Forum of Indigenous Peoples Mining, Climate Change and Well Being
National Museum, Lima, 18 to 20 November 2010
Indigenous peoples, communities and social organizations Abya Yala, brothers of Africa and Europe, children of Mother Earth, assembled in the Mining Forum, Climate Change and Good Living in the city of Lima, after three days of deliberations and declare:
Whereas:
Indigenous peoples and communities are the bearers of the ancient wisdom that has managed to keep the world safe for thousands of years, our knowledge and traditional practices of reciprocity and complementarity with Mother Earth have been the values that have led a life in harmony with the we now call the Good Life - Live Well. From the time of our grandparents, our biodiversity is preserved territories.
Our life in harmony was broken when Western men with ambition for wealth occupied our territories and began looting of nature, leaving death, pollution and disease. Today, the ambition and the looting continued for new transnational conquerors with the blessing of the governments of our countries under the myth of the irrational policies promote economic growth for extracting the resources of our territories, leaving poverty and pollution.
Our territories are full of life and harmony have become areas of pollution and poisoning in human health in areas of militarization and criminalization of these struggles, in territories of plunder and poverty as a result of extractive policies guided by governments. On the other hand, have become areas of strength, struggle, proposals and exercise our rights, such as community consultations conducted by our ancient authorities in various countries of the continent.
The looting of natural wealth has intensified in our age by the neoliberal offensive through free trade agreements between states, whose terms violate our collective indigenous rights and protected by international treaties such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights Indigenous Peoples and the Convention 169 of the International Labour Organization.
The exponential Western consumerism, the looting of our natural resources and industrialization of developed countries have generated a global climate crisis to which is added the food crisis. The effects of global warming have increased the risk of vulnerability of our rights and are modifying our way of life thousands of years has depended on Mother Earth.
Indigenous peoples are the least contributors to global warming, we are the ones who suffer the worst consequences and are excluded from the processes of international negotiation and definition of national policies.
The states have been implementing a systematic policy of criminalization, within which new crimes have been created for the sole purpose of weakening our struggles. As a result, thousands of indigenous leaders are persecuted and prosecuted for defending Mother Earth and our rights.
Therefore resolve:
• Call the continental and global unity of indigenous peoples and social movements mobilize in defense of Mother Earth, multi-state construction and implementation of the good life globally, as alternatives to overcome the climate crisis, food and economic. Back to the balance with Mother Earth to save life on the planet is our way.
• We demand that states the recognition and full compliance with our rights recognized by the international system, especially the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Respect to self-determination, our territory and sovereignty, consultation and consent, free and informed binding, to decide our own way of life.
• Report criminalization policies that states are implementing against defenders of Mother Earth, prosecuted, tried, imprisoned and killed. And we call for the establishment of partnerships between indigenous peoples and social networks in order to implement collective actions internationally and nationally to curb these policies.
• We demand land policies that ensure the security and territorial sovereignty of indigenous peoples and peasants, and a rational and equitable distribution of water.
With regard to climate change:
- We demand respect for the rights of indigenous peoples in the processes of international negotiation on climate change and the implementation of national policies by the states, in particular the right to self-determination and the right to free, prior and informed.
- We demand respect for the rights of Mother Earth and all living beings.
- We demand that the countries historically responsible for climate change to pay the climate debt. We are committed to instrumentalize the International Court of Justice Climate.
- We demand the construction of a national and regional agenda for climate justice, with extensive process of free, prior and informed the people and communities.
- We demand that the agreements for adaptation and mitigation of climate change are taken into account our knowledge and practice of reciprocity and complementarity with Mother Earth.
- Reaffirm the agreement of the Peoples of Cochabamba (April 2010).
- We demand that governments support the United Nations adoption of the Declaration of Rights of Mother Earth.
- We call on states to take responsibility and come to concrete and binding agreements on the reduction of emission levels of greenhouse gases to reverse the global warming process. Adaptation of vulnerable communities will only be viable if the rich countries reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs).
- The ecological debt caused by the North with their GHG emissions must be paid and funds to serve vulnerable populations affected by the climate crisis in the South.
- We reject the false solutions of the carbon market and all those who seek to commercialize the Pachamama. We reject the commodification of REDD through carbon markets. Agrofuels reject that change the land use and threaten the sovereignty and food security. Declaring that life is not negotiable.
- We demand that any project or program to combat deforestation respects the rights of communities to land, autonomy, consultation and free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples.
Should ensure the participation and the benefits of the populations of the areas that they have defended thousands of years. Governments to change policies that encourage deforestation and support community forest management of indigenous peoples.
- We call to join the Abya Yala Indigenous Forum on Climate Change.
- We pledge to participate in the Global Climate Referendum agreed at the World Conference on Climate Change Peoples and Mother Earth Rights held in Cochabamba.
With regard to mining:
- We say emphatically no to mining, yes to life. We reject transnational mining, not mining in the territories of indigenous peoples. We demand the immediate repeal of the mining titles and concessions without consultation.
- Declare indigenous peoples are the rightful owners since the ancient times of the soil, subsoil and natural resources that host our territories. We demand that the UN agencies that the goods are declared natural heritage of the indigenous peoples they serve.
"We are committed to changing the extractive model for good living of the peoples of the world. In this sense, our struggle must lead to the adoption of legislation to identify areas for mining banned in our territories, as they have made their struggle the people of Costa Rica.
- We demand that states the recognition and enforcement of the right to consent to assist us as indigenous peoples according to international law. We call upon indigenous peoples and communities to not allow the development of mining projects without consent. In particular we call for the adoption of the Law Consultation in Peru and its immediate enactment.
- Undertake continental and global campaigns against the policies of international agencies (World Bank and others) that contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases, pollution and ignorance of our rights, exacerbating the climate crisis.
- Undertake continental and global campaigns against mining companies, claiming their international rights violations and environmental, social and cultural rights.
- Undertake continental and global campaigns against extractive policies of States and report to the international protection of human rights cases of violation of human rights, indigenous rights and peasants by these policies, such as the forced displacement of entire communities.
- We pledge to defend and strengthen our forms of community organization and our own economy as an alternative to extractive community.
- Strengthen and coordinate the struggles of communities and social movements against mining, through the exchange and the construction of a continental shelf.
Convener:
- To provide a continental platform of struggle against mining policy and call for the completion of an upcoming forum in the framework of the V Summit of Indigenous Peoples and Nationalities of Abya Ayala, to be held in Bolivia in 2011.
- A Continental held a demonstration on June 21, 2011 in defense of life, for the revival of Good Living, for the full exercise of our rights against the impacts of mining, the climate crisis and transnational corporations.
Lima, November 20, 2010.
Andean Andean Coordinator of Organizations, IOTC / Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin, COICA / Central American Indigenous Council, CICA / Continental Social Alliance / National Confederation of Communities Affected by Mining Peru - Peru CONACAMI / National Council Ayllus and Qullasuyu Markas, CONAMAQ / Confederation of Peoples of Kichwa Nationality of Ecuador, ECUARUNARI / National Indigenous Organization of Colombia, ONIC / Organization of Indigenous Peoples and Nations in Argentina, ONPIA / Territorial Identity Lafkenche /
