Alberta, Mayo/May 2009
19
ALTERNATIVA Latinoamericana
ENGLISH SECTION
The primary cause of the twenty-first century
should be the recognition of the rights of Mother
Earth, Bolivian President Evo Morales Ayma
declared hours after the General Assembly
passed a resolution designating 22 April as
"International Mother Earth Day".
"If we want to safeguard mankind, then we
need to safeguard the planet," he said, stressing
that social movements, regular citizens and
presidents the world over needed to understand
and support the rights of Mother Earth. "That is
the next major task of the United Nations".
Speaking at a Headquarters press
conference this afternoon, he said previous
centuries had witnessed a permanent ongoing
battle for human rights. With those human rights
now secured, it was time to fight for those of the
planet, including the right to life, the right to
regeneration of the planet's biodiversity, the right
to a clean life free of pollution, and the right to
harmony and balance among and between all
things.
"Mother Earth cannot be a piece of
merchandise", he argued, stressing that it was
necessary to correct humanity's historic mistake
of buying and selling the planet. Human beings
could not exist without Mother Earth, but changes
in climate and the environment were already
beginning to threaten that existence in some
places. In the Andes, mountain peaks were losing
their white snow-caps, lakes were drying up, and
fish were disappearing from the Orinoco.
In light of the damage traditional power
plants caused to the environment and the fact
that gas and oil deposits are limited, he said his
Government would be reconsidering its energy
policy. It would explore developing clean energy
sources, especially its numerous natural
opportunities for hydroelectric energy, but
investment would also be needed.
He was also working to defend equality,
democracy and the rule of law in Bolivia, he said.
Moreover, he intended to defend himself as
Bolivia's constitutionally-elected President and
head of a Government that had, for the first time
in the Republic's 180-year history, been elected
four times in a row with over 50 per cent of the
vote.
Bolivia was also moving towards the
approval of a new Constitution, which was
supported by some 70 per cent of the population,
he said. "This is a process of great
transformation and change. Unfortunately, the
neoliberal groups which still exist in some regions
have attempted to take over the palace, but did
not succeed".
President Morales was joined by Paul
Oquist, Senior Adviser to the President of the
General Assembly, who outlined the run-up to the
high-level General Assembly meeting on the
World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its
Impact on Development, scheduled for 1 to 3
June in New York. Informal consultations had
already begun, with Member States submitting
proposals for the meeting's outcome document.
Those deliberations would continue until 4 May,
when the President of the General Assembly
would issue a draft document that would then be
subject to intergovernmental negotiations ahead
of the high-level meeting.
The high-level conference would, he said,
allow the "G-192" of the United Nations "to give
voice and participation to all the world's countries
on the most important issue of our decade and
perhaps our century". It was intended to be a
forum that was legal, representative and credible,
since it would take into account the interests of all
those affected by the crisis.
Echoing that statement, Mr. Morales said he
was looking forward to the meeting, which would
be an opportunity for everyone to be heard and
the economic problem collectively resolved. "We
all need to shoulder the responsibility for
resolving the financial crisis."
In response to a question on whether the
United States stimulus plan was good enough to
bring it out of the economic doldrums, he said
that the crisis of capitalism could not be solved
merely by injecting money.
"You cannot issue more and more money
unless you increase the means of production and
the real economy of countries", he stressed,
underlining how even the G-20 [Group of Twenty]
disagreed on how to turn national economies, as
well as the global economy, around.
To a number of questions about the global
financial architecture, he pointed out that France
and Germany had questioned the bureaucracy of
the International Monetary Fund and he
welcomed proposals by Brazil and Argentina for
its radical reform. He further welcomed ongoing
changes within the World Bank, which had
previously urged him to privatize a number of
Bolivia's industries, to no avail.
He went on to say that the response to the
financial crisis had to be more than just the
provision of money by the same institutions that
had contributed to its cause, such as the
International Monetary Fund. In fact, a revolution
within the Fund was needed, with its bureaucrats
thinking about the big picture rather than "lining
their own pockets".
Asked when his Government would provide
more information on what it had described as a
plot to assassinate him and two other high-level
members last week, he said the investigation was
ongoing. [Three men were killed and two others
jailed by Bolivian police last week in the eastern
city of Santa Cruz.] But, it was his hope that the
Bolivian justice system would pursue the case to
its end.
Asked about Government efforts to end
cases where the working conditions of servants
among some wealthy landowners seemed
tantamount to slavery, as well as initiatives to
redistribute land to the poor, he said a great deal
of education was needed to end such conditions.
The Government hoped to do more than
institute agrarian reform. Indeed, the four
components of its initiatives were just
redistribution of land; mechanization; increased
production of organic and biological products;
and just and fair trade. It was also focusing on
credit for micro-enterprise.
Responding to a question about recent
educational reforms, such as the right of
indigenous people to be instructed in their own
languages, he said those new types of
universities sought to repair the damage of the
last 500 years. But, radical change - as seen in
the case of the new Constitution -- was needed.
He hoped that those universities would teach
young patriotic students who were committed to
their country and would eventually work for it,
rather than participating in a "brain drain".
Asked about his recent hunger strike, he
noted that such methods had previously been
against the military dictatorship, but were now
being used against the neoliberal model. Those
who subscribed to that model were frightened of
democracy, because they knew they would not
win.
(Bolivia Rising)
10 commandments
to save the planet
Along these lines, I want to share and
propose for debate some 10 commandments to
save the planet, for humanity and for life, not only
at this level but also to debate among our
communities, and our organisations.
First, if we want to save the planet earth to
save life and humanity, we are obliged to end the
capitalist system. The grave effects of climate
change, of the energy, food and financial crises,
are not a product of human beings in general, but
rather of the capitalist system at it is, inhuman, with
its idea of unlimited industrial development.
Second, to renounce war, because the
people do not win in war, but only the imperial
powers; the nations do not win, but rather the
transnational corporations. Wars benefit a small
group of families and not the people. The trillions
of millions of dollars used for war should be
directed to repair and cure Mother Earth wounded
by climate change.
Third proposal for debate: a world without
imperialism nor colonialism. Our relationships
should be oriented to the principle of
complementarity, and to take into account the
profound asymmetries that exist family to family,
country to country, and continent to continent.
And the fourth point is oriented to the issue
of water, which ought to be guaranteed as a
human right to avoid its privatisation into few
hands, given that water is life.
As the fifth point, I would like to say that we
need to end the energy debacle. In 100 years we
are using up fossil energies created during millions
of years. As some presidents are setting aside
lands for luxury automobiles and not for human
beings, we need to implement policies to impede
the use of agro-fuels and in this way to avoid the
hunger and misery for our peoples.
As a sixth point: in relationship to the Mother
Earth, the capitalist system treats the Mother Earth
as a raw material, but the Earth cannot be
understood as a commodity; who could privatise,
rent or lease their own mother? I propose that we
organise an international movement in defence of
Mother Nature, in order to recover the health of
Mother Earth and re-establish a harmonious and
responsible life with her.
A central theme as the seventh point for
debate is that basic services, whether they be
water, electricity, education or health, need to be
taken into account as human rights.
As the eighth point, to consume what is
needed, prioritise what we produce and consume
locally, end consumerism, decadence and luxury.
We need to prioritise local production for local
consumption, stimulating self-reliance and the
sovereignty of the communities within the limits that
the health and remaining resources the planet
permits.
As the next to last point, to promote the
diversity of cultures and economies. To live in unity
respecting our differences, no only physical, but
also economic, through economies managed by
the communities and their associations.
Sisters and brothers, as the tenth point, we
propose to Live Well, not live better at the expense
of another...Live Well based on the lifestyle of our
peoples, the riches of our communities, fertile
lands, water and clean air. Socialism is talked
about a lot, but we need to improve this socialism,
improve the proposals for socialism in the XXI
century, building a communitarian socialism, or
simply Live Well, in harmony with Mother Earth,
respecting the shared life ways of the community.
Finally, sisters and brothers, certainly you are
following up on the problems that exist. I have
reached the conclusion that there will always be
problems, but I want to tell you that I am very
content, not disappointed or worried because
these groups who permanently enslaved our
families during the colonial time, the time of the
republic and this period of neoliberalism, they
continue as family groups, resisting us. It is our
struggle to confront these groups who live in luxury
and who do not wish to lose their luxury, or lose
their lands. This is a historic struggle and this
struggle lives on.
Sisters and brothers, in the hope that the
Continental Gathering of the Social Forum of the
Americas culminates with strong bonds of unity
among you and a strong action plan in favour of
the people of Bolivia and of our peoples, I repeat
my fraternal greeting.
(links.org.au/689)
Evo Morales Speaks on
International
Mother Earth
Day