1.
the right to a sustainable
livelihood
Pygmy mother and
child, Cameroon.
© frédéric
castell, foe france
Friends of the Earth International
believes that sustainable livelihoods are
enabled when economic activities meet
people's real needs, and resources are used
sustainably. People must enjoy equal access
to resources, and the benefits from the use
of those resources should be equitably
distributed. The indiscriminate pursuit of
growth by corporations, supported by
international financial institutions and
trade bodies, often makes sustainable
livelihoods impossible.
Sustainable livelihoods are dependent
upon the fulfillment of various other
rights; and they are threatened when these
rights are violated. The rights to water,
food and a clean and healthy environment
are essential, as are rights for women,
indigenous peoples and other
collectivities, and for farmers. Procedural
rights, including access to information,
security and the right to redress must also
be secured.
The cases of the Ava Guarani of
Argentina , whose croplands have been given
to a sugar corporation, and small
communities in Cameroon whose fruit trees
have been destroyed by multinational
logging companies, illustrate how the
current global trade system destroys
thriving and sustainable local economies.
In both cases, affected people are making
use of various pressure tactics and legal
tools to reclaim their rights to
sustainable livelihoods.
more information:
Friends of the Earth International's
Trade, Environment and Sustainability
programme:
www.foei.org/trade
Towards Sustainable Economies:
Challenging Neoliberal Economic
Globalization, Friends of the Earth
International:
www.foei.org/publications/pdfs/sustain-e.pdf
