In September, we organised a workshop in Maputo on our community forest management project in Zambezia province in central Mozambique, together with community members. Although our funding for this project ended at the end of 2012, we are still committed to working with one of the communities to continue their project.

In October 2012, we also co-organised a big public meeting in Cateme in Tete province in central Mozambique, where most of the communities displaced by the Vale coal mine have been resettled. About 200 community people attended. We presented the Land law, the constitution and other important legal information to the community. Then the people spoke out vocally about their problems. After we returned to Maputo, we sent a letter to the President of Mozambique raising the concerns of the Vale-displaced communities.

On an earlier field trip to the Vale coal mine-displaced communities in Cateme, Tete province, we were also joined by a German photographer, Gregor Zielke. His work ‘Promised Land’ has since been featured in the Guardian.

Later the same month, we held a workshop in Maputo on ‘Corporate Responsibility’, which was, of course, really a ‘Corporate Abuse’ workshop, because of the appalling cases presented. Over 60 people attended the workshop, including government representatives and community people from Niassa, Cabo Delgado and other provinces of Mozambique. We also invited Ben Powless from the Indigenous Environmental Network in Canada and Nely Alexandra from Oilwatch in Ecuador. They brought experiences of solidarity and explained how all mining is unsustainable.

The day before the Corporate Responsibility workshop, we also held a gathering with journalists from across Mozambique. Journalists are also being targeted and are fearful of writing the truth. Hence we plan to continue interacting with them and giving them support to publish the facts.

We held another workshop on Corporate Responsibility in Pemba, in the far north of Mozambique, where oil and gas exploration have already harmed local communities and the environment. We are now preparing to launch a publication detailing at least four of cases.

On 10 December, International Human Rights Day, our staff and board partnered in a march to commemorate the day, co-organised by Liga dos Direitos Humanos (Human Rights League) in Mozambique, and others. Suddenly, the marchers were stopped by the Rapid Intervention Force police, dressed in full riot gear, with a tank in the middle of the street! We had received permission to hold the march and to deliver a petition to the Parliament on the human rights situation in Mozambique. The only reasonable explanation for this extreme reaction by the government and the police is that it was an intimidation tactic. Civil society in Mozambique is small but getting more vocal. Communities are raising their voices against oppression, and this is threatening the state’s plans for more greed and unsustainable development. But our message to the state is clear: we will continue to speak out against injustice.

In December the ‘Dirty Profits’ report was released in Germany by our partner organisation, Facing Finance. JA!’s Samuel Mondlane contributed articles to the report, which exposes corporate abuse from Vale’s coal mining, the Mozal aluminium smelter, and oil and gas exploration by Anadarko and ENI off Mozambique’s northern coast. Samuel also travelled to Germany for the report’s release.

We also partnered with the Jubilee Debt Campaign to release a report, ‘Whose Development is it?’, which investigates the BHP Billington-owned Mozal aluminium smelter.

Today our volunteer Board consists of Anabela (Director), Mauro (Deputy Director) and Carlos (Treasurer). In total, we have about 15 staff and volunteers, including Daniel, Janice, Gizela, Morais, Samuel, Vanessa, Jeremias, Rene, Silvia, Margarida, Vicente and Dipti. Besides the staff, we started with 10 founder members in 2004 and today we have 14 members.

Find out more on their website 'Justiça Ambiental’ (JA!)

An artist performs a water ritual during a demonstration in support of a referendum that would have water included as a basic human right in the Colombian Constitution.

In 2011 CENSAT-Agua Viva celebrated a number of achievements, including its 22nd anniversary and victories in its struggles against mining and water privatization in Colombia. Danilo Urrea, Coordinator of the cross-program project on water, tells us more.

CENSAT (National Center of Health, Environment and Work) was originally founded as a group focused on worker's health. Through the course of the group's work it became clear that there were many environmental issues in Colombia that were not being addressed, the organization turned to those issues and changed its name accordingly to CENSAT-Agua Viva, meaning living water, as we know it today.

The group campaigns on forest conservation, food sovereignty, water issues and opposition to mining. 

The campaign “Water as a common good, not a commodity” began seven years ago. It is a cross-cutting campaign that forms part of the organization's main activities. 

Danilo says: “Water has always been an important issue. When the project began we aimed to promote research on the situation in Colombia. So we carried out research as well as communications and training work for the most affected communities.”

In 2005 as part of a campaign against water privatization a call for a referendum was launched before congress that would have included a vote on whether water should be declared a basic human right.

More than 5,000 groups from all over the country joined the initiative and over 2 million signatures were collected. CENSAT was responsible for the environmental aspect of the referendum campaign. Unfortunately, despite popular support, the government did not grant the referendum call. 

However, CENSAT not only wanted a constitutional reform, they also wanted to work with the communities potentially on the receiving end of water privatisation.

In Danilo's words, their aim was to “build a movement for water, which has now evolved as the movement against dams, called Rios Vivos.

"The movement has strengthened the organized communities that provide water services, known as community aqueducts.”

CENSAT has contributed to the creation of a national network of community aqueducts to face the privatization of water management. 

"This was done through the communities' self-management and self-determination.They see CENSAT as an organisation they can trust to coordinate projects because of its ethical and philosophical values of solidarity and reciprocity,” says Danilo.

Building alliances

“On the work against dams and mining we collaborate, for example, with the Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca, the Association of Indigenous Cabildos in the north of Cauca, the National Agrarian Coordinator and we continue to be allies of the Black Communities Process. 

“In the north of Colombia we work with the Association of Fisherfolk (ASPROSIC) and with many different actors that have joined the struggle throughout the years,” said Danilo.

Struggles that have born fruit

U'wa women in demonstrate against drilling of their ancestral lands by US oil company Occidental Petroleum.

CENSAT's collaborative approach is paying off. Last year the Canadian mining corporation Graystar was denied a licence to mine gold and silver in the Saint Urban area thanks to environmental concerns cited by CENSAT and others.

"The pressure of social mobilizations has been critical in this process," says Danilo.

"Besides the formal petitions to the Santander governor and the formal complaint before Congress, the public hearings and educational sessions, over 40,000 people protested in Ucaramanga, 1,000 in Bogotá and another 5,000 in Cucuta in the days prior to the final decision."

CENSAT has also been active in the struggle against coal mining in Almorzadero. After fifteen years of campaigning, the Municipal Council finally declared the area free of mining.

These achievements are really important, but the “success is also to coordinate and mobilise the communities to struggle for these things, especially in a country with such harsh conditions like Colombia,” says Danilo.

On being a member of the Friends of the Earth International

CENSAT became a member of the federation in 2001. Since then, it has felt many benefits as a result of being part of an international federation of grassroots groups.

"Being part of the federation, and especially exchanging experiences with other groups in Latin America and the Caribbean has enabled us to consolidate our perspective of the problems of the region and to think about how to work together to confront them, ”says Danilo.

He also highlights the work of the federation in exposing the struggles of Colombia through different communication tools such as Real World Radio, Friends of the Earth International's web based radio station. 

Danilo (middle) at a Friends of the Earth International programme meeting.

About Danilo Urrea

Danilo joined CENSAT in 2003. He is currently the coordinator of the water program. He also collaborates with Real World Radio, as Colombia correspondent. 

Danilo's motivations to work in the organization are clear and inspiring:

“CENSAT is a leading organization in the environmental struggle at a national and international level, which gives me the chance to exchange experiences with other colleagues who are also committed to social change and respect nature and other communities” he concludes.

Snowmen vote for a climate change law, action in March, 2011 Credit: Lasse Lähde

Friends of the Earth Finland was founded in 1996. The group campaigns on a range of issues, from climate justice to nuclear energy, water sufficiency, sustainability of plantations, ecological debt and indigenous peoples’ rights. Their local groups work on sustainable transport and food.

The campaign which has received most visibility recently is the Big Ask (or, in Finnish, Polttava Kysymys), which is calling for a law on annual greenhouse emission cuts and an aggregate target of at least 40% reduction in domestic emissions by 2020.

Laura explains a recent success the group has had in relation to this:

“In the run-up to the parliamentary election, we campaigned hard for a  climate change law to be on the agenda of election candidates and parties. Finns concerned about the climate sent electronic postcards to their candidates, asking whether they support a climate change law or not. Around 800 candidates and three parliamentary parties backed the  law.

“During the negotiations that followed to create a coalition government, we were present outside the negotiations every day, reminding the favourable parties about their commitment. Finally, the coalition  government agreed on establishing a scientific climate change committee, research on the feasibility of a law and a proposal for the law to be made during this term of office.

“Their language could have been stronger, and the agreement falls short of explicitly stating an ambitious emission target, but, it is a huge step towards achieving the goal of the Big Ask.”

On being a member of the federation

Friends of the Earth Finland's "Human Flood" in Helsinki, September 2009. Credit: Maan Ystävät/FoE Finland

Friends of the Earth Finland joined Friends of the Earth International in 1999.

Laura says that the international federation brings in the perspective of the global south and helps her group raise discussions about climate justice and how that should be put into action in Finland.

One such occasion when the benefits of being part of such a diverse federation can be felt is during the annual UN climate negotiations.

"During the UNFCCC climate negotiations, the FOEI network provides valuable expertise and perspectives. The feeling of being a part of a worldwide grassroots network is empowering and important; imagining all the people in the different FoE member groups standing with me really helps dealing with the tough and frustrating situations I sometimes find myself in" says Laura.

About Laura Meller

Laura Meller demonstrating for a Finnish climate change law.  Credit: Pirita Särmä

Laura has been a climate coordinator for three years now, working alongside her colleague Jonas Biström.

She says her motivation to carry out her work is based on three different elements:

Protest against land occupation in Brazil

Based in Porto Alegre, most of the group's campaigns and projects take place in the city.

For several years the group has focused on resisting the construction of coal-powered and hydroelectric power projects, and against agrofuels. Nowadays the group's main focus is the historical local struggle against the Belo Monte dam and other mega-dams in the Amazon.

The group also work on energy sovereignty: the right of communities to choose their sustainable energy sources and to develop healthy consumption patterns that will lead to sustainable societies.

“For the past 10 years we have worked towards seeking energy alternatives. We want the people to decide what kind of energy they want to produce locally. We promote many energy diversification projects and projects that use local resources” says Lucia Ortiz. 

Struggle against green capitalism

Demonstrating against mega-infrastructure projects

Friends of the Earth Brazil is running several campaigns drawing people's attention to the damaging impact these mega-projects are having on the environment .

“We work on raising awareness with the people affected by these projects” says Fernando Costa.

“In this campaign we are working with the Rural Landless Workers Movement (MST), young people and residents of the affected communities. We try to create a space for dialogue for the people from the outskirts of the city who are the worst affected”.

Protests against the projects are also taking place in 12 other Brazilian cities in addition to Porto Alegre.

“We are part of a national network together with Jubilee South, Rede Brasil and the Brazilian Network of Social and Environmental Justice. We make up a network against these big events and protest against green capitalism and misleading advertising” says Lucia. “We will continue fighting until 2014, but the repression may also continue”.

In order to carry out these campaigns, Friends of the Earth Brazil is working on a number of initiatives including the political training of new activists, organising public events to raise awareness about lobbying and taking action to amend laws on land occupation and transparency.

“The actions depend on the need and the kind of violation to peoples' rights, as well as on the political time and capacity for mobilization,” says Lucia.

Their actions have been achieving their objectives too. The group's latest victory has been to prevent the selling of an area of great ecological value in Porto Alegre which would have seen the communities living there displaced.

“There was a strong mobilization of local people. This is how they managed to resist. We call this the peoples' goal. Now there is a project to see how to strengthen this community and invest locally in new necessary infrastructure” says Fernando.

A member of Friends of the Earth International

“It is important to take into account the federation's strategy, which strengthens our own struggles. At the same time the federation benefits from knowing about the local struggles of building alliances and it can better understand the consequences of international environmental policies at a local level. Thanks to this information we can show what is happening on a global scale.”

Lucia thinks that it means “to have an opportunity for joint political reflection and to move forward, thanks to what the groups have previously done.”

An example of this is the collaboration in southern Brazil in the fight against tree monocultures as part of FoEI's Biodiversity and Food Sovereignty Program.

About Fernando and Lucia

Lucia and Fernando at the office in Porto Alegre

Fernando Costa joined Amigos da Terra in 2006.

“Through my work I look for revolution. The federation is a critical space that nurtures our work, it gives us strength and it has a clear position against capitalism. Above knowledge and technology the most important things are awareness and social commitment with the communities and those who are deprived” he says.

Lucia Ortiz has been working in the federation since 1999. Her motivation is clear:

“We are going through a time of commodification of life and a trivialization of values. We need to keep up the fight. This is an important time for resistance to preserve the seeds for the future. It's more than a task. It's the only way.”

Bruna Engel and Andre Guerra, both new to the group, are equally passionate.

“Friends of the Earth is a very special movement” says Bruna.

“I am here because I believe in justice uniting social with environmental issues and Friends of the Earth shares this view”.

Andre concurs and makes the point that: “in order to actually live we need to look at things from an alternative perspective. We need to come up with a horizon of hope. To fight is to live and that is what I'm doing here.”

further information

Video: 300 indigenous leaders from 18 different ethnic groups gather to oppose the Belo Monte Dam
Website: Friends of the Earth Brazil's blog

Protest against the purchase of land in the Parana Delta for real estate.

Over the years the organization's focus has increasingly been directed towards socio-environmental projects. These projects are often worked on in alliances with local groups from different parts of the country.

"We work on three different levels: strengthening grassroots struggles, educating the general public and raising awareness, and filing legal actions" says Natalia Salvatico, the coordinator of the water and sustainability campaign.

The group works on four main issues: forests and biodiversity, water and sustainability, climate change and food sovereignty. In 2011 the organization commenced work on a land grabbing project. Land grabbing is the buying or leasing of large pieces of land in developing countries often by transnational companies. The project integrates the issues of soy production, mining and water in Argentina.

Today's big challenge

The land grabbing campaign is what's know in the Friends of the Earth federation as a cross-program project. It incorporates many issues. Firstly, there is a campaign in the Parana Delta, an area of islands and wetlands where the real estate industry aims to build a private estate of nearly 300 hectares called Colony Park. This will cause the displacement of local residents already living on the land. The project will also have a great impact on the region's vulnerable ecosystem.

After two years of struggle, Friends of the Earth Argentina's demands for a public hearing have been granted. This could lead to sanctions or the halting of the project altogether.

Secondly, there is an ongoing legal action against Barrick Gold, a mining corporation that is exploiting the Pascua Lama open-pit gold mine in San Juan province. The company's operations go against the Argentinian Glaciers Act - a law to protect the nation's glaciers - since it is located in the periglacier region. Friends of the Earth Argentina, together with other organizations, have filed a legal action to request the closure of the mine in accordance with the Glaciers Act.

Last but not least, Friends of the Earth Argentina work with La Via Campesina, the international peasant movement, against the advance of soy monoculture plantations in the central part of the country.

The work on soy is of particular importance as Natalia explains:

"Argentina is one of Latin America's worst examples in terms of soy expansion. Half of the cultivable area of Argentina is harvested with GM soy. Soy has high economic yield and it benefits certain social classes that have control over land. This results in the loss of the native forest and other crops. It also means that many communities are losing their food sovereignty." 

Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems.

"All these campaigns are ongoing. There have been partial victories, but we always need to be on the alert for new dangers. It is important to be in contact with local groups as they are usually the first ones to warn us about what is happening on the ground."

on being a member of an international federation

Natalia Salvatico conducts an interview

Friends of the Earth Argentina became a member of Friends of the Earth International in 1985. Natalia believes being a member enables them to "act globally and have a broad perspective on environmental issues."

The solidarity of the groups in the federation can often have a positive outcome on their work.

"We feel we now have more visibility, because in Argentina and Latin America sometimes your work is not recognised locally unless you are recognised in the [global] north. We need to make campaigns visible beyond our borders. The north-south exchange has proved productive. It involves extra effort but it has good results” concludes Natalia.
 
Diego Andres, a volunteer for the water campaign, believes the federation represents a new political horizon.

"There are many conflicts that are more than ecological issues, they are cultural conflicts. Being a part of the federation enables us to have a general and global overview of these conflicts. It also enables us to share visions with colleagues from other countries" he says.

Members of Amigos de la Tierra

about Natalia and Diego

Natalia is the coordinator of the Water and sustainability campaign. She works with Diego on the land grabbing campaign and also collaborates in communications work. She has always been interested in environmental issues and began working for Friends of the Earth Argentina as a volunteer in 2000.

"What I like about Friends of the Earth is the inclusive, assembly-based form of working. These past years have also enabled me to meet people from different places and to do things that would have not been possible without being part of the environmental struggle” she says.

Diego's relationship with Friends of the Earth began with Friends of the Earth Colombia, in his country of origin. There he found "a learning space and a space for social and political commitment."

He currently works as a volunteer for the water campaign and coordinates the land grabbing campaign.

"My participation is motivated by the political construction that can be achieved thanks to the Friends of the Earth Argentina" he says. 

"I believe the environmental struggle has to be linked with a cultural change. We need to change our perspective, our way of thinking in order to improve our lives. This is my main motivation” he concludes.

Nnimmo was born on 11 June 1958. He qualified as an architect and practiced in the public sector for ten years. He became active on human rights issues in the 1980s as a member of the Board of Directors of Nigeria’s Civil Liberties Organisation. In 1993, he co-founded Environmental Rights Action (ERA), a Nigerian advocacy NGO, to deal with environmental human rights issues in the country.

Environmental Rights Action / Friends of the Earth Nigeria

Oil spills & gas flaring in the Niger Delta 

It has been estimated that spills equivalent to the size of that from the Exxon Valdez have occurred in the Niger Delta every year over the past 50 years. Nnimmo says that there are at least 300 (major and minor) spills every year. The Nigerian Government has established that there were more than 3200 spills between 2006 and 2010. Many have not been cleared up; few lead to compensation payments. Life expectancy in the Niger Delta is 41 years, compared to 48 years nationally in Nigeria. 

Shell claims that 98% of its spills are caused by theft, vandalism or sabotage by militants and that it is “committed to cleaning up any spill as fast as possible as soon as and for whatever reason it occurs”.

Environmental Rights Action and the local communities blame rusting pipes and other deteriorating infrastructure and say that often companies are slow to respond. Nnimmo believes that the costs of the oil production are far greater than its benefits so he demands that governments "leave the oil in the soil". 

Environmental Rights Action has led lawsuits against oil companies on behalf of many communities in Nigeria for liability for damage to their people and environment. 

Since 1996, Nnimmo and Environmental Rights Action have led Oilwatch Africa and since 2006 have led also the global South network, Oilwatch International, through which they seek to mobilize communities in Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Congo (Brazzaville), Ghana, and Uganda as well as South America and South East Asia to resist destructive oil and gas extraction activities

In addition to its work on oil spills, Environmental Rights Action has campaigned against gas flaring, winning a landmark ruling by a Nigerian High Court in 2005 that gas flaring is unconstitutional, damages people and the environment, and must stop.

GMOs, biofuels and food sovereignty

The other major area of Environmental Rights Action’s work is GMOs (genetically modified organisms), agrofuels and food sovereignty. Friends of the Earth groups in Africa created a regional campaign in this area in 2004 and Nnimmo worked as an international campaigner on GMO issues from 2004-2008. In 2009, field-testing of genetically modified cassava was introduced in Nigeria, and Nnimmo now sees a big risk that African agriculture will be contaminated by GMOs. 

Further activities & outreach

In 1998, Environmental Rights Action won the Sophie Prize for its work on environmental justice, and in 2009 the Bloomberg Award for tobacco control activism. Nnimmo was named by TIME magazine as a 2009 Hero of the Environment. He is a writer of poetry as well as of campaigning and research documents. 

• Read the press release on Nnimmo's Right Livelihood award
  
• Journalists can download a version of this biography with photos here
• Read Nnimmo's weekly newspaper column
  
• Find out more about Nnimmo's books
  
• Environmental Rights Action
• Oilwatch
• Time Magazine Heroes of the Environment
  
• The Sophie Prize
  

Radical beginnings

The group was formed in dramatic circumstances. Every Wednesday night the University of Copenhagen would host public lectures called Natural History Wednesday Evenings - abbreviated to NOA in Danish. One series of lectures was on pollution which was very visible in 1969. 

Shocked to discover the environmental situation in their country, a group of students who attended the lectures got together and decided to do something about it. They hired an auditorium and invited fellow students and professors to attend an event they were going to put on. 

Once everyone was seated the students locked the doors and bombarded the audience's senses with pollution. A machine puffed on tobacco, a motorcycle roared around on the stage whilst pictures of lung cancer operations were projected in the background. 

While the audience were trying to work out what was going on a live duck was brought on stage which the students proceeded to dunk in oil. They then called on the stunned audience to put the bird out of its misery and decapitate it. Nobody came forward and so the students carried out the gruesome task themselves and afterwards sprayed the audience with the blood that was pumping out of the dying duck.

Although the means of relaying the message was traumatic the inference was clear: everyone suffers from the effects of pollution and we need to act now.

As the doors to the auditorium were unlocked and the shell shocked audience made their way out, the organisers of the event asked them to join them in the formation of an environmental group. They also asked people to help them think of a name for the new-found group. Someone suggested they keep NOA and add the letter H to the end so they could link up with the character from the bible who saved all the animals. And so NOAH was born.

noah's work

The group have always taken a holistic approach to their work, whilst over the years focussing on a range of environmental issues including climate, energy, agriculture, biofuels, genetically modified crops and transportation to name a few. They seek to inform the public and decision makers through a mix of activism and information in the form of the books, papers and reports they produce on the issues affecting Denmark. 

From the outset they have been effective in shaping the environmental debate. 

"When the Danish environment ministry was set up in 1970 the minister in charge held secret meetings with NOAH to find out what he should do" says Palle. "This gave the organisation a lot of influence in the early days." 

"In the 19'70s NOAH played an active role in bringing about the new era of windmills in Denmark which now produce one fifth of the country's energy." 

Today almost half of the wind turbines around the world are produced by Danish manufacturers

Sadly neither influence nor activism has managed to bring about positive change to another industry Denmark is well know for; the pork industry. 

Pork is big business in the Denmark. Every year the industry rears 25 million pigs in terrible conditions, largely fed on genetically modified soy from South America. 

A few years ago NOAH targeted German tourists in Denmark who travel in large numbers to the country every year. 

With the aid of leaflets and flyers, NOAH volunteers advised the visitors not to buy Danish pork products. Whilst the action created a lot of publicity and annoyed the pork producers Palle is not optimistic about the prospect of an ethical revolution in the pork industry any time soon.

"In Denmark to change the agricultural industry is like asking the sun to travel in reverse" he says. 

"Farmers are a small part of the population nowadays but we have this idea that the pork industry is very important for Denmark - it's not. 

"If it weren't for EU subsidies the industry would not be profitable. It would be a better deal if we paid the farmers to do nothing. If we did that we wouldn't have that terrible smell in the countryside, or pollution in our waters"

He thinks part of the problem is that people living in the cities are disconnected from the countryside and are not fully aware of the problems the environment faces. 

"When people go to the countryside they may notice, for example, the smell of the pig farms but tell themselves it's not so bad. If they had to endure that smell all the time they would think differently."

Addressing the root of the problem

Whilst much has been done in Denmark to address the problems of environmental degradation Palle believes that NOAH's job is harder now than it ever has been. 

"A lot of the environmental problems have been dealt with," he says, but, "never at the root."

"We've gone from the obvious pollution in the air that you can smell or see to the more invisible contaminants such as genetically modified crops and fine particles from diesel engines in the cities. Your laundry is clean in the garden but your lungs are full of tiny dangerous particles. 

"The general public thinks things are okay now. Today you can swim in Copenhagen harbour which was impossible thirty years ago. So, what's the problem?

"A lot has been achieved but the situation on the ground has changed. We now have the huge monster of climate change, which is a global problem but it needs to be addressed locally also. When you start thinking about it you realise that it's integrated in everything that we do in modern society." 

Palle believes that the renewed interest in the climate, which came about from last year's climate summit in Copenhagen, has now decreased again and NOAH need to mobilise people once more and tell them the situation is not okay. 

working internationally

In 1986 NOAH joined Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) and since then they've been working on an international level to address the big issues like climate change.

One of the first international campaigns they worked on was the Sustainable Europe campaign in the 1990s with other European groups. 

The Sustainable Europe campaign developed the concept of environmental space, the basic principle behind ecological debt that says you can't have a situation where some people are entitled to have a larger share of the earth's resources than others. There must be an equal share of carbon for everyone in the world. They then went onto make real calculations as to what is an equitable share. Not just for this generation but including the coming ones too.

This work really chimes with Palle's views on the environment:

"The environment is the single most important thing for the human race to get this sorted. For me justice has always been at the root." he says.

The Sustainable Europe campaign went onto inform much of the thinking and demands behind NOAH's campaigns on climate. Later the group joined the Big Ask campaign where European Friends of the Earth groups demanded EU wide cuts in carbon emissions of 40% by 2020.

All this collaboration paved the way for one of the high points in NOAH's history, the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, commonly known as COP15

demanding climate justice in copenhagen

NOAH played an instrumental role in accommodating and providing logistical support to the FoEI delegation who descended on Copenhagen in December 2009. Thanks to their dedicated team of volunteers, the federation had a strong presence on the streets and in the many forums that took place over the two weeks of the summit. 

"The COP was both a high point for NOAH because of the Klimaforum [the People's Climate Summit] and the FoEI action, and a low point because of the outcome. 

"It completely stretched our resources but we managed to receive and accommodate more than 2000 people from around the world and organise the Flood, the Friends of the Earth International action where more than 5000 people marched for climate justice" says Palle. 

about palle bendsen 

NOAH had been part of Palle's life on and off for decades. However, it was in 1995 when he became directly involved with the group. 
 

As with everyone in the organisation, he either works in a volunteer capacity or on a project basis when there are funds available. The group has a flexible network of around one hundred volunteers who come and go depending on their situations, or can be called upon to lend a hand when needed.

As to what motivates Palle to devote his working life to the environment, he says there was never a single defining moment, but has been an integrated part of his outlook since his early teens. 

When he was young for a while he worked on a Greek oil tanker alongside several nationalities. 

"I saw the working conditions of people who were less privileged than we were in Scandinavia and the conditions people worked in to mobilise the oil that we were all depended on in those days. Before the oil crisis in 1973 Denmark was completely dependant on oil. After the crisis we moved to coal" he recalls.

Becoming a father also heightened his environmental awareness.

"Thirty years ago when my children were young I lived in the countryside where a neighbouring farmer was polluting the water with pesticides and a nearby municipal facility incinerating waste emitted large amounts of dioxins. Then there was the Chernobyl disaster that took place 1500 kilometres away. It was only a matter of luck that the wind blew the other way. Living in the countryside was no protection against pollution."

"When you have children you think about the future. Now I have a grandchild I'm thinking about the future again" he concludes.

Given the well documented struggles that Palestinians go through on a daily basis you might think that environmental issues would be quite far down the list of priorities for most people. However, many of the environmental issues that Palestinians face go hand in hand with the Israeli occupation.

Abeer gives an example of one of these issues:

"Many chemical factories that were based in Israel up until 1980 have now been transferred to Palestinian lands because they were no longer allowed to pollute in Israel. The places they were transferred to are now unsuitable for habitation."

It is issues such as industrial pollution that form a large part of PENGON's work. The organisation works on three major campaigns: Solid Waste, Water for life and Stop the Wall.

Solid Waste

The Solid Waste campaign exposes the illegal dumping of waste and lobbies for it to be brought under control. The waste can come in the form of chemical, medical and construction materials and is often toxic and hazardous. Most of the waste is being transferred from factories in Israel. However, in some cases Palestinians are renting their land out for companies to dump waste on.

PENGON, in cooperation with one of the Universities in Palestine, recently produced a report exposing the practice of dumping and highlighting the environmental impacts such as air and water pollution.

Thanks to the cooperation of the authorities some of the dumping has now stopped and Palestinians are no longer renting their land to encourage the practice.

water for life

The aim of the Water for Life campaign is to document 'water violations' in Gaza and the West Bank.

Water sources in the region are controlled by the Israeli occupation forces and, according to a 2009 World Bank report, Israelis take four times more water than Palestinians from a vital aquifer in the region. In some cases Palestinians are surviving on as little as 10 to 15 litres per person per day, which is below the recommended level to avoid certain health epidemics.

By documenting these violations PENGON can lobby decision makers in the region and internationally, putting pressure on Israel to give the Palestinians access to their fair share of clean water.

Stop the Wall

The Stop the Wall campaign was initiated by PENGON in 2002. Its aim is to stop the construction of the wall that divides the West Bank and to dismantle the parts that are already built; to ensure the return of land confiscated through construction and to obtain compensation for all losses incurred.

The campaign received widespread media attention at the end of 2009 when Jamal Juma', the Campaign Coordinator, and Mohammad Othman, the Youth Coordinator, were arrested and detained without charge by the Israeli authorities.

People around the world sent messages of protest to Israel and took photos of themselves carrying messages reading 'Fee Jamal Juma'.

On his release Jamal said:

"The massive support and actions of international civil society clearly made my imprisonment too uncomfortable for the Israeli authorities. This international solidarity has given our popular struggle against the Wall further strength."

About Abeer Albutma

Abeer joined PENGON as the Coordinator is 2008. She has a degree in Water and Environmental engineering and is currently studying a masters in the subject.

"Working at PENGON gives me a great chance to communicate with decision makers who work in the Environmental sector in Palestine to create solutions to the problems we are facing" she says.

She values working with PENGON's member groups and finds such collaborations broaden her understanding of the environmental issues Palestine faces:

"Each group has a different field of expertise. One group focuses on agriculture, another in biodiversity and another in water so I am learning and experiencing new things all the time. I also get to share my experiences with the other members."

Finally, Abeer is proud of her work in PENGON and proud of the role that women play in the environmental field in Palestine and the society as a whole.

"Our organisation takes into account gender equity and I work with many women and men in other organisations. Women in Palestine have an effective role in work and decision making."

Find out more about Friends of the Earth Palestine / PENGON

PENGON's member group page

PENGON's website

Otros Mundos became a member of the Friends of the Earth federation in 2008, though they had already been working with many FoEI groups for several years.

When asked about the meaning of his group’s name, Gustavo Castro answers, “Why Otros Mundos? Because we're convinced that we have to look for alternatives to capitalism, alternatives where all cultures are included, in a world where we are all included, a world of cultural diversity.”

On capitalism

Otros Mundos A.C. categorizes itself as a “small interdisciplinary group that addresses training, information, mobilization, education and the pursuit of alternatives.” The organization focuses on research, analysis and diagnosis about capitalism - issues that are mainly addressed to the indigenous and peasant communities through popular education workshops. They also provide educational materials about these matters.

Gustavo says the group understands that “mere awareness does not lead to immediate changes.” Because of this, they are also committed to supporting, strengthening and creating movements and social processes to deal with the problems of capitalism within indigenous and poor communities. They have been involved in the creation of networks and campaigns against neoliberalism, dams, mines, against the foreign debt, militarization, against GMOs, monoculture plantations (mainly eucalyptus and palm oil) and against TNCs, and FTAs and Climate Change.

“In Otros Mundos, A.C. we work locally thinking globally and we work globally thinking locally. We think locally but also at a national and international level with social networks and movements,” Gustavo says.

On “Alter-Natos”

Gustavo says that as an organization, their goal has always been to “continue mobilizing, resisting and stopping the effects of wild capitalism.” But he says there is  something missing in this approach: the ability to look for alternatives. That mindset, he says, is how "Alter-Natos" was created, “the pursuit of the peoples' own ways of building different worlds with justice, fairness, with respect to the environment.”

The Popular Water and Energy School was also formed due to this alternative approach, which Gustavo says is the organization’s proposal to help with the transformation and training of agrological, ecological and sustainable communities. 

But Gustavo says that the transformation alternatives his organization is working hard to implement are not possible without happy people. “Hunger, poverty, the struggle to survive, migration, social and political struggle causes depression and all the efforts to transform our world end up breaking peoples' hearts.”  This is why Otros Mundo, A.C. decided there was a need to implement a mental health program for the affected peoples, a project that the indigenous peoples call “healing the heart.”

on Gustavo Castro

Gustavo is a sociologist and the legal representative of Otros Mundos. He facilitates the Convergence of Movements of the Peoples of the Americas (COMPA), and is a member of the International Rivers Council and Other Worlds from the US. He is part of the coordination of the Mexican Movement of Those Affected by Dams and in Defence of Rivers (MAPDER), the Mexican Network of People Affected by Mining (Rema) and the Latin American Network Against Dams and for Rivers (REDLAR).

Gustavo majored in political economics but also studied philosophy.  His current work also consists in organizing workshops for the indigenous and peasant communities and in supporting the process of the Popular Water and Energy School.

Photos:
Top, Gustavo from Otros Mundos.
Bottom, Concert goers express their concerns about the environment outside a Radiohead gig in Mexico City

Established in 1989, the Goldman Environmental Prize is awarded annually to environmental advocates from six continental regions and is the largest award of its kind with a cash prize of $150,000. 

ship-breaking

Rizwana has focused much of her work on the Bangladeshi ship-breaking industry. As one of the only countries in the world that continues to have a flourishing ship-breaking industry, Bangladesh is loaded with labour discrepancies and  environmental hardships as a result of the trade.  Broken down ships are sent from around the world and taken apart by workers who are often paid less than a dollar a day for scraps, and labour laws are rarely enforced.  Furthermore, the collapsed ships release toxic chemicals into the environment, polluting ecosystems and threatening the unprotected workers' lives.

As the chief executive of BELA, Rizwana has focused on both workers' rights within the ship-breaking trade as well as the halting of the detrimental environmental effects of the industry.  Six years ago, she filed an important petition with the Bangladeshi Supreme Court seeking to prevent decommissioned ships from entering Bangladesh unless they were certified to be free of toxic substances as well as to prohibit further ship-breaking activities unless the government guaranteed protection for the workers and the environment.  Although Rizwana does not condemn the ship-breaking industry altogether, her goal has been to make sure that the ships’ toxic materials have been disposed of before landing in Bangladesh and that the workers are protected and compensated fairly for their efforts.

successes and future goals

Years of hard work and advocacy have finally paid off for BELA.  In March 2009, the Supreme Court laid down strict regulations on the industry, resulting in the closure of 36 ship breaking yards operating without environmental clearance.  The court also ruled it would impose restrictions on the import of Greenpeace listed contaminated ships and require strict regulations on the cleaning and decontamination of all imported ships.  In its ruling it stated that a committee will oversee the implementation of these orders.

Although this is a huge victory for Rizwana and the team at BELA, the organisation plans to continue their efforts to make sure the rulings are enforced.  The groups also continue advocacy on other environmental issues, such as wetlands preservation, regulation of commercial shrimp farming, traditional forest rights preservation, vehicular pollution, and industrial pollution.

Photo credits: Tom Dusenbery

CEJ also uses its "Mihithalaya" Radio programme to "promote [the] rule of law" and "educat[e] people on the new environmental laws and how they can benefit from the laws and the court system."  CEJ's lawyers and scientists respond to people's questions on the live program supported by the World Justice Project.

Hemantha hopes that its new membership status within the FoE network will "strengthen [its] positions" and help it "assist local communities and protect their rights in Sri Lanka."

promoting justice

CEJ's overall vision is "justice for all."  It strives to "protect the equal environmental rights of the people and promote ecological sustainability by supporting ecologically sound community activities."

Some of its major objectives are:

• To sharpen the public debate on environmental justice and good governance

• To promote ecologically sustainable development and environmentally responsible communities
  

• To safeguard nature and people from environmentally & socially irresponsible activities and human rights violations
  

• To promote community participation in decision making on natural resource
  

• To promote Environmental Justice and equity through legal and other means

legal undertakings

Since its founding, CEJ has filed many cases promoting the public's interest:

• The Genetically Modified Food Regulations Case forced the investigation of the availability of Genetically Modified/Engineered Food in the market

• The Coastal Conservation Case fought for the right of the public to have access to and to use and enjoy the country's coastal zones

• The Bundala Case pushed for a national policy and regulations to protect the country's wetlands

• The Sand Dunes Case sought to prevent the activities taking place in violation of the Provisions of Mines and Minerals Act taking place in the region of the Kalpitiya Peninsula

• The Deduru Oya Case fought for the end of unlawful sand mining in the areas of Deduru Oya in the North Western Province which were causing significant harm to the environment as well as to the local infrastructure
  

• The Elephants' Policy Case pushed for the formulation of a National Policy for the Conservation of Wild Elephants in Sri Lanka

current campaigns

CEJ continues to fight for environmental justice and currently has several pending cases.  They are currently working on GM food labeling, climate governance, fighting against water privatization and number of other issues.

Hemantha says that the biggest obstacle is the lack of environmental law enforcement within Sri Lanka.  He hopes that in the future they are able to see "that all people equally share the environmental resources as well as burdens."  He also hopes that in the next 20 years "everybody will understand the unequal distribution of environmental impacts and fight for justice."

about Hemantha

Before founding CEJ, Hemantha was part of the Environmental Foundation Limited (EFL), a non-profit public interest law group whose mission is to promote conservation within Sri Lanka.  While at EFL, he served as the environmental officer, senior environmental scientist and the executive director of the organization.

Currently, he is a member of the Environmental Law Alliance-Worldwide (ELAW), a network of public interest attorneys, scientists, and other advocates around the world.

natural resources

NAPE’s major goal is the “improved management of natural resources in Uganda.”

The organization aspires to achieve this goal through the following strategic objectives:

• To "promote gender parity in the management of natural resources"

• To "enhance good governance in the management of natural resources"

• To "increase public awareness on best practices in natural resources management"

• To "mitigate the effects of environmental/climate change through the sound management of natural resources"

• To have “a national environmental organization that lobbies and advocates for the sustainable management of natural resources for the benefit of all”

Current campaigns

NAPE is currently working on a number of campaigns having to do with the protection of natural resources:

• They are working to halt "illegal limestone mining in protected areas (Queen Elizabeth National Park) and oil extraction in the Albertine Rift"

• They are promoting "better compensation and resettlement processes for big infrastructure developments e.g. dams and oil mining"

• They are advocating for "transparency and accountability in development processes"

• They are working to stop the "degradation of natural resources like forests and wetlands, and advocating for better policies that promote sustainable use of natural resources"

• They are promoting "traditional/cultural practices for the management of forests"

• They are championing "good governance through observation of human rights by government, e.g. water and land rights for marginalized communities"

The highs and lows

Since its onset, NAPE "has made substantial progress" in protecting the country's natural resources.  Some of its successes include its campaign to empower communities to demand for fair compensation for their land and crops as well as influencing the Ugandan government to halt the proposal to turn the Mabira Forest reserve into a sugar cane plantation.

But it hasn't been easy.  Betty says that Ugandan communities' "lack of awareness of their rights" and the "lack of transparency" and "corruption issues" of developers and government regarding the process of project development have caused setbacks in their work. 

She hopes that in the years to come NAPE will be able to better "effectively influence policies regarding natural resources management nationally and contribute to sustainable development globally for the benefit of humankind."

about obbo Betty

Obbo Betty has a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Management and Practical Skills from Makere International Institute of Environmental Development and Practical Skills.

She started working with NAPE in 1999 because of her interest in environmental management.  Betty currently works as the information and publication officer for NAPE and develops bi-monthly newsletters posted on the organization's website with the goal of sharing the group's working experience with other networks and their partners.

CODEFF, the national committee for the defence of flora and fauna, was started in Chile in 1968 and is the country’s oldest environmental NGO. Its mission was to achive sustainable development by citizen participation. We currently have 4,500 members, 20 volunteers and six paid employees. In 1997 we became a part of FoEI. This has enabled us to finance projects related to the citizen participation and communication and diffusion of environmental issues in Latin America.

Today we have five branches in the south of Chile which carry out technical work and research. For example, our branch in Italca is working on a project to preserve the Huemul, an endangered species which looks like a deer and which is on our national symbol. Another branch is the Aysen one in Patagonia, which works to preserve the region and prevent the destruction of dams to generate electricity. These dams would destroy 2,300 square kilometres of land and with it many indigenous plants and animals.

We have various campaigns: recycling and responsible consumption; climate change and justice, for which we work closely with FoEI; and protecting the national heritage of Santiago and its surroundings.

We are very proud of what we have achieved so far. In 1999 we have received a United Nations prize in the battle against desertification, which threatens 60% of Chile. This was the work of one of our scientists.

In 2002 we created protected areas to try to redress the damages inflicted on nature by humans. In one such area, Curiñanco, we perform studies to improve the preservation of flora and fauna here. We have foxes and rabbits and other species, but most importantly we are able to preserve types of forest which are only found here in Chile.

In 2003 in the Aysen region we managed to stop a large-scale project to build a dam by an aluminium company called. This would have damaged most of the nature in the surroundings.

Since Chile is not as developed as some nations, large financial powers from other countries can come to construct and develop projects that don’t respect the environment. There are few laws so minimal protection against environmental damage. The natural capital of this country is being destroyed, and the lack of interest from the politicians and those who do have information on the environmental situation makes thing worse. The population is very ill-informed on these issues, which is a pity when you see how much ecological potential Chile has. We hope that Patagonia will soon be declared a UN Natural World Heritage Site, thereby protecting it in the future.

Who is Claudia Villaman?

This is my first job in an environmental NGO. I used to work at the city hall in Geneva, Switzerland, where I worked on the local Agenda 21 sustainable development programme.

I have been executive director of CODEFF for seven months. I coordinate and supervise activities, strengthen links and align our work with internal (regional branches) and external (government and NGOs) bodies.

Since being here I have re-opened the library. Now, more than 500 books are available to read for free. I also have a meeting next week with a company to finance some activities of CODEFF. This move already indicates something is changing since it is not common for a company to even think about financing an environmental NGO.

The preservation and protection of the environment is what motivates me to work for CODEFF. We feel very proud when, for example, universities call us for advice or to be given a course on climate change. It is very motivating to spread the message.

The most disappointing thing about my job is the lack of financial resources. The government is not involved enough in environmental issues and prefers to side with financial power such as banks and multinationals.

“I love walking along the cliffs”, Caroline says. “We have a very specific natural phenomenon which we call Rdum, consisting of coral rocks over blue clay. Culturally we are primarily European, but, due to its closeness to Libya and Tunisia, a bit of Africa resounds in everything, especially in the language and the landscape.”

On campaigning
“Since childhood I was encouraged by my parents and teachers to ask questions about the things I saw, to take an interest in politics, archaeology, palaeontology, culture and history, to watch documentaries and go hiking in the countryside.”

At an early age, Caroline became politically active:

“At school, and later in university, I participated in student politics. I was interested in participatory democracy, bottom-up leadership and the connections between people and their environment. During my anthropology studies my supervisor encouraged me to do an internship at the WWF-affiliated Nature Trust Malta.”

Caroline joined Friends of the Earth Malta working on a community education project. She is now a board member.
Besides her job she is working on a doctoral research in anthropology and is very active in the local community.

Promoting change
“Although they are islanders, Maltese people travel considerably, participate in international politics and are generally well informed. However, most people are not very critical thinkers. Social scientists argue that due to the strict loyalty demanded by traditional institutions, such as the church, political parties and the family, the Maltese have become accustomed to conform themselves to authority. Therefore, only a few subcultures exist in Malta and a fear for change dominates. The lack of entrepreneurship and creative energy is something I would like to change.”

Local versus national issues
“Malta is a modern country, but only very few women occupy high positions. Family relations are very tight in Malta. Women are still mainly associated with domestic chores and caretaking”, says Caroline.

“During my anthropological research in small communities I have seen that women are often very active in community politics and activities, but when it comes to issues on a national and international scale the women leave the task to their husbands. The community is possibly regarded as the extended home. Anthropologists have suggested that due to Malta’s long history of colonialism, Maltese people do not identify with the entire Maltese territory as their homeland, and nationalism is not common. Environmental organisations are tapping into this potential and are identifying local ecosystems, species and urban environments as being specifically ‘Maltese’. Increasingly, women are becoming interested in the environment, while in the past environmentalism was a man’s domain.”

Dedication and inspiration
“I am motivated by a number of things. My Catholic background and the journeys I made through nature reserves in the area have given me a great moral respect for the world. A world that includes people as well as animals, plants, landscapes, oceans, and magical things we cannot even begin to imagine or understand. I believe that the environmental tragedy that we are bringing onto ourselves is far from unavoidable. People possess an infinite creativity and I am strongly motivated by the fact that all that is needed in order to make it blossom is the right context, the right freedom, and the right regulations. Then that creativity will help us achieve a more sustainable lifestyle.”

“What interests me about NAT is that it started out as a feminist organization, supporting poor women and their families. Nowadays NAT also works on environmental issues.” She says.

Love of nature
Maria's wants people to see beyond the images of carnival, samba and beautiful people that most people conjure up when thinking about Brazil.

“The greatest beauty of our country, in my opinion, is nature: the extensive Amazonian rainforest, the endless rivers, the waterfalls, the birds and plants, the biodiversity. I feel an enormous love for nature.”

The role of women
The status of women in Brazilian society has moved on - but not enough.

“Women in Brazil still do not have equal opportunities. At the University of Porto Alegre we had a female rector, but in general there are very few women who stand out with such a job. Many women are employed in the social sector. But although this kind of work has produced important steps forward, for example in the fight against cancer or for the rights of street children, this work is barely valued by men.

"But the position of women is gradually improving. Women are getting increasingly involved in politics and in the economic sector. Although I wish it would proceed a bit faster.”

The long term
“I would like to change the mentality of the Brazilian politicians. Instead of just focusing on economic interests, they should look more at what nature has to offer us. In general, Brazilian politicians are mostly focused on immediate results. Long-term planning is not their strength.”

“Nature in Brazil is sacrificed for short-term economic gain, and simply something has to be done to protect it. Not for myself, because I am already quite old, but for my children, and their children. I am strongly convinced that we have to do something to stop the complete destruction of everything that our ancestors left behind. We have to pass this world on to our descendants. Let’s try to do that in the best possible way.”