What does the environment have to do
with human rights? Why is an environmental
group like Friends of the Earth
International protecting and demanding
human rights? What do concepts like
environmental rights and environmental
justice mean?
These were some of the questions that
Friends of the Earth activists grappled
with at the October 2003 conference on
Environmental and Human Rights in Cartagena
, Colombia . Representatives of our 68
member groups gathered with other
environmentalists, social movements and
human rights defenders to listen to stories
of human rights abuses and discuss
strategies for fighting environmental
rights violations. The conference provided
a basis for developing a philosophical
framework to guide our thinking and
campaign strategies.
This publication brings together some of
the human and environmental rights abuses
experienced by many of our groups, and
their actions to protect these fundamental
rights. Not only do we want to share these
stories and our vision about environmental
rights more widely, but we also want to
state our commitment as a network to fight
for the protection of the human and
environmental rights of the people and
communities we work with around the
world.
what can we do?
Friends of the Earth International
values the recent advances in the
international recognition of individual and
collective human rights. However, despite
progress in creating legal frameworks to
address rights, violations continue and are
even increasing due to the current global
model of production and consumption that is
imposed by neoliberal economic
globalization. Many states ignore or are
unaware of international and regional
conventions and regional agreements, giving
free reign to transnational corporations to
advance destructively and with
impunity.
Friends of the Earth International will
promote the concepts of environmental
rights and environmental justice and work
for the recognition of new rights. Beyond
that, and together with other
environmentalists, we will create an ethic
that recognizes the value and diversity of
life in all forms and the interdependence
between human beings and nature. Our
concept of environmental justice will
acknowledge the dignity of nature, the web
of life, and the independent rhythms of
biological and ecological processes. In
short, we will work to protect environments
and people alike against the aggressions of
neoliberal economic globalization.
We must recognize that existing
enshrined rights are the fruit of the
efforts of communities that have
historically resisted violations and
demanded their rights, and that we can only
move further if we join the resistance of
those whose rights are being violated
today. For this reason, our alliances with
social movements, both on the ethical and
political levels, must form a basis for our
campaigns. We plan to debate, define and
promote national and international legal
instruments in order to support the
enforcement and protection of our rights,
and we will strive for environmental
justice in all that we do.
