On Wednesday June 23rd, we saw the Toxic Tour march through Toronto to expose the institutions and corporations most responsible for the environmental destruction and social impacts of Canada's extractive industries. With 75 % of global mining capital coming from Canada, our country is a major international pillager. The rally travelled from Dundas & Bathurst for over three hours, stopping a few times along the way the denounce various toxic perpetrators, ending on University avenue at the courthouse, across from the American embassy. About 400 people took part, and the action was very well organized, very loud, very lively, and very impactful.
The following Day was Indigenous Day of Action which was again very enthusiastic and well organized, and featured a 200 foot long banner which read 'Native Land Rights Now', and a slightly escalated police presence. Leaving from Queen's Park the march ended at Allan Gardens, also temporary home of the tent city which had been set up. The rally increased in numbers from the Toxic Tour on the previous day.
Friday saw the Community Day of Action take flight from Carleton and Jarvis, head down College street boisterously, with again increased police numbers, and a growing number of minor altercations. Music playing out of a pick up truck driving along with us, the atmosphere was definitely dynamic as we headed south down University Avenue. When we got close to Dundas a large enough group tried to join the rally, but police pushed and prevented them from crossing their line. People were upset by this but the march continued on peacefully. Again the number of demonstrators and activists had significantly increased from the previous day.
In the evening, after a speaking event with Amy Goodman, Naomi Klein, Vandana Shiva, Maude Barlow, Clayton Thomas-Muller, and others, Naomi Klein marched around 600 people to Allan Gardens with police following along trying to seal off the crowd. The people eventually made it to the Gardens with little problems; enthusiastic speaking and chants ensued. The action was spontaneous and fervent, and energy was imminent, and the G20 episodes were turning into not just actions on the ground, but a feeling in the air.
Saturday also saw a considerable increase in the amount of people on the streets. Day by day, our numbers continued to grow.
All together the days of the G8/G20 saw 20,000 people taking to the streets. They did so to protest peacefully, and to bring to light a vicious, elitist economic agenda which already has exacerbated, and aims to further impose social devastation on humanity, and environmental destruction on Mother Earth. The people have justification in their voices, and their demands.
The large majority did not come out with corporate grudge rage vandalizing and smashing, even if those few targeted only banks and big corporate and injured nobody, it is very unfortunate that our misguided, spurious mainstream media chooses to focus on negatives rather than genuine positives.
Now the reasons behind the G20 and the actions on the streets.
The G8/G20 was summoned to impose a neoliberal financial agenda which will now force austerity measures, cuts to social spending on the national economies of the world to allegedly reduce budget deficits. The reason for the G8 followed by the G20 is so the top 8 can gather first to make decisions in order to tell the other 12, weaker yet still economically relevant countries, what to do. Austerity measures announced in the midst of the 4 day summit for which the Canadian government has spent around $ 2 Billion dollars to host, while it continues to finance the seemingly endless war in Afghanistan, and when financial stimulus in the form of billion dollar bail-outs is directed towards banks instead of being spent to help struggling working class families. Here I paraphrase Naomi Klein roughly. In other words, governments have taken billions of tax dollars for pay-outs to save the perpetrators of the crisis, and have stuck regular people to foot the bill. This is the biggest restructuring of wealth in the history of humanity. Furthermore, these cuts to social spending while minimizing the role of the state, serve to hollow out the the economy in order for private corporate capital to fill the space. So the decisions of the G20 are continuing to deepen the financial crisis, to further entrench the cycle of organized plunder and desolation through refined, reinvented tactics, tailored to today's unique triple crisis. This is an economic and social agenda that can be imposed only through undemocratic decision-making, repression, and violence. All three were actively demonstrated in Toronto during the G8/G20 summit.
The absurdity of the arbitrary terror was astounding. I spoke with a friend who had money outright stolen from him by police, an acquaintance who was dragged into an unmarked van, beaten, held in submission for 30 minutes with nothing said, no rights read, and then randomly released at a further location. TTC workers were assaulted, women were beaten. People were essentially kidnapped; taken forcefully without charge, with no rights read, and detained for a whole day in horrible physical conditions, psychologically tormented, with scarce food and water, with no phone call, and with your family not knowing where you are, to be fair, is pretty much the equivalent of being kidnapped.
The police were deliberately detaining just to keep people of the streets long enough for the action to subside, and they were keeping them inside for as long as legally possible. The large majority of people were released on breach of peace with no charges, which essentially amounts to drunk tank; my arresting officer actually said this to me, "have you ever been in the drunk tank before? This is like that, we're going to hold you just long enough to disrupt this gathering, just for a couple of hours, and then you'll be released." The police openly referred to this method as catch and release, as if we were fish. But unlike conditions including beautiful rocks, mysterious castles to play in, bright colors, and regular scheduled feedings, our holding cells were not nearly as desirable as aquariums, and were actually more like kennels. We heard that the police were referring to them as rat cages. I guess its better to be referred to as a fish than a rat.
The days of the G20 saw the repressive forces stepping up their game, as it were. They are trying to instill fear into the equation. Considering who and what they were defending, the police proved they are simply business enforcers, representing nothing more than the interests of the rich and powerful.
The struggle of this era, of this generation, is just beginning for us in Canada, this was its initial moment, and already the state is resorting to such repressive, aggressive, and brutal means. Were our actions so grave as to warrant such a brash reaction? Our actions on the streets were very minimal, still at an elementary level thus far. As this movement grows and we start reclaiming our streets, seriously mobilizing and challenging the system, are they going to start shooting people? As our momentum continues to move forward, their repression will surely carry on with ever increasing force. We must match their tyranny with increased solidarity, and evermore effective organization.
But the repression was a failure, the G20 week had the effect of solidarizing, if I can use that word, and of bringing various groups closer together. The people of Toronto in general were all brought into the same orbit over the course of those couple weeks. Fraternity is always imminent in the face of adversity, and I think this experience has thought us that even beyond that, it needs to be omnipresent. I think we need to continue working as closely as possible with as many groups as possible, but we also need to realize that this is now the work of the people, and less so of affinity groups; an all-inclusive collective solidarity is needed. It is time for the movement to be set free and to naturally take its course. People have come out in large numbers to rallies and events, with positive energy, and that is very encouraging. It has been a natural reaction, and we have to take that momentum and run with it. Internationally the resistance is already intact, we are late bloomers, but you get the sense that a movement is really starting to take shape in Toronto, and in Canada.
Furthermore the tactic of rounding up, literally rounding up, over a thousand people, did the opposite of the desired effect for the elites. History has repeated itself countless times over in the face of popular movements with police over-reaction, and excessive violence and repression. They aim to break spirits, but the result is always more fire and growing numbers. The brutal dictatorships of Latin America in the 60s, 70s, and 80s have shown this time and time again; killings, torture, and disappearances, yet brutal psychological and social shocks to civilian populations have always had the effect of radicalizing movements, and individuals. Certainly the severity of those times is not comparable to what took place in Toronto, but the after-affect is similar: people coming together with increased vigor and conviction.
The brutality of the entire police operation, and the heavy-handed conditions inside the detention centers did not successfully deter, did not scare away, did not destroy resolve, or crush courage. The morale inside the holding cells was tense and erratic at times, but generally brothers and sisters walked away from the experience energized, rejuvenated, and more determined and committed than ever before. Just as a colony of ants will organize and frenzy when faced with an unexpected bounty of food crumbs, it is not wise to nourish fighters with adversity. So the harsh conditions and the psychological stabs at detainees, the attempt to demoralize the movement, served more as an exercise in solidarity, as a strengthening experience. The ill-conceived tactics and strategy of the elites and their thugs was irresponsible and irrational, and the result is that the ruling class establishment in Canada has a much bigger problem now than they did before the G20.
Another aspect of this episode was to observe the reaction and the understanding, or lack thereof, of the general public. Its not even necessarily oblivion or indifference, but simply complacency. People's lives become blank, linear, and sterile, they become involuntarily sheltered and everything around them just becomes backdrop. People don't even think about how their world functions, mush less that this whole society rests on brittle, fictitious, invisible foundations. Michael Moore who has a long history of community activism in the U.S explains; "I'm a citizen in a democracy, so that automatically implies, I'm an activist, you're an activist, we're all activists. Anybody who resides in a democracy is an activist. If you're not an activist, then the democracy ceases to exist." The implication is that if people don't get involved in their communities, then the would-be process is lost immediately.
This lethargy of consciousness, this taking for granted that things just are, and that they will always be, that the status-quo is fine, and peaceful, and unconsequential, is a very dangerous thing. Its been said that "there is nothing in this world as bitter as the spectacle of a people who go to sleep in liberty and awaken in slavery." The fictitious neo-democracies of the global north are prime examples of this; people who think they live in the best, most exemplary societies in the world, but the only thing they really possess is the freedom of money for a few, and nothing more. We hope that these recent events in Toronto have been a wake up call. We hope that in Canada the North American torpor has been broken, that consciousness has been roused from its deep social slumber. As one local Toronto activist coming back with lessons from Haiti puts it, "it is time for you to become citizens of your own country, right now you are only consumers."
What the people of Toronto and Canada should remember, is that roughly from Wednesday June 23rd to Monday June 28th, Native communities from across the land, social and climate justice activists, and Toronto community organizers turned the city into a beacon of social struggle. That is something, far outweighing the fact that the city was rendered chaotic for a few days, the people of Toronto should be proud of.
Truth and the power of collective resistance is the biggest threat to this capitalist, consumerist system, and although our actions physically were no threat to the establishment during the G20 summit, the symbolic and moral waves that we have unleashed will hopefully impact not only Canada, but also the rest of the world.
When people get their backs glued to the wall, they fight back. What materialized in Toronto over this transformative period, is the inevitable social reaction of a system in crisis.
Republished from Rabble.ca G20 Blog.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Random Observation
I see this photo add on yahoo yesterday, a tourism add for Travel Alberta, and the slogan is 'Bring Your Boots'. Ha! Ya bring your boots because everything is dirty and sticky from crude oil and bitumen. Trying to figure out whether this is funny or not. Talk about insult to injury.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Detention Center Attempted to Break Spirits of Non-Violent Demonstrators
The month of June this year, 2010, finished with Canada's prime minister Stephen Harper hosting the G20 show, a $ 2 billion party of lavish waste and economic ruin. Fake lakes, plush golf greens for photo ops, 19,000 police in Toronto, and even an alleged surveillance submarine in Muskoka, without forgetting the dozens of kilometres of multi-million dollar fences sealing off sectors of Toronto and Huntsville.
The few days of the G20 summit in Toronto saw mass grassroots mobilizations and police repression which culminated in the illegal detention of over 900 demonstrators and activists. But equally as reprehensible as what happened on the streets of Toronto is what unfolded inside the detention centres over the course of the week. Myself, along with a few friends and around 200 other demonstrators were arrested the night of Saturday June 26th on the Esplanade, near the intersection of Front and Yonge. Detained at about 11 pm, the temporary holding facility at 629 Eastern avenue became our home for the rest of the night and for most of sunday.
From the beginning the whole operation resembled some sort of strange scientific experiment. The cells we were held in were actually cages, giant kennels sealed off from the back and the sides so as not to allow visual contact or communication with other detainees. Giant bright lights lined each room shining constantly, leaving us disoriented as to the time of day or night, and concrete floors and cold temperatures made sleeping virtually impossible.
We had to ask repeatedly for food and water; we received water about every six hours or more, and food was brought to our cage only twice over a 24 hour period. On a few occasions, while ignoring our demands for water for extended periods of time, officers even deliberately drank their water right in front of us, and while we were screaming to get medical attention for a diabetic cell mate who was practically collapsing from low blood sugar, they were too busy to seek help, but had time enough to get coffee and snacks at starbucks.
Girls were treated as badly as men and were even forced to use port o potties with no doors while men police officers looked on. Sexually degrading comments were thrown around with regularity. Minorities received very rough treatment, remaining cuffed the entire length of detention and generally were kept for the longest amounts of time, while the white detainess were often uncuffed.
95% of people I spoke with were never given the right to a phone call or to consult a lawyer. We were often told that the prison was overwhelmed with prisoners and that our release would be a slow process as a result, even that the number of detainees was so high that they had not sufficient food for everyone. The whole operation was marred with inefficiency and disorganization. The majority of officers had no idea what they were supposed to be doing and what was going on, and kept repeating that they were only following orders. On several occasions we observed as 20 to 30 officers stood around aimlessly doing nothing. The names of detainees who were nowhere to be found were called again, and again, and again, until we wondered whether this exercise was in fact disorganization, or the jail guards deliberately trying to create a sense of confusion and uncertainty. The whole experience was not only a test of patience, but of sanity
Fundamental human rights were violated on a significant scale, and yes I was angry along with the hundreds of others, but my main concern is that this outrageous piece of history does not repeat itself ever again. People say that this sort of thing should never happen in Canada, but something like this should never happen anywhere in the world, period.
Of course, the mainstream media made a mess of G20 coverage in Toronto, and hopefully the broad public can realize that police cars going up in flames were isolated incidents, and that the street giants in black banging shields and batons, with their rubber bullets and tear gas, and the hundreds of peaceful demonstrators and activists wrongfully arrested for trying to exercise free speech and expose the truth, is what should have dominated headlines.
This Article appears in America Latina Newspaper.
The few days of the G20 summit in Toronto saw mass grassroots mobilizations and police repression which culminated in the illegal detention of over 900 demonstrators and activists. But equally as reprehensible as what happened on the streets of Toronto is what unfolded inside the detention centres over the course of the week. Myself, along with a few friends and around 200 other demonstrators were arrested the night of Saturday June 26th on the Esplanade, near the intersection of Front and Yonge. Detained at about 11 pm, the temporary holding facility at 629 Eastern avenue became our home for the rest of the night and for most of sunday.
From the beginning the whole operation resembled some sort of strange scientific experiment. The cells we were held in were actually cages, giant kennels sealed off from the back and the sides so as not to allow visual contact or communication with other detainees. Giant bright lights lined each room shining constantly, leaving us disoriented as to the time of day or night, and concrete floors and cold temperatures made sleeping virtually impossible.
We had to ask repeatedly for food and water; we received water about every six hours or more, and food was brought to our cage only twice over a 24 hour period. On a few occasions, while ignoring our demands for water for extended periods of time, officers even deliberately drank their water right in front of us, and while we were screaming to get medical attention for a diabetic cell mate who was practically collapsing from low blood sugar, they were too busy to seek help, but had time enough to get coffee and snacks at starbucks.
Girls were treated as badly as men and were even forced to use port o potties with no doors while men police officers looked on. Sexually degrading comments were thrown around with regularity. Minorities received very rough treatment, remaining cuffed the entire length of detention and generally were kept for the longest amounts of time, while the white detainess were often uncuffed.
95% of people I spoke with were never given the right to a phone call or to consult a lawyer. We were often told that the prison was overwhelmed with prisoners and that our release would be a slow process as a result, even that the number of detainees was so high that they had not sufficient food for everyone. The whole operation was marred with inefficiency and disorganization. The majority of officers had no idea what they were supposed to be doing and what was going on, and kept repeating that they were only following orders. On several occasions we observed as 20 to 30 officers stood around aimlessly doing nothing. The names of detainees who were nowhere to be found were called again, and again, and again, until we wondered whether this exercise was in fact disorganization, or the jail guards deliberately trying to create a sense of confusion and uncertainty. The whole experience was not only a test of patience, but of sanity
Fundamental human rights were violated on a significant scale, and yes I was angry along with the hundreds of others, but my main concern is that this outrageous piece of history does not repeat itself ever again. People say that this sort of thing should never happen in Canada, but something like this should never happen anywhere in the world, period.
Of course, the mainstream media made a mess of G20 coverage in Toronto, and hopefully the broad public can realize that police cars going up in flames were isolated incidents, and that the street giants in black banging shields and batons, with their rubber bullets and tear gas, and the hundreds of peaceful demonstrators and activists wrongfully arrested for trying to exercise free speech and expose the truth, is what should have dominated headlines.
This Article appears in America Latina Newspaper.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Quote of the Week - Monday May 31, 2010
"Revolutionary change does not come as one cataclysmic moment....but as an endless succession of surprises, moving zigzag toward a more decent society. We don't have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world. - Howard Zinn.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The People's Summit 2010 - Birth of a World People's Movement: Climate Justice and the Cochabamba Conference
"Birth of a World's People Movement: Climate Justice and the Cochabamba ( Bolivia ) Conference"
Birth of a World People's Movement for Climate Justice: The Cochabamba Conference
When: SUNDAY, June 20, 10 a.m. - Noon
Where: Thomas Lounge in the Student Campus Centre at Ryerson University . The address is 55 Gould Street (North Dundas, East of Younge) Toronto .
Speakers: Conference delegates: Velcrow Ripper, filmmaker, and Raul Burbano of Toronto Bolivia Solidarity, will show their videos of their experiences at the Cochabamba conference. Also speaking will be Kimia Ghomeshi, Campaign Director, Canadian Youth Climate Coalition; and Sonja Killoran-McKibbin, of Toronto Bolivia Solidarity; Robert Lovelace, Ardoch Algonquin First Nations.
Description of the session: An assembly of more than 35,000 people from 140 countries, meeting in April in Cochabamba , Bolivia , adopted an ambitious agenda to defend Mother Earth against climate change and ecological devastation. The Cochabamba conference challenges us to join in a world people's movement to assure the safety and protection of Mother Earth. Conference delegates will lead off discussion of this initiative and its meaning for us and show videos made at the conference.
Read: http://readingfromtheleft.com/PDF/CochabambaDocuments.pdf
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Toronto-Bolivia-Solidarity/116064481749710?v=app_2344061033&ref=ts
Birth of a World People's Movement for Climate Justice: The Cochabamba Conference
When: SUNDAY, June 20, 10 a.m. - Noon
Where: Thomas Lounge in the Student Campus Centre at Ryerson University . The address is 55 Gould Street (North Dundas, East of Younge) Toronto .
Speakers: Conference delegates: Velcrow Ripper, filmmaker, and Raul Burbano of Toronto Bolivia Solidarity, will show their videos of their experiences at the Cochabamba conference. Also speaking will be Kimia Ghomeshi, Campaign Director, Canadian Youth Climate Coalition; and Sonja Killoran-McKibbin, of Toronto Bolivia Solidarity; Robert Lovelace, Ardoch Algonquin First Nations.
Description of the session: An assembly of more than 35,000 people from 140 countries, meeting in April in Cochabamba , Bolivia , adopted an ambitious agenda to defend Mother Earth against climate change and ecological devastation. The Cochabamba conference challenges us to join in a world people's movement to assure the safety and protection of Mother Earth. Conference delegates will lead off discussion of this initiative and its meaning for us and show videos made at the conference.
Read: http://readingfromtheleft.com/PDF/CochabambaDocuments.pdf
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Toronto-Bolivia-Solidarity/116064481749710?v=app_2344061033&ref=ts
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Bolivia's Lithium Chapter
In the lat couple of months Bolivia has made headlines for a few different reasons. First, on a couple of different occasions, Evo Morales has made demands and declarations at the United-Nations in the name of Mother Earth. He has talked about a global referendum on climate change, about the climate debt that the industrialized countries owe to the Global South for decades of environmental destruction, and about establishing an international tribunal for crimes against Mother Earth. Second, Cochabamba, Bolivia in April hosted the first ever World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth. To a degree the eyes of the world were fixed on Bolivia for a few days during the summit, although the mainstream media imposed a blackout on the gathering for obvious reasons. Good publicity for Bolivia is bad publicity for capitalism, and with popularity comes responsibility. As such, the Conference also had the effect of putting Bolivia in the spotlight regarding its own domestic environmental record and policies. And finally, in March and April broke the news that Bolivia holds massive untapped lithium deposits in its south-west, which also presents itself as somewhat of a double-edged sword for a couple of reasons.
Briefly the facts are as follows. Currently the two biggest lithium sites in the world are held by U.S., Chilean, and Canadian capital in Chile’s Atacama Salt Flats, and in Argentina. Bolivia’s share of lithium located in the Uyuni Salt Flats would trump both of these sites holding anywhere from 5.4 to 140 million tons, many different sources quote different figures, but what is widely agreed is that Uyuni possesses roughly around half or slightly more of the world’s known supply. The potential of Uyuni and the large-scale lithium extraction that will go along with it presents two problems for Bolivia.
Internationally it puts the Morales government in a difficult and potentially compromising position, with its recent ambitions and incursions of resolutions at the United-Nations, and its talk in defense of Mother Earth and against the capitalist system. There is no doubt that the Bolivian government and the Bolivian people are sincere about their earth loving intentions, but now they find themselves with a natural resource extraction juggling act of their own, and they must tread carefully. Of course this will be open season for the right-wing media if Bolivia makes any wrong moves, but all that has to be put aside, and their decisions must be based on the wishes and input of the local population, and on whether or not the operation will have negative or harmful affects on Mother Earth. Politically, the government must leave these major decisions mainly in the hands of the Bolivian people, as autonomy and decentralization has been one of the central priorities of the government in the last year and a half, it must now remain responsible to those commitments.
Of course Bolivia has no experience in extracting lithium, so it may need outside help. A French billionaire Vincent Bollore who owns a lithium battery plant and plans to make electric cars has offered technical help to the government with no strings attached, relatively. But Bolivia must be careful not to find itself in a vulnerable position in regards to foreign capital. It would probably best be served by obtaining technical assistance with zero concessions at the bargaining table, and to secure financial support either from Venezuela in the spirit of ALBA (the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas), and/or from other friendly South American countries in the context of Latin American integration. In terms of public industry itself inside Bolivia, NACLA explains well; “According to Bolivia’s new constitution, the country’s natural resources belong to the Bolivian people and must be administered in their collective interest by the state. Instead of exporting raw lithium, the government wants it to be processed, refined, and industrialized, with battery plants and even car factories, on Bolivian soil. The goal is to capture the value added by industrialization for Bolivians.” The multinational corporations are experienced master swindlers, so if it is decided that extraction should proceed, the benefits must remain inside Bolivia and Latin America.
So is Bolivia’s lithium a gift or a curse? The short answer is that Bolivia’s new found resource can be a very good thing, not only for Bolivia but also for the world, if and only if the project is developed properly, responsibly, democratically, and sustainably. Yes, the lithium of Uyuni is a tremendous potential, but that doesn’t mean it all has to be extracted as fast as possible. And, in terms of doing it sustainably, the process must concern itself not only with the rate at which the lithium is extracted, but also with how much and how quickly water and energy are used in the process, to respect the earth, and also to ensure that local populations are not affected negatively.
What can Bolivia’s lithium do for humanity and Mother Earth? Uyuni holds enough to provide lithium for more than 4.8 billion electric cars, which would mean an enormous step forward in ending the petroleum dependency. Extracting natural resources that destroy the planet, and extracting natural resources that have the potential to save the planet are two different things. Mining lithium could provide the solution in sustainable technology to the single biggest problem humanity faces today, oil. Nothing positive comes out of drilling petroleum; extraction displaces communities, devastates the planet, and nature, and its ecosystems, and accidents and disasters are far more likely then we are led to believe. Furthermore, its manufactured result in the form of petro-chemicals, plastics, and fuel is the champion trinity of environmental degradation.
The recent BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is one of the greatest environmental catastrophes in the history of humanity, and the extension to offshore drilling is another product of the unquenchable greed of capitalism. I hope that this experience has shown us clearly that we don’t have enough time left, nor can we afford to gamble with petroleum any longer. We must not let them kill our Mother. Gasoline is a modern consumption addiction that must be stopped immediately; it is the central symptom of a system in crisis.
Perhaps it is time for the age of the electric car, again.
Briefly the facts are as follows. Currently the two biggest lithium sites in the world are held by U.S., Chilean, and Canadian capital in Chile’s Atacama Salt Flats, and in Argentina. Bolivia’s share of lithium located in the Uyuni Salt Flats would trump both of these sites holding anywhere from 5.4 to 140 million tons, many different sources quote different figures, but what is widely agreed is that Uyuni possesses roughly around half or slightly more of the world’s known supply. The potential of Uyuni and the large-scale lithium extraction that will go along with it presents two problems for Bolivia.
Internationally it puts the Morales government in a difficult and potentially compromising position, with its recent ambitions and incursions of resolutions at the United-Nations, and its talk in defense of Mother Earth and against the capitalist system. There is no doubt that the Bolivian government and the Bolivian people are sincere about their earth loving intentions, but now they find themselves with a natural resource extraction juggling act of their own, and they must tread carefully. Of course this will be open season for the right-wing media if Bolivia makes any wrong moves, but all that has to be put aside, and their decisions must be based on the wishes and input of the local population, and on whether or not the operation will have negative or harmful affects on Mother Earth. Politically, the government must leave these major decisions mainly in the hands of the Bolivian people, as autonomy and decentralization has been one of the central priorities of the government in the last year and a half, it must now remain responsible to those commitments.
Of course Bolivia has no experience in extracting lithium, so it may need outside help. A French billionaire Vincent Bollore who owns a lithium battery plant and plans to make electric cars has offered technical help to the government with no strings attached, relatively. But Bolivia must be careful not to find itself in a vulnerable position in regards to foreign capital. It would probably best be served by obtaining technical assistance with zero concessions at the bargaining table, and to secure financial support either from Venezuela in the spirit of ALBA (the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas), and/or from other friendly South American countries in the context of Latin American integration. In terms of public industry itself inside Bolivia, NACLA explains well; “According to Bolivia’s new constitution, the country’s natural resources belong to the Bolivian people and must be administered in their collective interest by the state. Instead of exporting raw lithium, the government wants it to be processed, refined, and industrialized, with battery plants and even car factories, on Bolivian soil. The goal is to capture the value added by industrialization for Bolivians.” The multinational corporations are experienced master swindlers, so if it is decided that extraction should proceed, the benefits must remain inside Bolivia and Latin America.
So is Bolivia’s lithium a gift or a curse? The short answer is that Bolivia’s new found resource can be a very good thing, not only for Bolivia but also for the world, if and only if the project is developed properly, responsibly, democratically, and sustainably. Yes, the lithium of Uyuni is a tremendous potential, but that doesn’t mean it all has to be extracted as fast as possible. And, in terms of doing it sustainably, the process must concern itself not only with the rate at which the lithium is extracted, but also with how much and how quickly water and energy are used in the process, to respect the earth, and also to ensure that local populations are not affected negatively.
What can Bolivia’s lithium do for humanity and Mother Earth? Uyuni holds enough to provide lithium for more than 4.8 billion electric cars, which would mean an enormous step forward in ending the petroleum dependency. Extracting natural resources that destroy the planet, and extracting natural resources that have the potential to save the planet are two different things. Mining lithium could provide the solution in sustainable technology to the single biggest problem humanity faces today, oil. Nothing positive comes out of drilling petroleum; extraction displaces communities, devastates the planet, and nature, and its ecosystems, and accidents and disasters are far more likely then we are led to believe. Furthermore, its manufactured result in the form of petro-chemicals, plastics, and fuel is the champion trinity of environmental degradation.
The recent BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is one of the greatest environmental catastrophes in the history of humanity, and the extension to offshore drilling is another product of the unquenchable greed of capitalism. I hope that this experience has shown us clearly that we don’t have enough time left, nor can we afford to gamble with petroleum any longer. We must not let them kill our Mother. Gasoline is a modern consumption addiction that must be stopped immediately; it is the central symptom of a system in crisis.
Perhaps it is time for the age of the electric car, again.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
First American Ban on Sales of Bottled Water!
A very enthusiastic Congratulations to the town of Conquered, Massachusetts which has become the first ever in the United-States to ban all sales of bottled water. The ban was lead by 82 year old activist Gene Hill who said "All these discarded bottles are damaging our planet, causing clumps of garbage in the ocean that hurt fish, and are creating more pollution on our streets."
I just wanted to touch down quickly with this important and very symbolic news piece while it is fresh, which is relevant for so many reasons. I will write a response and analysis to this shortly.
Again a huge congratulations for the courage of Conquered, Massachusetts!
I just wanted to touch down quickly with this important and very symbolic news piece while it is fresh, which is relevant for so many reasons. I will write a response and analysis to this shortly.
Again a huge congratulations for the courage of Conquered, Massachusetts!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
An analysis on Naomi Klein, Bolivia and the Rights of Mother Earth Summit, and Our Working Groups!
The quoted content appears in Naomi Klein's April 21st, 2010 article in the Nation entitled 'A New Climate Movement in Bolivia'.
Speaking about the statements made by Jonathan Pershing, the U.S. climate negotiator in Copenhagen, Naomi writes: "Pershing's message was chilling: if you are poor, you don't have the right to prioritize your own survival." That is right on point, and exactly the type of hypocrisy and arrogance that is reflected from the actions of the US and neoliberalism.
She describes the call for the conference as "a revolt against this experience of helplessness," ei. that the small economically disadvantaged countries are not allowed a voice in the international forum. I do not agree that the call for the Rights of Mother Earth Summit was a response to a feeling of helplessness, perhaps that is the feeling coming from the victimized governments who feel cheated and short-handed following the experience of Copenhagen, but NOT from the people. The new Climate Change, Ecosocialist, Rights of Mother Earth, 'Bien Vivir', Indigenist social movement, whatever you want to call it - that is the beauty of it, that it appeals to so many different constituencies - from the people's point of view and contrary to a response to helplessness, is an action and a show of strength and confidence, an understanding that it is our responsibility to take the fight into our own hands, a recognition that the struggle is entering into a new era, and a display of the momentum that we have gained in the last year. But she goes on to say, and provides a great explanation, in describing the new movement as "an attempt to build a base of power behind the right to survive."
Next she writes about the structure of the Conference itself and the way the working groups were carried out; "The next stage was to invite global civil society to hash out the details. Seventeen working groups were struck, and after weeks of online discussion, they met for a week in Cochabamba with the goal of presenting their final recommendations at the summit's end. The process is fascinating but far from perfect..." Yes, the working group process did have its problems and weaknesses, which I will not discuss here because it is a large topic on its own, but with hundreds of people involved in every working group, seemingly unsolvable disagreements and long drawn-out discussions were inevitable.
Nevertheless, the working groups were fruitful, and creative, and very educational for many people who had the opportunity to participate in this kind of process for the first time. Essentially the summit organizers reflected that the grassroots remains relatively voiceless vis-a-vis the climate change crisis which affects them most directly, so lets create a channel for their ideas to take shape and be concretized, to let them decide, to let them create, and to let them articulate their demands. Naomi comments that "Bolivia's enthusiastic commitment to participatory democracy may well prove the summit's most important contribution." I think this is an accurate and insightful analysis of what transpired in Cochabamba/Tiquipaya.
As successful as the Summit was, the declarations and demands drafted in Cochabamba were far from perfect, and far from complete. At times encumbered, at times lacking in content, they are nevertheless a great start and a work in progress, and we can hope that next year's Climate Change and Rights of Mother Earth Summit will yield, with more scrutiny and more detail, an even better, more dynamic and more comprehensive product.
Naomi closes with this analysis:
"in reality, it is such small groupings—like the invitation-only club that rammed through the Copenhagen Accord—that have caused us to lose ground, weakening already inadequate existing agreements. By contrast, the climate change policy brought to Copenhagen by Bolivia was drafted by social movements through a participatory process, and the end result was the most transformative and radical vision so far."
"With the Cochabamba summit, Bolivia is trying to take what it has accomplished at the national level and globalize it, inviting the world to participate in drafting a joint climate agenda ahead of the next UN climate gathering, in Cancún. In the words of Bolivia's ambassador to the UN, Pablo Solón, "The only thing that can save mankind from a tragedy is the exercise of global democracy.""
"If he is right, the Bolivian process might save not just our warming planet but our failing democracies as well. Not a bad deal at all."
Good words worth quoting. And with that,
Cheers, Solidarity,
And Viva the New Movement and its March of Giants, which finally links Humanity and Mother Earth as one!
Viva!
Speaking about the statements made by Jonathan Pershing, the U.S. climate negotiator in Copenhagen, Naomi writes: "Pershing's message was chilling: if you are poor, you don't have the right to prioritize your own survival." That is right on point, and exactly the type of hypocrisy and arrogance that is reflected from the actions of the US and neoliberalism.
She describes the call for the conference as "a revolt against this experience of helplessness," ei. that the small economically disadvantaged countries are not allowed a voice in the international forum. I do not agree that the call for the Rights of Mother Earth Summit was a response to a feeling of helplessness, perhaps that is the feeling coming from the victimized governments who feel cheated and short-handed following the experience of Copenhagen, but NOT from the people. The new Climate Change, Ecosocialist, Rights of Mother Earth, 'Bien Vivir', Indigenist social movement, whatever you want to call it - that is the beauty of it, that it appeals to so many different constituencies - from the people's point of view and contrary to a response to helplessness, is an action and a show of strength and confidence, an understanding that it is our responsibility to take the fight into our own hands, a recognition that the struggle is entering into a new era, and a display of the momentum that we have gained in the last year. But she goes on to say, and provides a great explanation, in describing the new movement as "an attempt to build a base of power behind the right to survive."
Next she writes about the structure of the Conference itself and the way the working groups were carried out; "The next stage was to invite global civil society to hash out the details. Seventeen working groups were struck, and after weeks of online discussion, they met for a week in Cochabamba with the goal of presenting their final recommendations at the summit's end. The process is fascinating but far from perfect..." Yes, the working group process did have its problems and weaknesses, which I will not discuss here because it is a large topic on its own, but with hundreds of people involved in every working group, seemingly unsolvable disagreements and long drawn-out discussions were inevitable.
Nevertheless, the working groups were fruitful, and creative, and very educational for many people who had the opportunity to participate in this kind of process for the first time. Essentially the summit organizers reflected that the grassroots remains relatively voiceless vis-a-vis the climate change crisis which affects them most directly, so lets create a channel for their ideas to take shape and be concretized, to let them decide, to let them create, and to let them articulate their demands. Naomi comments that "Bolivia's enthusiastic commitment to participatory democracy may well prove the summit's most important contribution." I think this is an accurate and insightful analysis of what transpired in Cochabamba/Tiquipaya.
As successful as the Summit was, the declarations and demands drafted in Cochabamba were far from perfect, and far from complete. At times encumbered, at times lacking in content, they are nevertheless a great start and a work in progress, and we can hope that next year's Climate Change and Rights of Mother Earth Summit will yield, with more scrutiny and more detail, an even better, more dynamic and more comprehensive product.
Naomi closes with this analysis:
"in reality, it is such small groupings—like the invitation-only club that rammed through the Copenhagen Accord—that have caused us to lose ground, weakening already inadequate existing agreements. By contrast, the climate change policy brought to Copenhagen by Bolivia was drafted by social movements through a participatory process, and the end result was the most transformative and radical vision so far."
"With the Cochabamba summit, Bolivia is trying to take what it has accomplished at the national level and globalize it, inviting the world to participate in drafting a joint climate agenda ahead of the next UN climate gathering, in Cancún. In the words of Bolivia's ambassador to the UN, Pablo Solón, "The only thing that can save mankind from a tragedy is the exercise of global democracy.""
"If he is right, the Bolivian process might save not just our warming planet but our failing democracies as well. Not a bad deal at all."
Good words worth quoting. And with that,
Cheers, Solidarity,
And Viva the New Movement and its March of Giants, which finally links Humanity and Mother Earth as one!
Viva!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Love Quote
"Pressure pushing down on me,
Pressing down on you no man ask for,
Under pressure - that burns a building down,
Splits a family in two,
Puts people on streets,
Pray tomorrow - gets me higher,
Pressure on people - people on streets,
Chippin' around - kick my brains around the floor,
These are the days it never rains but it pours,
Turned away from it all like a blind man,
Sat on a fence but it don't work,
Keep coming up with love,
but it's so slashed and torn,
Why - why - why ?
Love love love love love,
Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking,
Can't we give ourselves one more chance,
Why can't we give love that one more chance,
Why can't we give love give love give love give love,
give love give love give love give love give love,
'Cause love's such an old fashioned word,
And love dares you to care for,
The people on the edge of the night,
And love dares you to change our way of,
Caring about ourselves,
This is our last dance,
This is our last dance,
This is ourselves,
Under pressure,
Under pressure,
Pressure."
Pressing down on you no man ask for,
Under pressure - that burns a building down,
Splits a family in two,
Puts people on streets,
Pray tomorrow - gets me higher,
Pressure on people - people on streets,
Chippin' around - kick my brains around the floor,
These are the days it never rains but it pours,
Turned away from it all like a blind man,
Sat on a fence but it don't work,
Keep coming up with love,
but it's so slashed and torn,
Why - why - why ?
Love love love love love,
Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking,
Can't we give ourselves one more chance,
Why can't we give love that one more chance,
Why can't we give love give love give love give love,
give love give love give love give love give love,
'Cause love's such an old fashioned word,
And love dares you to care for,
The people on the edge of the night,
And love dares you to change our way of,
Caring about ourselves,
This is our last dance,
This is our last dance,
This is ourselves,
Under pressure,
Under pressure,
Pressure."
Friday, April 30, 2010
Quote of the Week - Positive & Negative
"Promoe the number one public enemy with split personalities/
and both rap for anarchy./
Keeping my beard long like pops in the seventies/
burning flags screaming fuck the Kennedies./
many see me as a hoodlum at best a good bum/
letting out anger over bass and snare drums./
Fucking up eardrums of those with high income/
holding king Carl Gustav for ransom./
Leaving Madeleine in labour pains while I'm bombin' trains/
tryin' to bring back the days of '36 in Spain/
and y'all claim I'm too negative/
talkin' bout Sweden's really a nice place to live./
Oh I'm supposed to be satisfied cause I got a fatter life/
than my brothers and sisters who die on the other side of the planet/
It's all connected god damn it/
if you leave the third world stranded./
The first and the second will soon be drowned/
in the blood sweat and tears of the people we hold down./
Hold up! That's something you will never understand/
fuck that man, I'm tryin' to take a stand./
You might just laugh but I'm tryin' to walk a righteous path/
stumblin' though, drunk off of wine made from grapes of wrath/
Me I'm tired of doing the math when nothing adds up/
the good's always down the bad's up that sucks/
Life's a bitch and then you die/
wrong life's a biiatch and then you decide/
To do something about it/
shit'll only drive you crazy if you allow it/"
- Promoe.
and both rap for anarchy./
Keeping my beard long like pops in the seventies/
burning flags screaming fuck the Kennedies./
many see me as a hoodlum at best a good bum/
letting out anger over bass and snare drums./
Fucking up eardrums of those with high income/
holding king Carl Gustav for ransom./
Leaving Madeleine in labour pains while I'm bombin' trains/
tryin' to bring back the days of '36 in Spain/
and y'all claim I'm too negative/
talkin' bout Sweden's really a nice place to live./
Oh I'm supposed to be satisfied cause I got a fatter life/
than my brothers and sisters who die on the other side of the planet/
It's all connected god damn it/
if you leave the third world stranded./
The first and the second will soon be drowned/
in the blood sweat and tears of the people we hold down./
Hold up! That's something you will never understand/
fuck that man, I'm tryin' to take a stand./
You might just laugh but I'm tryin' to walk a righteous path/
stumblin' though, drunk off of wine made from grapes of wrath/
Me I'm tired of doing the math when nothing adds up/
the good's always down the bad's up that sucks/
Life's a bitch and then you die/
wrong life's a biiatch and then you decide/
To do something about it/
shit'll only drive you crazy if you allow it/"
- Promoe.
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