Ecuadorian court upholds 18-billion dollar fine against Chevron

On the 3rd January, a three-judge panel of the Provincial Court of Justice of Sucumbios in Lago Agrio, Ecuador, upheld an 18 billion dollar fine against Chevron for polluting the Amazon Jungle in the 1980s. The $18 billion fine, one of the largest in the history of environmental contamination suits, was originally set at $8.6 billion but was more than doubled for Chevron's refusal to apologize for the damages caused, as required by the original ruling.

As Chevron officials condemned the decision as fraudulent, unenforceable and corrupted by the politicization of Ecuador's judiciary.

On the other side, the Ecuadorian president, Rafael Correa, appreciates the decision and talks about justice.

Successes for the indigenous peoples in Bolivia and Peru!

Bolivia's President Evo Morales has scrapped plans for a road project in the Amazon that had triggered protests by indigenous people. Morales said the road would no longer go through the rainforest reserve TIPNIS (Isiboro Secure National Park and Indigenous Territory). He made the announcement two days after protesters arrived in La Paz following a two-month
march from the Amazon lowlands to voice their opposition. The president said he would send a measure to Congress that would accommodate the protesters' demands.

In September 2011 Peru’s Congress unanimously approved a ‘historic’ new law that
guarantees indigenous people’s right to free, prior and informed consent to any projects affecting them and their lands. President Ollanta Humala says he supports consultation. It is a significant step away from the policies of former Peruvian President Alan Garcia, who vetoed a similar bill. Amazon indigenous organisation AIDESEP has welcomed the government’s decision, but warned this is just the first step to ensure indigenous rights are guaranteed.

More information:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-15409447
http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/7618

Call for Local Authorities published

3 November 2011

EuropeAid published the Call for Non-State Actors and Local Authorities in Development.

Volume of the Call: 16,240 520 Euro

Deadline for the Concept Note: 1 February 2012

If you are interested, please contact Climate Alliance:

Thomas Brose

Silke Lunnebach

Manaus Mandate

Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin
AIDESEP-APA-CIDOB-COIAB- CONFENAIE-FOAG- OIS- OPIAC-ORPIA
First Amazon Regional Summit of Ancestral Knowledge, Peoples and fulfilling life in harmony with forests
(15 – 18 August 2011)
"We are people without Owner, Like Life"
Mandate Manaus: Indigenous Action for Life
Meeting in Manaus 15 to August 18, 2011, in 1. Regional Amazon summit, the Amazonian indigenous peoples and national organizations from nine countries: Bolivia (CIDOB), Brazil (COIAB), Ecuador (CONFENIAE), Colombia (OPIAC), Guyana (APA), French Guyana (FOAG), Peru (AIDESEP ), Venezuela (ORPIA) and Suriname (OIS) and in dialogue with various social partners, state and environmental observe that the climatic and environmental crisis is very serious, very soon irreversible, while global and national powers, they can not want to stop, and worse, trying to "seize" more "green business" but threaten all forms of life.
We warn the world that we have passed the limits of danger of polluting gases in the atmosphere and global warming, but that's just one of the most serious effects of deeper causes. We are in dark times of profound global climate crisis and aggression that is part of the wider crisis of a civilization and a pattern of power, based on racism, patriarchy, individualism and unbridled consumerism, commodification and privatization of everything, and the reckless arrogance of "domination" of nature are forgetting that only a small part of it.
We denounce the hypocrisy and contradiction in the global and national policies on forests, where the side of declarations, plans, small projects "sustainable" deepens predation, deforestation, degradation by mining business, oil, hydroelectric mega, ranching , soy, agribusiness, "agro-fuels" super highways of colonization, GM, pesticides, overlay of protected areas in indigenous territories, biopiracy and theft of traditional knowledge. Continuing need to improve forestry practices, it covers the best of these is profoundly change the macro policies of neoliberal globalization.
We propose the following objectives, approaches, alternatives and actions:
1. Territories whole life for planetary cooling.
There is evidence that refuges of life, are the forests and Amazonian peoples' territories as effective barriers to predation. It is therefore essential to change laws and public policies to ensure the demarcation of the territories of the indigenous Amazonian people and collective ownership as peoples, and also to support and not attack or marginalized, our strategies of "whole life" separate from the commodification of nature. This is an effective and efficient strategy to reduce global warming and restore harmony with Mother Earth, we had thousands of years. To not change the weather, change the system. It's the system must "adapt" to the cries of Mother Nature and our children of color of the earth. The "cost" financing to solve this historic debt originated in ethnocide of colonization, it is far less than that devoted to discussions and experiments ineffective.
2. Strengthen "Redd + Indian" ecological debtors and their pollution
To those who decide on the process, "Redd +": the United FCPF (WB-IDB), FIP, UN-REDD, UNFCCC COP17-, Rio +20 and others demand immediate assurances and conditions for the Peoples before further progress in these REDD + processes to be properly addressed:
• Respect and strengthen the proposed REDD + Indian or adequacy of the Redd + to the worldviews and collective rights of peoples, including the "Guidelines COICA on climate change and Redd +" and the proposals of the national organizations, and among other things the following:
No Territories or collective rights is unworkable Redd + * No contract community to run international rules, or the long term, giving land management or intellectual property, with more hardships than benefits, or in languages and foreign laws * Respect and support conservation holistic forest, not just where deforestation or reducing tons of carbon * Respect our proposed national regulations for Redd + and consultation and free, prior and binding * Respect reports COICA on REDD + parallel to the States * Mechanisms for resolving conflicts with guarantees of neutrality and efficiency * not support the market for carbon credits to cover the global polluters.
• Priority policies and funds for consolidation and land titling of indigenous peoples as a condition prior to move unimpeded on Redd +
• National legislative changes to strengthen collective rights in the laws of environmental services, forestry, "Redd + leakage" (mining, hydrocarbons, biofuels, etc) and consultation and consent,
• States and Banks assume their responsibility to curb the spread of scammers Redd + ("carbon cowboys," "bubble Redd +") by: * Registration and accreditation of international public operators Redd + * Rejection of companies and NGOs scam reported by * Recommend indigenous communities are not committing to contracts "to Redd +" or "carbon business" until the international and national regulations are specified and implemented.
• Priority of reducing pollution by greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions by industrialized ecological debtors the power of rich minorities in the North and South
3. Unity between ancestral and Survival of Biodiversity
Our ancient knowledge are intimately linked in the "productive conservation" of nature, and in that way, compared to the COP 11 of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Congress of the International Union of Nature (IUCN) called for will support the following proposals:
• Prioritize the demarcation and legalization and legal security of indigenous lands as collateral for the conservation of biodiversity and genetic resources and ancestral knowledge.
• Consolidate the Law Prior Consultation and Consent, Binding, prior and informed consent for access to genetic resources in indigenous territories and associated traditional knowledge.
• The genetic resources of indigenous territories and ancestral knowledge constitute the collective intellectual heritage and indigenous natural, preserved for millennia and passed down from generation to generation.
• Access to the ancestral knowledge and genetic resources should provide for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits, including the products of both genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.
• The ancient knowledge are not in the public domain, but in the cultural field of indigenous peoples and states and international organizations (such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, CBD), adopted sui generis legal standards of legal protection of this knowledge ancestors.
• No marketing of ancestral knowledge and misuse and unauthorized for biotech patent claims.
4. Rio +20: Solutions for Life not for Markets
The UN conference in June 2012 Rio de Janeiro is one of the last chances to save all life forms on the planet. Amazonian peoples to make call-Political Cultural Events in the vicinity of the official summit, leaders of people and movements, artists, scientists, intellectuals, who win public opinion and global politics. Likewise, policy intervention strategies within and outside Rio +20 Summit of peoples and building a plural and democratic, with broad public visibility. All to gain broader political support for the UN will not submit to the interests of irresponsible game of power, and advance approaches, objectives and proposals such as:
• Do not accept that the "Green Economy" is the combination of neoliberalism developed with "green projects" but a profound change in reducing consumption, waste and predation and the changing pattern of production, consumption, distribution and energy (oil, biofuels) alternatives harmony among societies, cultures and nature.
• Renovation of the Kyoto protocol, where there are firm commitments and requirements, reduction of greenhouse emissions and opportunities for participation by indigenous peoples. Do not let the world drift with powers to impose terms, how and when they reduce their emissions.
• Consolidation of the Indigenous Peoples' land and Visions of Life Full of holistic management of nature for the "cooling" of the planet by increasing the quality of public funds to implement such global and titling.
• Establishment of an International Environmental Court, the pressing operation, independent of the global powers, with spaces for indigenous participation, the most affected by environmental crime.
• Reorganize the current UN environmental agencies not to bow to the powers pollutants, to overcome the bureaucracy and expanding opportunities for participation and advocacy for indigenous Amazonian people and the world.

Finally, the Summit raised position the media as a line of political action, not just instrumental.
To influence public policies on access to media and use of information and communication technologies and implement the proposed network of Amazon communities COICA
Indigenous peoples and the nature we're alone, and therefore we are obliged to keep the forests standing, reduce deforestation and to be guardians of their services such as water, biodiversity, climate for the survival of life. We only ask that they let us work in peace in our mission.
No more "Belomonstruos" in Brazil, Guyana, Peru (Marañón, Pakitzapango), Bolivia and the world!
Not just above the Rio +20 Death and Life of Peoples of the Xingu!
Not on the road in Indian Isiboro Secure in Bolivia. Evo Brother defends the people and not the business of the BNDES!
Stop the destruction of oil in Ecuador (Yasuni), Peru (DATEM) and other countries!
No impositions IIRSA, as the Manta-Manaus multimodal hub that will destroy the Napo River!
Action and Solidarity with the struggles of indigenous peoples of Amazonia and the world!
Guyana, Suriname and French Guyana to ratify Convention 169!
Amazonian indigenous peoples, walking on the trail of our ancestors, we ask the world to open their hearts and dreams and join in the sessions for Life for All

A pdf with the full version you can find here

Sarayaku Casa at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights

The hearing of Sarayaku members at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights will take place on the 6 and 7 of July 2011 in San Jose, Costa Rica.

This diligence is crucial because the Kichwa people of Sarayaku of the Ecuadorian Amazon will appear before the judges of the Court and present their oral arguments, evidences and expert testimonies to prove the human rights violations they suffered during the oil exploitation of the Block 23.

A delegation of leaders from the Sarayaku community, including traditional scholars as well as men and women of the community, will travel to Costa Rica. Their lawyers, Mario Melo (Fundación Pachamama), Ariela Peralta, Viviana Kristicevic as well as the regional human rights organization CEJIL will be there, too.

In 2003 Sarayaku turned to the Inter-American Commission in Washington DC. to denounce the violation of human rights committed by the Ecuadorian State because their land was opened for the oil industry in 1996 without having consulted them and asked for their consent before. It was also denounced that between late 2002 and early 2003 some workers of the Argentinean oil company CGC and some staff of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces entered the territory of Sarayaku by force and against their will to precede seismic explorations.

Earlier this year, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights presented the Sarayaku case before the Court, which will render a binding decision to the State of Ecuador, in approximately six months from the completion of the hearing.

Further Information:Dr. Mario Melo mmelo@pachamama.org
President Sarayaku: José Gualinga: tayjasaruta@sarayaku.com    
Contact person for women and familiy issues, Patricia Gualinga: pgualinga@hotmail.com

Climate Alliance embraces 8 billion USD charge against Chevron

Press Release
17 February 2011

It has taken over seventeen years: on 14 February 2011 the highest court in the Ecuadorian province of Sucumbíos has ruled that Chevron (formerly Texaco) is to pay over 8 billion USD in punitive damages for the massive environmental destruction it has caused in 26 years of oil production in the region.

The Climate Alliance embraces the decision of the court. “This is a historic ruling which will have effects far beyond Ecuador. It will encourage those who are facing the devastations of oil production in other parts of the world”, says Thomas Brose, Climate Alliance director, who is familiar with the local situation in Ecuador. Climate Alliance has been informing the public for many years about the destruction and contamination due to oil production in Amazonia. In 2005 and 2009, it has organised official visits with municipal delegates from several European countries to the region. “Knowing the disastrous situation on site in former oil production areas, we endorse the proposal of the Ecuadorian government to leave the oil in the Yasuní national park where it is”, says Dietmar Mirkes, national coordinator of the Luxemburg branch of Climate Alliance.

Climate Alliance Luxemburg / ASTM and its member municipalities support the “Frente de Defensa de la Amazonía” with activities concerning environmental and human rights. In 1994, 30.000 residents of the oil production areas sued Texaco for damages and the rehabilitation of the area to its former status. They founded the “Coalition for the Defence of Amazonia” in order to pursue the law suit and keep the public informed. In October 2010, its president visited Europe and informed European representatives about the situation in Ecuador. For the Coalition, the court ruling represents “a fundamental milestone towards definite remedial action, but no money in the world can bring those who have died of cancer back to life.”

Chevron, formerly Texaco, produced oil in rainforest areas during the 1970s and 1980s, causing an unprecedented ecological disaster due to ruthless production methods. Chevron left over 600 non-isolated oil lakes with toxic residues and “disposed of” over 64 million litres of oil and 76 billion litres of production water by simply discharging them untreated into rivers and lakes. Carcinogenic substances ended up in the ground, water and nutrition circles of human and animal populations.

In addition to the 8 billion USD fine, Chevron must pay another ten percent to the State of Ecuador, as is ruled in Ecuadorian environmental law, and must publicly apologise to the Ecuadorian people, otherwise the fine might be doubled. Chevron calls the judgement “illegitimate” and has announced to appeal: “Chevron does not believe that today’s judgement is enforceable in any court that observes the rule of law.”

Photos and further information:
Silke Lunnebach, Tel. +49-69-717139-32, s.lunnebach@climatealliance.org
Dietmar Mirkes, Tel. +352-40042730, klima@astm.lu