacefully demand that the Guatemalan state respect its peoples and Mother Earth. Please join us in condemning his and others' assassinations and in calling on the government of Guatemala to bring the perpetrators to justice. guatemala-anti-mining-demonstration19-year-old Ilmer Orlando Boror Zet was a member of the Lo de Ramos community in San Juan Sactepequez, a community that is currently struggling against the installation of a cement corporation in their territory. 

 

This latest murder marks the 10th violent incident against the Maya people so far this year, and the systematic prosecution and intimidation against the communities in San Juan Sacatepequez by the Guatemalan state and the corporation Cementos Progreso.

 

Last month, 19-year-old Walter Ronaldo Méndez Velásquez, a technical student at the University Rafael Landívar and Friends of the Earth Guatemala/CEIBA volunteer, was also a victim of the area's violence.  Walter was killed on September 7, 2009, as he was returning home from a day working at an ecological farm managed by CEIBA.  CEIBA believes Walter was assassinated as part of an increase in the criminalization of social groups in response to the struggle for the defense of peoples' territories.

 

further information

Read the press statement from Amnesty International

 

take action

Write to your nearest Guatemalan embassy and call on the government to investigate the killings and to respect the free expression and human rights of all Guatemalans. Find your nearest embassy here.

]]> No publisher PhilLee 2009-09-17T08:55:00Z Page Investigate massacres of colombia's indigenous people http://www.foei.org/en/get-involved/take-action/archived-cyberactions/investigate-massacres-of-indigenous-people On 26 August 12 indigenous Awá people were assassinated as they slept. The police are not investigating these murders or any other indigenous murder that has taken place so far this year. Join FoE Colombia and indigenous groups in calling on the authorities to investigate the murders and protect the rights of indigenous peoples. On the morning of Wednesday 26 August 12 indigenous Awá People, including several children, were murdered in the indigenous territory of Gran Rosario, in the Tumaco municipality.

According to indigenous organisations 77 indigenous people have been murdered in Colombia so far this year. More than half of those murdered, 38 in total, were Awá People. Not one of the 77 murders have been investigated or even denounced by the Colombian authorities.

Join us in solidarity with the Awá People and their organisation (UNIPA) and with the National Indigenous Organisation of Colombia by calling on the Government of Colombia to investigate these crimes and bring the perpetrators to account.

An impartial investigation needs to be carried out to determine who is responsible and urgent measures need to be taken to protect the lives and integrity of the Awá People and all other Indigenous Peoples in Colombia.

Please send, by post or email, the letter below to President Alavaro Uribe Velez and his ministers.

 

Addresses and full contact details are included in the letter.

 

 

]]> No publisher PhilLee 2009-09-07T08:36:50Z Page Cyberactions: fighting for people and the environment http://www.foei.org/en/get-involved/take-action/archived-cyberactions/intro Our cyberactions give you the opportunity to be proactive and show your support for Friends of the Earth's worldwide campaigns without leaving home. With one simple email, which takes no more than a couple of minutes to send, you can make a difference to the lives of people across the globe struggling against a multitude of injustices. What difference can one email make? A whole lot when added to thousands of other emails from around the world making the same demands. The more emails, the louder the voice of protest becomes and the more difficult it is to ignore. Our email actions typically fall into one of two categories.

 

campaign actions

tn indo mud house meltThese actions are directly linked to the work we campaign on. For example, in 2008 we asked you to show your support for local communities defending their rights in the face of powerful multinationals. Our cyberactivists responded by demanding that the Indonesian government support the victims of a devastating mud flow brought about by a gas leak, and prosecute the company responsible. They also requested that action be taken in Guatemala to support local communities fighting to protect their land from the environmental damage caused by the mining industry.

 

emergency response actions

Throughout the world individuals and communities are harassed for defending their rights. Attacks, imprisonment and false accusations are commonplace. Often people are intimidated merely for being associated with environmental groups such as Friends of the Earth International. An emergency response is one way of drawing the world's attention to the plight of a group or individual in such circumstances.

 

tn-teslaActions often originate from a Friends of the Earth member group fighting a particular injustice in their region. In early 2009 we called on you to help one of our colleagues in Honduras, Tesla Ventura, who had been sentenced to four years in prison on completely made up charges. Tesla believed she was targeted because she spoke up for the rights of indigenous communities in her region. With your help, we managed to pay the $2000 fine imposed on her so she could avoid the prison sentence. Read Tesla's story.

 

Equally successful was a call for you to demand the Ecuadorian government reinstate Acción Ecológica's status as an environmental organisation. They had closed down the long-standing partner of FoEI when it took a stance against the government's position on mining.

 

Find out more

 

]]> No publisher PhilLee 2009-07-15T11:20:00Z Page solidarity for honduras http://www.foei.org/en/get-involved/take-action/archived-cyberactions/solidarity-for-honduras Friends of the Earth International statement on the return of the legitimate President of Honduras to the country. No publisher PhilLee 2009-07-08T15:25:00Z Folder Stop the lethal repression of indigenous peruvians http://www.foei.org/en/get-involved/take-action/archived-cyberactions/stop-the-violent-repression-against-indigenous-peruvians Call on the government of Alan Garcia to end the massacre of the indigenous peoples of Peru, and to pay for its crimes. update: This cyberaction is now closed

Peru protestsSince April 9, indigenous communities in Peru have been holding peaceful protests condemning new laws that would allow for the rapid industrialization of the Amazon rainforest. These laws were put in place by the Peruvian government to further facilitate the Free Trade Agreement with the United States and to make Peru more "economically competitive". 

 

Over 30,000 indigenous people have blocked roads, rivers and railways to demand the repeal of these new laws that would include an increase in oil, mining and logging activities.

 

On June 5, the situation took a dramatic turn when the Peruvian police took violent action against these protesters.

 

Without warning, police forcibly dispersed a group of indigenous peoples protesting against the industrialization of their country with tear gas and real bullets. The indigenous community says at least 22 police officers and possibly as many as 40 protesters, including two children, were killed in the uproar.

 

Peruvian protestsFriends of the Earth International along with Amazon Watch is calling on the Peruvian government to:

  • immediately suspend violent repression of indigenous protests and the State of Emergency;
  • repeal the Free Trade Laws that allow oil, logging, and agricultural corporations easy entry into indigenous territories;
  • respect indigenous peoples' constitutionally guaranteed rights to self-determination, to their ancestral territories, and to prior consultation and;
  • enter into good faith process of dialogue with indigenous peoples to resolve this conflict.

 

take action

Call on President Alán García's administration to immediately halt the violent repression of indigenous peoples.

 

Write your own letter to the Peruvian embassy, demanding a) an immediate end to the repression and b) full respect for the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Find the contact details of the Peruvian embassy nearest you.

 

find out more

 

]]> No publisher Krista Stryker solidarity 2009-06-09T13:20:00Z Page