cyberaction achievements 2008

 Execution of local communities in the name of conservation

A man from Musa's community shows his stomach - burnt by Big Game Park rangers.

More than 900 people took this action demanding justice for Musa Gamedze, a father of three gunned down in his home for alleged subsistence poaching. According to eyewitness accounts the killer was associated with Big Game Parks, a company that runs many of Swaziland's game reserves. Musa’s community had recently been evicted from land they had lived on for forty years to make way for the expansion of one of the Big Game Parks.

Whilst government has failed to formally acknowledge the cyberaction, the Friends of the Earth Swaziland Director was invited and presented on the campaign to the newly elected female MPs at a workshop held at the end of the year.

Progress is being made in other areas of Swazi society. Friends of the Earth Swaziland was invited to participate in a national TV debate regarding the ongoing game reserve conflicts, the US Embassy is including the case in their 2008 Swaziland country report on human rights and Amnesty International is also assisting FoE Swaziland and Musa's family in accessing justice.

View the original cyberaction here.

For more information go to Yonge Nawe/Friends of the Earth Swaziland.

stop the indonesian mud flow

One of the many Indonesian mud houses melted due to the devastating mud flow.

On 28 May 2006, hydrogen sulfide gas leaked from a gas exploration rig in Java, Indonesia. Shortly after the leak, hot mud and boiling water erupted from the ground close to the site at a rate of thousands of liters a minute. Within hours, the mud was inundating nearby villages. Two and a half years later, the company responsible, Lapindo Brantas, has yet to stop the mud flow and pay sufficient compensation.

The pressure from Walhi/Friends of the Earth Indonesia backed up by the nearly 1000 people who took part in the cyberaction was enough to grant the organization a meeting with the President of Indonesia. In fact, this meeting was brought forward by a week due to the 1080 affected people who took part in a demonstration demanding to be heard. At the meeting, attended by one of the owners of Lapindo Brantas, the President urged the company to pay 100% compensation to the victims but changed the payment terms to small monthly installments and regrettably did not push the company to stop the flow of mud which continues to this day. Friends of the Earth Indonesia will keep up the fight.

View the original cyberaction here.

For more information go to Walhi/Friends of the Earth Indonesia.

justice for climate refugees in the Pacific

A climate refugee standing by wreckage in the Pacific Islands.More than 1140 people took action demanding the Australian government take responsibility for climate refugees in the Pacific.  Pacific Island nations are becoming increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events, failing ecosystems and the contamination of their fresh water and crops with salt water. These detrimental impacts of climate change are already evident but are predicted to worsen in future years.

Although the Australian government has yet to take any direct action towards helping climate refugees, the cyberaction generated pressure on the Minister and put the issue in the forefront.  Many of the responses came from overseas, providing additional pressure to the government since it has recently been trying to position itself as being a progressive leader in the international realm.

Further action on the climate refugee campaign by Friends of the Earth Australia is set to take place in the coming months.

View the original cyberaction here.

For more information go to Friends of the Earth Australia.

protection for colombian environmentalists

Guillermo Castaño Arcilla speaking to a group of supporters.

Well-known Colombian environmentalist, Guillermo Castaño Arcilla has received several threats against his life dating back to August 2002 and was previously given protection by the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights. Guillermo's colleagues, Mauricio Cubides and Diego Macias, were also included in these latest threats. However, in 2008, despite on going death threats, the protection was withdrawn.  

Censat Agua Viva/FoE Colombia called on people to express their disappointment to the President of Colombia and the Government to step in and step up protection for Guillermo, Mauricio and Diego.  Hundreds of cyberactivists expressed their concern in a matter of days.

The situation of Guillermo Castaño Arcilla remains delicate, but due to the immense support he has received from Friends of the Earth International and CENSAT/Friends of the Earth Columbia as well as his unwavering determination and commitment he continues to work with local communities and a rural center in south west Colombia.

Guillermo has recently been working with CENSAT/FoEI Colombia on a documentary regarding plantations and carbon emission certificates and plans on continuing his important work in the future.

View the original cyberaction here.

For more information go to Censat Agua Viva/Friends of the Earth Colombia.

support guatemalan communities resisting mining

An indigenous women resisting mining in her community.

CEIBA/Friends of the Earth Guatemala called for support for indigenous communities in Guatemala fighting to protect their territories from harmful industries that pollute the environment and threaten their livelihoods. In San Marcos, communities were resisting the invasion of large-scale foreign mining companies. Locals were concerned about damage to their homes, reduction in water supply, and the possible exposure to cyanide through open pit gold exploitation.

Referendums held by multiple local communities all resulted in a NO vote, but the response of the government and mining companies was misinformation campaigns and even violent repression. Some protesters were being falsely accused of terrorism and there were explicit accusations against certain peasant leaders.

As a result of the cyberaction, the persecution of local communities has now stopped. A tough campaign for the release of imprisoned peasant leaders in San Juan Sacatepequez was also successful. Furthermore, the government is now showing a willingness to listen to the concerns of local people.

However, the situation in Guatemala continues to present major challenges. The struggle against the mining companies in San Marcos is still ongoing. The power of the multinational mining companies, combined with a corrupt judiciary willing to accept bribes, makes upholding the indigenous people's right to maintain sovereignty over their land extremely difficult. Friends of the Earth Guatemala continues to fight on behalf of these repressed communities.

View the original cyberaction here.

For more information go to Friends of the Earth Guatemala