Peoples' World Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth

The Peoples' World Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth (Conferencia Mundial sobre el Cambio Climático y Derechos de la Madre Tierra) will be held in Bolivia from 19 to 22 April 2010. It is an international summit aimed at highlighting the importance of respect and care for Mother Earth and the danger to the ecosystem, including human beings, caused by climate change. The Conference will be the occasion to present the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth.

In the context of the Summit on Climate Change, strongly promoted by the Bolivian President Evo Morales (read his Announcement), 14 international panels will be organised by experts in the fields of science, culture and politics:

• Scientific Discoveries on Climate Change
• Structural Causes of Climate Change
• New Models to restore Harmony with Nature
• Rights of Mother Earth
• Building the Climate Justice Tribunal
• What is Climate Debt and who is responsible for it?
• The ABC of Climate Change Negotiations
• Funding, Technology and Carbon Markets
• Forced Migrations due to Climate Change
• Forests, Food and Water under Climate Change
• Do We Need a World’s Referendum on Climate Change?
• Defining a Common Strategy post-Cochabamba
• Perspectives from Governments on Climate Change Negotiations
• Artists Discuss on Climate Change

Each Panel provides “self-managed events”, selected by the organisers of the Conference. The NIHMP will participate in this part of the Conference (and particularly in the working group on Forced Migrations due to Climate Change) with a speech by Dr. Adela Gutierrez (NIHMP psychologist) and Dr. Marta Mearini (NIHMP anthropologist) on “Ecomigracion y salud: un binomio posible?” (Ecomigration and health: is it a possible binomial?). The issue of ecomigration has been chosen by the NIHMP since it represents a new emerging challenge caused by global pollution and climate change of which the Institute can be a privileged observer. According to a number of scientific research studies in fact, migration movements due to climate change will increase during the following decades involving, within 2050, about two hundred million people. The study “In search of shelter” carried out by the Columbia University of New York, individuated as hot zones for ecomigration the African drylands, the major river systems in Asia, the Mexican and Caribbean hinterland and the low island in the Indian and Pacific ocean. Ocean levels rise would then cause the displacement of people living along the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, the Irrawaddy, the Saluen, the Mekong, the Chang Jiang and the Huang He (constituting a source of life for about a quarter of the world population); the melting of Himalayan glacier would cause floods and erosions making the prices of rice and necessaries highly increase. Furthermore, many local conflicts could worsen, especially in Africa. According to some experts, at present, climate change would foment the war in Darfur.

The Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth
Some articles of the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth are here proposed. You can find the complete version in the link below:

(1) “Mother Earth is an indivisible, self-regulating community of interrelated beings each of whom is defined by its relationships within this community and with the Universe as a whole. Fundamental aspects of these relationships are expressed in this Declaration as inalienable rights, freedoms and duties”.

(2) “Mother Earth has the right to exist, to persist and to continue the vital cycles, structures, functions and processes that sustain all beings”.

Every being has the duty to (6b) “Ensure that the pursuit of human wellbeing contributes to the wellbeing of Mother Earth, now and in the future”.

Further information:

Conferencia Mundial sobre el Cambio Climático y Derechos de la Madre Tierra

Mother Earth rights