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30 august 2002
Johannesburg
whose voices are missing at the earth
summit?
Photo Opportunity: Sunday 1st Sept
The Forum, UN Conference Centre,
Sandton, Johannesburg
Mysterious statues were reported today at
the UN Conference Centres in Johannesburg,
where government and business delegates are
meeting to discuss solutions to the global
problems of poverty and environmental
degradation.
Dozens of the recycled papier-mache
figures have been spotted wearing stickers
asking “Whose voice is missing at the
Summit?” [1]
Of course, a number of voices have been
noticeably absent from the Summit so far,
including that of the world’s most powerful
politician, US President, George W Bush. So
far, there has also been no noise from UK
Prime Minister Tony Blair. But the voices of
business lobbyists have been much more
audible.
And while powerful politicians have chosen
to remain silent on solving the big issues
like global poverty and environmental
degradation, ordinary people’s voices have
been excluded from the Summit and indeed
appear to have been ignored.
But it is rumoured that the mysterious
statues may be about to speak.
On Sunday 1st September Friends of the
Earth International launches “Hear Our Voice”
– a giant audio art action outside the UN’s
Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg
[2]. The unveiling will be followed by
speakers, including Klaus Toepfer, Executive
Director of the UN Environment Programme and
Ricardo Navarro, Chair of Friends of the
Earth International.
Thousands of figures representing the
voices of millions of ordinary people around
the world will be demanding to be heard by
world leaders at the Summit. And the noise
they make, collected from around the world
[3], will drown out the sounds of the
corporate giant who has been dominating the
agenda of western governments.
The figures, made from recycled materials
by local communities groups around
Johannesburg [4], will be calling for global
rules for business to protect the rights of
people and the environment.
Tony Juniper, Vice-Chair of Friends of the
Earth International, said:
“The Earth Summit is all about tackling
the very real issues that affect millions of
people around the world - issues such as
poverty, contaminated drinking water, poor
air quality, and the rights to land. To
tackle these issues, big business needs to be
made accountable for its actions.
“Yet the voices of ordinary people are not
being heard at the Summit. Friends of the
Earth believes that if governments want to
make a real difference at this Earth Summit,
they must listen to these voices. Hear Our
Voice illustrates these missing voices and we
hope that politicians at the Summit will pay
attention. They must listen to their call for
rights and for protection from the damage
caused by big business. We all have to live
in this world, and the interests of big
business must not be allowed to rule.”
ENDS
Notes:
[1] Photos of the figures are available from
www.foe.co.uk
or from the London
press office.
[2] Hear Our Voice will be unveiled on
Sunday 1st September at 11am at the Forum
(Corner of Maude and 5th). Speakers include
Klaus Toepfer, Excecutive Director of UNEP,
Ricardo Navarro, Chair of Friends of the
Earth International (FOEI), Tony Juniper,
Vice Chair of FOEI, Bobby Peek, Exective
Director of GroundWork South Africa, Naomi
Klein (invited) and a representative of the
Olievenhoutbosch artistic community.
[3] Individuals from around the world have
been making a noise for the Earth Summit at
www.radioearthsummit.org
and these noises will feature in the art
installation.
[4] Six thousand figures have been handmade
from recycled materials by groups from local
communities in Gauteng province, including
the Soweto Mountain of Hope Project (SoMoHo).
They will be centred around a corporate
giant, designed with local artists in
Johannesburg.
CONTACT
Ian Willmore (Jo’burg) + 27 (0) 72 401
5386
Niccolo Sarno (Jo’burg) +27 (0) 72 401
5387
Press Office (London) + 44 (0) 20 7566
1649
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