details

details of events and activities in the tent!

january 27: trade environment and sustainability and water events

Partner organizations: Friends of the Earth International, Council of Canadians

09:00 – 12:00: Hands of our Natural Resources! Corporations, trade liberalization and the commodification of nature
The World Trade Organization and other regional and bilateral free trade agreements are behind an unprecedented assault on the world's natural resources, through deals to increase trade in agricultural products, commodities, industrial goods and services, and new rules on foreign direct investment and intellectual property.
This workshop will give participants an opportunity to develop a common understanding of the way in which trade liberalization, including through regional and bilateral agreements, impacts on our natural resources. It will address the way in which the trade system ensures that transnational corporations are the main beneficiaries of increased international trade, while local communities and Indigenous Peoples are losing access to their traditional lands, resources and even knowledge as natural resources continue to be plundered at unsustainable rates. Participants will also consider ways in which joint or parallel campaigns could begin to address this aspect of trade liberalization effectively.
•  Invited speakers include: Maude Barlow, Council of Canadians (Canada); Meena Raman, Sahabat Alam Malaysia; Pedro Avedano, World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fishworkers (WFF); Simone Lovera, Friends of the Earth International; Tatiana Roa, CENSAT Agua Viva, Colombia; Thomas Kockerry, World Forum of Fisher Peoples (WFFP); Tony Tujan, IBON Foundation (Philippines); and Victor Menotti, International Forum on Globalisation.

13:00 – 17:30 : defense of water around the world: reclaiming public water

Water is becoming dirtier, scarcer and costlier for people in many parts of the world. Big dams, pollution, deforestation, industrialized agriculture and mining are all part of the problem, as is inequitable access to water. International financial institutions, trade treaties and multinational water corporations that promote the privatization of water services are only decreasing the access of poor people to water. High-profile privatization failures in major cities of the South provide ample evidence that the water needs of the poor should not be left in the hands of profit-driven transnational water corporations.

The time has come to refocus the global water debate on key questions. The water seminar will focus on how to improve and expand public water delivery around the world and feature presentations on the impacts of water privatization, success stories of struggles, the defense of territories of communities and finally the importance of working together through international linkages.

january 28: biodiversity and international financial institutions events

Partner organizations : COECOCEIBA, Friends of the Earth International, Global Forest

09:00 – 12:00 : nature for sale, part 1

The world's poorest people, especially women and children, are desperately in need of safe water and sanitation services. Experience has shown, however, that the poor can lose access to these basic services when profit-oriented transnational water companies move in. In the same way, Indigenous Peoples and local communities increasingly find themselves excluded from forests and other biologically rich areas they have traditionally lived in and utilized. These lands are progressively being handed over to tourism and private park management companies. They are also being reserved for a new breed of company that establishes “carbon parks” – a new and lucrative avenue intended to offset the carbon dioxide emissions of rich fossil fuel addicted consumers in the North.

Publicly-owned natural resources are being targeted for privatization and liberalization by international institutions such as the World Bank and the World Trade Organization. Local communities, who have managed these resources sustainably for generations, stand to lose out from this privatization process. This event will outline some of the negative impacts of the privatization and commodification of biodiversity and water.

We are actively resisting this corporate take-over of nature's wealth. We are fighting for people's rights - to water, land, seeds and knowledge.

Invited panelists for “Environmental rights and privatization” include: Tatiana Roa, CENSAT; Nnimmo Bassey, ERA; Abed El Rahman Tamimi, PENGON •  Invited panelists for “The impacts of Water Privatization” include: Community testimony from Uruguay ; Karin Nansen, REDES; Elias Diaz Peña, SOBREVIVENCIA; Juan Ivan Correa, ASPROGIC Colombia   A debate and open forum will follow!  

13:00 – 17:30 -- nature for sale, part 2

Invited speaker for closing and summing up: Adam Ma´anit, CEO, Netherlands

january 29: forest and plantations events

partner organizations: world rainforest movement and friends of the earth international

09:00 – 12:00 : forest and plantations: an essential social issue part 1

The protection of forests constitutes an urgent need, both for local peoples and for humanity as a whole. In order to achieve this aim, the first thing is to identify in each case the direct and underlying causes that determine deforestation (as well as the actors involved) and adopt measures to address them. At the same time, it is necessary to identify and assemble all those who have a real interest in the conservation of forests. Given the existence of powerful economic interests that benefit from deforestation, it will be necessary to incorporate the largest possible number of allies (both at the national and international levels), so as to exert sufficient pressure to be able to tip the balance in favor of forest conservation and peoples.

The workshop called will underscore the social dimensions of forests and the negative impacts of deforestation on local peoples' livelihoods. It will highlight how the substitution of forests and other diverse ecosystems by large scale tree mono-crops impact local communities and their environments.

The one day workshop will provide a forum and bring together a number of actors and activists not only to share experiences and learn from each other, but to discuss future cooperation and strategize on possible ways on how to move forward in addressing the forest crisis and its potential impacts on local communities and on different sectors.

Invited panelists include: Libia Grueso , Colombia ; Irene Fernandez, TENAGANITA Malaysia; Jose Rodriguez, community representative from San Pedro , Paraguay ; Landless Peasant Movement, Brazil

13:00 – 18:00 : forest and plantations: an essential social issue part 2

Invited Panelists include: Joji Carino, Tebtebba Foundation. Philippines ; Victor Menotti, International Forum on Globalization, USA ; Ashok Choudhary, National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers. India ; Via Campesina

january 30: corporates events

Partner Organizations: Greenpeace International, Friends of the Earth International, Amnesty International, International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net), CORE, Christian Aid, War on Want, ActionAid International, FIDH, Corporate Accountability International, Justicia Global, International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal, Earthrights International, FOCO de Argentina, Observatorio Social de Brasil, Observatorio de las Transnacionales de PLADES de Perú, IBASE, Ciro Torres, PIDHH, RAID

09:00 – 10:30 – Corporate Accountability, p art 1: Testimonies

These testimonies will outline ongoing corporate abuses of human rights and the environment, highlighting the need for corporate accountability.

Testimonies include from: Justicia Global on Alcan in Brazil; Patrick Naagbantan on the oil and gas industry in Nigeria; Alirio Uribe, of el Colectivo de Abogados Jose Alvear Restrepo on Coca-Cola; Javier Mujica, of Cedal, on the Tractobel case in Peru ; Patricio Pazmino, of CDES, on Petrol Companies in the Sarakayu's territories

10:30 - 12:30 – Corporate Accountability, p art 2: Strategies

Different speakers/facilitators present multiple strategies to challenge corporate power and strengthen corporate accountability. The objective of this seminar will be to ensure that each different strategy contributes to the creation of a global corporate accountability network that aims to achieve protection and redress for the victims of corporate abuses.

Economic Campaigning: Greenpeace International and International Campaign Justice for Bhopal Corporations exist to make profits for their shareholders. Convincing shareholders that a certain environmental or social activity of a corporation is an investment risk can therefore sometimes do wonders, if you are trying to change the behavior of a corporation. Increasingly, as Naomi Klein has shown, global corporations invest in and rely on a global brand to market themselves. Attacking a brand, exposing the social and ecological destruction that lies behind the shine of the corporate logo, can therefore make corporations listen to you. We will explore these strategies further and see where we can find common ground to hit companies where we can have the most impact!

Legal strategies: UN Norms—Amnesty International and International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net), CEDHA Argentina, Justicia Global Brazil, Collectivo de Abogados, Colombia tbc. A growing number of businesses operate across boundaries in ways that exceed the regulatory capacities of any one national system.

Global standards will help establish compatible regimes across national borders that should be respected wherever a company operates. If effectively implemented, international Norms could also offer an independent space for victims of abuses to file their claims giving them a voice where there is no effective remedy at the national level or where governments prefer to protect investors' interests over the rights of its own citizens.

UN Human Rights Norms for Business: the starting point: What they  are – why they are needed – how can they be used in relation to specific  cases  -an update on the UN Human Rights Commission process –how can you get engaged in the campaign to strengthen and use the UN Norms.

Political: ActionAid International, Corporate Accountability International, Building Regional Campaign Coalition, Friends of the Earth International, CORE, War on Want and Christian Aid will highlight the debate and policy discussions on corporate accountability which have given rise to sector specific initiatives, coalition building and strong grassroots work.   Key objectives: information sharing, global coalition development, building and maintaining networks of support.  
This session will highlight 3 main case studies:

• impact of large agri-food giants on small farmers including solutions linking the local to the international
• the tobacco campaign including boycotts, lobbying and other strategies employed during this 11 year campaign
• the use of coalitions and other forms of collective action to achieve political change  
• The session will look at the benefits of various political strategy including boycotts, political action, effective use of media, public campaigning, coalition building, merits of voluntary and mandatory legislation.

13:30 - 18:30 - Corporate Accountability, p art 3: Actions

This year, we hope to identify collective days of action, as well as brainstorm on common activities that could help give focus and strength to any collective action days in 2005. This session will build on ideas and potential actions that emerged during the previous strategy session. Ideally, this will provide an opportunity for groups to make connections while publicizing and strengthening collective actions. Additionally, persons will have an opportunity to participate in actions organized by ActionAid International and Friends of the Earth International.