e911999

1999 FoEI AGM

Pre-Conference: Sharing Strategies of Resistance

More than 150 people gathered at the pre-conference to the 1999 AGM to discuss strategies of resistance used around the world. Representatives from local indigenous communities joined international Friends of the Earth campaigners in sharing their diverse and empowering experiences.

FoE Ecuador/Acción Ecológica has built strong coalitions with grassroots organizations and indigenous communities in order to fight devastating oil and mining projects. Testimonies by indigenous peoples left a lasting impression on FoEI delegates, and provided greater insight into the campaigns and strategies of Acción Ecológica. As one of its key activities, the group organizes actions with local communities in order to keep the oil industry out of national parks in the Amazon and indigenous peoples' territories.

The ongoing battle against the oil industry was also highlighted by FoE representatives from Nigeria and Cameroon, who talked about local and international activities against Shell and efforts to stop the World Bank from funding the Chad-Cameroon pipeline. European speakers described local initiatives against nuclear energy and the destruction of genetically-modified crops by the French small farmers' union.

Finally, conference participants took up the theme of ecological debt. While for some groups this concept is unknown or seems irrelevant for their campaigning, recognition of the ecological debt is crucial for Latin American activists. Acción Ecológica is one of the lead groups advocating that the Ecuadorian government stop paying the external debt, thus putting an end to the ever-mounting ecological debt caused by the export-driven economy and northern overconsumption. The discussion about ecological debt and different styles of campaigning in North and South was a continuing theme throughout the following Annual General Meeting.

THANKS FoE ECUADOR

Acción Ecológica put on an impressive AGM which ran like clockwork. The locale was a cultural centre in the heart of Quito, and highlights included excellent lunches served by waiters with white gloves, simultaneous translation, and an incredible open bus tour through historic Quito with a local brass band playing traditional Indian music on top of the bus.

During the AGM, FoEI AGM delegates joined FoE Ecuador's weekly demonstration against external debt outside of the US embassy in Quito.

Three separate field trips took place after the AGM. One group travelled to the Amazon to visit communities fighting oil-mining companies. Others travelled into the mountains, hiking two hours to reach the Junín community, winners of the 1998 FoEI Award. A third group went to the coastal region to see Ecuador's remaining mangrove forests.

Key Results

There were several important items up for discussion on the agenda of FoEI's 28th Annual General Meeting, held from 10-14 November in Quito, Ecuador. These issues ranged from political differences in the network to bylaw changes needed in order to make the federation operate more effectively. Three important plenary discussions took place: on how to address the different perspectives of northern and southern campaigners in the network; on sustainable agriculture, genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) and food security; and on the proposal to hold a bi-annual general meeting rather than an AGM.

Burning Issues

In the North-South discussion, the issue of pluralism and respect for different campaign approaches took centre stage. Southern groups tend to take a bottom-up approach, focusing on grassroots activities and addressing the political context of campaign issues. Northern groups generally adopt a global perspective, and need southern expertise in order to make their campaigns attractive and credible. It was agreed that FoEI should seek to find a balance between southern and northern campaigning styles in our international activities, and that we should put the necessary structures in place to secure that balance.

The discussion on sustainable agriculture, GMOs and food security was diverse and interesting. Participants agreed that the issue fits in well with FoEI's work on creating sustainable societies. As with most other global policy issues, it was clear that our northern and southern members have different but not incompatible approaches. Whereas groups in the North focus on trying to stop the production of GMOs, southern groups emphasize food security and sovereignty. There was complete agreement that this is an issue which must be resisted by groups all over the world, and that attempts by biotechnology companies to divide people in North and South must be countered. It was also clear that industry's argument that GMOs are the solution to world hunger must be disputed, and that the discussion should instead focus on poverty, food distribution, and the importance of local control over food production and consumption.

This plenary session was the first time that the entire federation had considered the issue; it was followed by a workshop in which the debate was continued. Given that we are in the initial stages of developing an international programme on sustainable agriculture, the AGM agreed that the discussion on policy and strategy development should be continued at FoE Europe's conference on GMOs in March 2000.

The AGM Becomes a BGM

The AGM agreed to replace the annual gathering with a bi-annual general meeting (BGM), and the necessary bylaw changes will be made. Related matters under discussion regarding the constitution and bylaws included the duration of the terms of the Chair and the Executive Committee, the approval of the annual and financial reports, the admission of associate members, and the endorsement of FoEI activities. It was agreed that the terms for the Chair and ExCom will now run for two years rather than a single year. In the year without a BGM, the ExCom will make decisions via written polls based on a simple majority. Decisions on associate membership, full membership and membership dissolution are delegated to the BGM, as is the approval of activities that seek to use the FoEI name.

Several groups raised concerns about the campaign strategy meetings that should be held in the years between BGMs, and the participation of Eastern European groups at the BGM. The new ExCom was mandated to ensure that systems are developed to guarantee the organization of campaign strategy meetings, and to secure the participation of smaller European groups as well as Eastern European members at the BGM.

Membership Changes

Friends of the Earth Slovakia, Maan ystävät ry from Finland, Neo Ecologia from Greece and Global 2000 from Austria were admitted as full members. FoE Tunisia was not admitted as a full member; although the group's term as associate member has expired, the AGM decided not to disassociate them but rather to extend their associate membership for another year as they were unable to represent themselves in Ecuador. The application of CADIC/FoE Congo for full membership was not approved; the group remains an associate member. The membership of KENGO/FoE Kenya was terminated. CENSAT Agua Viva from Colombia, Centro Humboldt from Nicaragua, and Cameroon's Centre for Environment and Development were admitted as associate members, and Project Underground was admitted as an affiliate member.

WELCOME TO FoEI!

FoEI has three new member groups and one new affiliate member, bringing the network to a grand total of 61 member groups and 10 affiliates!

FoE Cameroon

Created in 1995, the Centre for Environment and Development (CED) works on sustainability issues, capacity-building with communities and indigenous groups, organic farming and community forestry. Several FoE groups campaign with CED against the controversial Chad-Cameroon pipeline (see article this issue).

FoE Colombia

Asociación Centro Nacional Salud, Ambiente y Trabajo, or CENSAT Agua Viva, was founded in 1989 with the goals of preserving the health of the environment and communities and promoting sustainable development in Colombia. They campaign on mining, alternative technology, sustainable agriculture, the oil industry, mountainous ecosystems, IFIs and social and economic rights.

FoE Nicaragua

Centro Humboldt was founded in 1989 in order to promote local development and environmental protection. The group campaigns on external debt, ecological debt, World Bank policies and projects, climate change, biodiversity, rainforest destruction, pesticides and oil exploration and mining.

Project Underground

This US-based research and campaign group supports communities around the world threatened by the mining and oil industries. It produces excellent briefings and the bi-weekly electronic publication Drillbits and Tailings .

FoEI Activities

The AGM approved six programme areas for the coming year: Forests; International Financial Institutions (IFIs); Trade, Environment and Sustainability (TES); Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security (with a separate working group on biosafety); Sustainable Societies; and Gender. Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security was adopted as a programme with the understanding that the working group will submit a campaign activity plan following the March 2000 strategy meeting organized by FoE Europe in Brussels.

There will be three campaigns: Mining; Climate Change; and Desertification. Lobbying and advocacy will take place on Ecological Debt, Antarctica and Maritime Issues.

Due to its lack of coordination with groups in Latin America working on forest issues, the AGM decided to discontinue the status of the Amazonia Programme until it is satisfactorily integrated into the Forest Programme. The AGM also suggested that the upcoming skills share organized by the Amazonia Programme (using a small grant from the Membership Support Fund) should attempt to coordinate integration efforts with the Forest Programme working group.

THANK YOU KEVIN To close the AGM, Theo Anderson from Ghana and Otto Sieber from Switzerland presented a Ecuadorian vase to Kevin Dunion, and thanked him for his excellent chairing of the network over the past three years.

Chair and ExCom

Ricardo Navarro of CESTA/FoE El Salvador was elected as Chair. The other members of the Executive Committee are Australia, Bangladesh, Ecuador, Ghana, Switzerland, Spain and the United States. There is one ExCom member less than in previous years, as none of the other candidates received an absolute majority in two rounds of voting. The new ExCom appointed Theo Anderson from FoE Ghana as Vice Chair and reappointed Otto Sieber from Switzerland as Treasurer.

New FoEI Chair FoEI's new chair, Ricardo Navarro, has been active in FoEI for nearly a decade through his member group CESTA/FoE El Salvador. Winner of the 1995 Goldman Prize, Ricardo has an impressive list of accomplishments. During the civil war in the 1970s, he co-founded El Salvador's Commission on Human Rights; he has also set up a number of bicycle factories and can be credited for the growing use of bicycles as a mode of transport in his country.

Finances and Fundraising

FoEI's 1999 budget was balanced. Income for the year was higher than expected, but the money is being spent. The AGM adopted the budget for 2000, which featured realistic and cautious targets. It includes two additional campaigners to be based in the international secretariat, an International Financial Institutions (IFI) coordinator and a Membership Support coordinator, plus additional help for office and financial tasks. Part-time support for the chair is also included in the budget for secretariat staff. Based on ongoing fundraising efforts, the secretariat expects to receive more funding for the Membership Support Fund, for the Forest programme, and for the IFI programme. In order to facilitate the accurate calculation and payment of membership fees, a change in the bylaws was made with the result that groups will now calculate fees based on their financial report of two years back rather than on the previous year.

Next AGM Before the BGMs

The 2000 AGM will take place somewhere in the countryside near Washington, DC from September 10-14. The pre-conference will take place on September 9th in Washington DC.

FoEI Resolutions

The AGM adopted the following resolutions for 2000:

1. Calling for a halt to the construction of the Ritz Carlton Hotel and Golf Course in Grenada (FoE Grenada).

2. Opposing the construction of the NAM Conference Centre in Osman Park, Dhaka, Bangladesh (FoE Bangladesh).

3. Calling for the protection of the largest mangrove forest in the world (FoE Bangladesh).

4. Supporting FoE Canada's positions on key measures for ozone protection to be decided at the 1999 Montreal Protocol meeting in Beijing, China (FoE Canada).

5. Calling for the continuation of the court case against Texaco for ecological damage caused by the company during its 26 years in Ecuador (FoE Ecuador).

6. Opposing the construction of a heavy oil pipeline in Ecuador (FoE Ecuador).

7. Supporting FoE Ecuador's campaign for the recognition of the ecological debt (FoE Ecuador).

8. Opposing the extension of military training areas in Lithuania (FoE Lithuania).

9. Calling on the government of Curaçao to reduce urban sprawl, improve the quality of life in neglected neighbourhoods, and stimulate public participation in this process (FoE Curaçao).

10. Calling for the scrapping of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, the revocation of all large-scale mining applications, permits and contracts, and the empowerment of communities to determine the use and development of their lands and resources (FoE Philippines).

11. Calling for the withdrawal of funding by multilateral development banks for all mega-dam projects in the Philippines including the San Roque dam, the reconsideration of policies to privatize the power sector, and the empowerment of communities to determine the use and development of their lands and resources (FoE Philippines).

12. Calling for peace in Colombia (FoE Columbia).

13. Supporting the Mapuche peoples of Chile in their struggle for the restitution of their land and the constitutional recognition of their rights and cultural identity (FoE Chile).

14. Supporting the NGO coalition 'Ciudad Viva' in its campaign against the 'Costanera Norte' highway in Santiago, Chile (FoE Chile).

15. Supporting the continuation of the Macedonian Environmental Ministry (FoE Macedonia).

16. Supporting the citizen's struggle for forest protection in Concepción, Paraguay (FoE Paraguay).

Marijke Torfs, FoEI International Coordinator

FoEI Award

The FoEI Award was given to the Greengairs community in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. This group was chosen for its inspiring resistance to coal mining and its promotion of environmental justice over the past several years. In 1998, the community blockaded a dump site contaminated by PCBs for three days, forcing the responsible company to take remedial actions. Outgoing Chair Kevin Dunion accepted the award on behalf of the Greengairs villagers.