Some reflections on the summit

I had meant to write up a summary of some of the responses to the summit just afterwards but as soon as I got back to Ecuador I got sucked into the hectic organisation for the launch of the campaign ‘Come Sano Seguro y Soberano’, which our partner organisation CEA is involved in along with a wide coalition of other organisations. Read more about the campaign here ( in Spanish).


The verdict of the organisers of the alternative summit, many civil society groups and NGOs and some sectors of the media is disappointment with the lack of concrete agreements in the final declaration from the summit and concern that negotiations for Association Agreements will continue.



Whilst the document, ‘Addressing Our Peoples’ Priorities Together’ includes fine words about poverty eradication, social cohesion and climate change there are few clear targets or action plans. As one press article put it: the declaration is ‘a document that is notable mainly for its lack of clear objectives and the necessary resources to make words into action’.

Trade agreements

In terms of the controversial association agreements (which include free trade agreements) , a subject of great debate at the alternative summit, the declaration, says that the parties agree to: ‘actively pursue the negotiations of Association Agreements as common strategic objectives of very high political priority’. This includes the controversial bi-regional agreement between Europe and the which the parties aim to conclude by 2009.

The idea is to improve on the draft framework at CAN-EU meetings in June, but the negotiations do not look like they will be smooth, with huge differences of opinion on opening up markets between the left wing presidents of Bolivia and Ecuador and the right wing presidents of Colombia and Peru. The Bolivian and Ecuadorian governments have blocked Peruvian requests to loosen an Andean Community decision (486) on intellectual property rights in order to modify Peruvian legislation to fit with the free trade agreement with the US (read more in Spanish).

Some protests against free trade agreements at the alternative summit

Climate change

On climate change the most concrete agreement was: ‘a joint EU-LA Environment program called “EUrocLIMA” will be launched to the benefit of Latin American countries with the main objectives of knowledge sharing, fostering structured and regular dialogue at all levels and
ensuring synergies and coordination of current and future actions in this field’. There is so far little detail available on this program accept that the European Commission has set aside $7.7 million for its first actions.

Other comments:
Banderitas y Discursos ( in Spanish) A Response from Alejandra Alayza Moncloa of partner organiation CEPES, lamenting the fact that the flags and smiles the Peruvian Government put on for the cameras and foreign dignitaries mask the inconsistency in their actions on climate change and social cohesion and reflections on the future of the possible EU-CAN association agreement in view of the differences of opinion between Peru and Columbia and Eucador and Bolivia.

Biofuels, trade dominate EU-Latin American summit (English) LIMA, May 16 (Reuters) - European and Latin American leaders called for action to tackle surging food prices and global warming at a summit in Peru on Friday, despite differences over biofuels and free trade.

Otra vez TLC sí o sí

Permanent Peoples' Tribunal: Second Session on European transnational companies in Latin America and on neoliberal policies (English) More detail on the Peoples' Tribunal

Declaración de Lima sobre la Crisis Agro-Alimentaria (Spanish)
Declaration of a group of organisations involved in agriculture and food sovreignity from both regions.

Libre comercio a la europea: el desarrollo como retórica, la competencia entre desiguales como realidad
Esta semana en la V Cumbre de Jefes de Estado de América Latina, Caribe y Europa, celebrada
en Lima, la UE intentó convencer otra vez al mundo que un Acuerdo de Asociación (AdA) es
un acuerdo equilibrado (diálogo político, cooperación y comercio), que promueve la integración
y el desarrollo. Aunque la realidad de los acuerdos ya concluidos muestra realidades bien
diferentes.

La cumbre de Lima se queda en buenos deseos
El encuentro concluye con una declaración de compromisos para combatir la pobreza y el cambio climático pero sin metas definidas ni cifras de inversión

Two more interesting responses

A couple of interesting responses to the summit (in Spanish) which came around in emails but aren't online so I've pasted them below

RESUMEN SEMANAL
Lima, 14 - 20 de mayo de 2008
Año XXX - Nº 1488


La realización de la V Cumbre de Jefes de Estado y de Gobierno de América Latina, el
Caribe y la Unión Europea mantuvo de buen talante al presidente Alan García. Por tres
días todo funcionó como estaba planeado y el presidente cumplió gustosamente su función
de anfitrión de mandatarios de dos continentes. No sería exagerado afirmar que Alan
García vivía su propia cumbre de euforia. Y no era para menos. La Cumbre fue no
solamente para los visitantes un espacio rigurosamente resguardado de imponderables
externos, debajo una campana aislante, sino también fue, y sobre todo, para el gobierno un
lapso, un respiro, para desembarazarse de la incómoda agenda política nacional, poniendo
en stand by protestas de diverso pelaje. Con las calles cercadas, la gente en feriado largo,
desactivada cualquier manifestación, la Cumbre se desarrolló en un ambiente de
tranquilidad. Demasiada tranquilidad inclusive para quienes esperaban un exabrupto más
del presidente venezolano Hugo Chávez. Mediáticamente, la Cumbre fue friolenta.

Cada sector obtuvo lo que quería en estos días de cumbres. Los empresarios tuvieron su
cumbre empresarial que, según el director ejecutivo de la Agencia de Promoción de la
Inversión Privada, David Lemor, permitirá que lleguen al Perú cerca de mil millones de
dólares en inversiones y dijo "esta es la verdadera cumbre de los pueblos, la que se
preocupa por el aspecto social". Jorge Del Castillo, presidente del Consejo de Ministros,
haciendo gala de su tolerancia y espíritu democrático, declaró: "aquí tenemos la cumbre de
los elegidos por el pueblo y allá la anticumbre, de los perdedores en todas las elecciones.
Esa es la verdad". En una de sus conclusiones, la menospreciada Cumbre Social de los
Pueblos resolvió rechazar totalmente el acuerdo de asociación que negocian los gobiernos
de la Comunidad Andina y la Unión Europea. El Tribunal de los Pueblos también emitió una
condena moral y simbólica contra 24 empresas transnacionales que violan los derechos de
sus trabajadores y de las comunidades aledañas a los territorios donde operan. Entre ellas,
la minera Río Blanco Cooper (ex Majaz), Camposol y Bayer, que operan en el Perú.

Lo más significativo de la Declaración de Lima, producto de la V Cumbre ALC-UE, es que
fija posición sobre los mecanismos que deben implementarse para que se firme un Acuerdo
de Asociación entre la CAN y la UE que contribuya a un mayor desarrollo del proceso de
integración andino. "Acordamos que se dará una particular atención a las necesidades de
específicas de desarrollo de los Países Miembros de la Comunidad Andina, tomando en
cuenta las asimetrías entre y al interior de las regiones y la necesidad de flexibilidad, según
corresponda, por parte de la UE", dice el documento. Además del acostumbrado listado de
políticas sociales pendientes y acuerdos relegados al 2020 como los de erradicación de la
desnutrición infantil y del analfabetismo, en el tema de cambio climático hay poco que
destacar. Más allá de acuerdos para compartir conocimientos en el programa
medioambiental Euroclima, no hay compromisos concretos. El gobierno sí aprovechó la
cumbre para designar como primer ministro del Ambiente al ecólogo Antonio Brack, que fue
consultor de la minera Río Blanco (ex Majaz), acusada de generar contaminación ambiental

En su discurso inaugural de la Cumbre, el presidente García dijo que no hay "ninguna ley
natural inevitable, ninguna fuerza diabólica que nos pueda expulsar de la tierra o condenar
al fracaso. Siempre la inteligencia, la ciencia, la tecnología y la organización humana
podrán más que los obstáculos que se presentan a nuestra especie". Se refería al
calentamiento global. Pero ahora, acabadas las ceremonias, le espera un calentamiento de
la protesta local. Es decir, un regreso a la realidad.

Mayor información en: http://www.desco.org.pe/resumen-semanal.shtml

---------------------------

*Declaración del movimiento ambientalista*

*Acuerdos de cooperación ALC-UE si, pero con equidad y responsabilidad
ambiental*

* *

Las diferentes organizaciones de la sociedad civil participantes en el *Foro
agenda ambiental y desarrollo sostenible en el marco de la cumbre
ALC-UE*realizado el 15 de mayo en el marco de la Cumbre Social de los
Pueblos,
consideramos que nuestro planeta tierra esta en peligro por los efectos
ambientales globales que viene generando el modelo de desarrollo sustentado
en la liberalización de la economía y la sobreexplotación de los recursos
naturales, en este contexto manifestamos lo siguiente:



· El cambio climático que nuestro planeta viene experimentando es
producto del modelo de desarrollo económico y de vida que las naciones
industrializadas han aplicado para sustentar su desarrollo, que ahora pone
en grave riesgo la estabilidad de los ecosistemas y la vida de todos.

· Las poblaciones empobrecidas son los más vulnerables a los
impactos que viene produciendo el cambio climático porque no disponen de los
medios necesarios para enfrentarlo y porque, entre otras cosas, afecta el
balance de las fuentes hídricas que es fundamental en la defensa de la
soberanía alimentaria y en la producción de alimentos. Esto a su vez pone en
peligro el patrimonio natural y la biodiversidad por la modificación de los
hábitats.

· La falta de una política ambiental coherente y la debilidad de la
institucionalidad ambiental están facilitando que las inversiones para el
aprovechamiento de los recursos naturales no cumplan ni siquiera con las
normas nacionales establecidas en el sistema de gestión ambiental y mucho
menos con los estándares establecidos a nivel internacional, situación que
genera una serie de conflictos sociales entre empresas y poblaciones
locales.

· Asimismo los acuerdos de cooperación económica como los Tratados de
Libre Comercio (TLCs), no priorizan la agenda ambiental, o en todo caso se
hacen anuncios mediáticos pero no existe la suficiente voluntad política
para destinar los recursos suficientes para proteger el ambiente y promover
el desarrollo sostenible.

· El sistema político vigente no reconoce el rol de los diferentes
actores sociales en la vigilancia del cumplimiento de las obligaciones y
compromisos sociales y ambientales de las empresas que realizan inversiones
públicas y privadas, por el contrario a los que manifiestan su
disconformidad los criminalizan y sus preocupaciones y propuestas no son
atendidas.

* *

*Por lo expuesto demandamos:*

· Para el proceso de adaptación y mitigación del cambio climático es
necesario que los mayores responsables de la emisión de gases de efecto
invernadero la disminuyan y paguen "la deuda ecológica generada" sin ningún
tipo de condiciones. Esos recursos deben ser utilizados en programas de
reforestación, conservación de la biodiversidad y en el desarrollo de
tecnologías ambientales.



· Detener la aprobación de leyes como la "ley de la selva" porque
pueden facilitar el proceso de deforestación o el desplazamiento de las
comunidades locales de sus territorios. Si existe la voluntad para atraer
inversiones en las regiones es necesario realizar previamente el
ordenamiento territorial y la correspondiente zonificación económica y
ecológica, además de los estudios ambientales necesarios.



· Es fundamental otorgarle los poderes políticos, económicos y
técnicos necesarios a la autoridad ambiental, para que pueda liderar el
proceso de gestión ambiental en todos los sectores productivos, desde una
visión transversal.**

**

· Para ello, la autoridad ambiental debe tener claramente establecido
su rol fiscalizador, controlador y sancionador de las actividades
productivas y de las empresas en el cumplimiento de sus compromisos y
obligaciones establecidos en el marco jurídico vigente en el país.**

**

· Asimismo, esta instancia debe tener la función de aprobación de
estudios de impacto ambiental y de los estudios de evaluación estratégica de
todos los sectores productivos y de servicios.



· Como estrategia para mitigar el cambio climático, no debe otorgarse
las autorizaciones a las empresas mineras que quieran explotar este recurso
en las cabeceras de cuenca de alta montaña, por cuanto es allí en donde
nacen las fuentes de agua.



· El proceso de adaptación al cambio climático debe desarrollarse en
base a tecnologías apropiadas y tomando en cuenta los conocimientos
tradicionales como las obras hidráulicas y mecanismos de captura de aguas
sabiamente trabajados por nuestras antepasados.



· Debe orientarse todos los esfuerzos para recuperar nuestra
soberanía y seguridad alimentaria, en base a una adecuada gestión de la
agrobiodiversidad y de los conocimientos locales.



· En este sentido, se debe propiciar mecanismos para el pago por
conservación de la agrobiodiversidad como un mecanismo de servicio ambiental
para la humanidad.



· De igual manera se debe promover la gestión integral de cuencas
como estrategia fundamental del manejo del territorio y se debe propiciar la
formación de autoridades de cuenca y recursos hídricos dirigidos por el
Ministerio del Ambiente.



Firman

Sociedad Nacional del Ambiente (SNA)

Red Muqui

Red Ambiental Peruana (RAP) y más de 300 participantes.

--
Muqui "Red de Propuesta y Acción"
Página web: www.muqui.org
Email: prensaredmuqui@gmail.com

Lima Declaration, potato parade and party

This will be a bit of a rushed entry as I’m in the airport on my way back to Quito. You can read the Lima Declaration published yesterday here

I'm watching the news on the Presidents summit. They are currently in a meeting on the possible EU-Andean Communty association agreement. Europe still wants to negotiate a block-block agreement but Peru and Columbia are trying to push for a separate agreement with them, or for a faster process for them, with Ecuador and Bolivia entering later. There are plans to continue discussions at further meetings in June and July.

The Bolivian President Morales (hero of the alternative summit) spoke out very strongly against free trade agreements yesterday at the summit but the European Chancellor says that they hope that in further meetings they will reach an agreement and that there is a lot of different between what people say to the press and what happens in concrete work meetings.

Yesterday
I never made it to the closing event in the Plaza yesterday. The traffic chaos and security restrictions involved in crossing the city were too daunting. It seems the ceremony went well with rousing speeched by Evo Morales, huge crowds and diverse cultural events.

We stayed in Miraflores and enjoyed the cultural activities which had been put on in connection with the summit including a parade of traditional dancing and then a potato parade with surreal giant inflatable potato followed by people bearing placards with all Peru’s potato varieties, then music.


There were also art installations throughout the city – my favorite was a piece involving printers spewing out sheets with jumbled information about the summits from the windows of a high-rise building and they drifted down into the street with people leaping up to grab them and read them.









There is also a great photo exhibition on display called ‘ The climate is changing, so is my life’ with portraits of people ranging from a gardener in the very same park to fishermen, farmers mountaineers etc, all with a comment about how climate change is already affecting their lives and livelihoods.

Declarations

Presenting the conclusions of the Women's summit

The declaration of the summit and the verdict of the People’s Tribunal were presented to a giant stadium bursting with people today. You can read the full documents ( in Spanish) at: People’s Tribunal verdict, the declaration of the Alternative Summit

Over the sounds of horns, conch shells and chanting from an excited crowd, the summit declaration which was presented to the Presidents summit yesterday was read out, followed by the conclusions of six panels which took place on each of the summit themes. Three motions were also passed through enthusiastic foot stamping and flagwaving: soildarity with the people of COlombia; solidarity with the people of Haiti; and the nominations of Bolivian President Evo Morales for a Nobel Peace Prize. The idea is that all of this will be synthesised into a final document for distribution.

The declaration states that:

- the primary objective of government policies should be building a system which prioritises people’s economic, political, social, cultural and environmental rights;

- the summit rejects the trade agreements the EU and some LAC countries want to sign because they will perpetuate the current system of domination, pillaging of natural resources and abuse of rights;

- the EU’s strategy "Global Europe: competing in the world” is incompatible with the discourse on climate change, poverty reduction and social cohesion.

- the summit rejects the Lisbon treaty for Europe which is a great threat to democracy, peace and the environment and is criminalizing migrants and social movements and violating the right to asylum whilst building ‘Fortress Europe’;

- when governments in Lima talk about social cohesion, climate change and poverty reduction, they should remember that the main cause of inequality, social polarization and environmental damage is the primacy of the market over people rights and the offering of every kind of guarantee to corporations which then undermine governments;

- the summit denounces the hypocrisy of the multilateral institutions in the face of the food crisis.

And then in response to this situation proposes a different kind of regional integration based on respect for the environment, human rights and democratic processes; a strengthening of cooperation and solidarity between people’s of the world; the end of discrimination and processes which violate countries’ sovereignty; reparations for the abuses perpetrated by European companies and the creation and the creation of a new type of relationship with these companies.

It calls on progressive governments to join them in this process of transformation; on all inhabitants of LAC and the EU to join in the struggle for a better world for all and to all social and popular organisations to start preparing for the next alternative Summit Enlazando Alternativas IV in Spain in 2010.

The Tribunal

The Tribunal unsurprisingly found against the companies which it judged, in favour of the affected communities. All the companies were invited to take part, but equally unsurprisingly they all refused apart from one Peruvian company Camposol.

The judges gave powerful speeches issuing ‘moral and ethical sanctions’ against the 24 European- based transnationals which they had judged; against the states which allow companies to abuse rights with impunity; and then against the whole neoliberal system which is complicit in the abuses. They made recommendations for multinationals, International Financial Institutions, European and LAC governments and civil society organisations, including a resolution to lobby UNHCR to designate a Special Rapporteur to present a report to the general assembly to suggest the creation of an International Court to judge economic and environmental crimes. They committed to disseminate their findings and conclusions on the abuses to raise awareness and seek compensation and changes.

-----------------------------------------------

Meanwhile the official summit was underway but no time to write about that now as I'm off to the big closing ceremony for the alternative summit in a Plaza in central Lima. The organisers hope Evo Morales and Hugo Chavez will be present to accept a document with all of the above conclusions...

Two worlds, two parties

“Here at the summit, it is very obvious that people have a desperate need to express themselves. When the presentations finish, people don’t have questions, what they need is to be listened to. It makes you reflect on grave lack of opportunities to participate and have a voice when, as soon as there is an opportunity to speak people need to talk and talk and tell what is happening to them and how it is happening”.

Yesterday at the alternatives summit I spoke to Diana Torres, a Progressio Development Worker with Educa, The Institute for the Promotion of a Quality Education. She is working in the very deprived district of San Juan de Lurigancho on the outskirts of Lima, promoting participation in local development. She had some interesting reflections on the lack of real mechanisms for participation for marginalised groups in Peru and on people’s response to the summit:

“This summit is a place where you can hear the voices which have ended up being silent because nobody listens to them. It is absolutely vital that NGOs including Progressio and its partner organisations should be here. I think these kinds of events are crucial for us to be able to continue re-thinking the work we do and improving it.

“I think it is positive that talking about things with others who are living the same problems or with others who have a different perspective allows people to construct different narrative and make their discourses more flexible. But the problem is, what will happen when the summit is over? That is where you start to feel dissatisfied because there are these interesting conversations and processes, but then we are all going to disperse, which is just what the state wants.

Self expression: a huge crowd watch theatre at the summit yesterday

Diana says she feels a mix of great satisfaction at the summit (as an opportunity for people to talk and be heard and learn from each other), but also a deep dissatisfaction at the lack of real dialogue between the governments in the official summit and the people:

“The position of the state in relation to all of this is interesting. You can see the fragmentation in which the state is acting in one sphere and the people are acting in another and you wonder where is the dialogue and space for conversation between the two. That’s what I feel is happening in Lima this week.

“I think the official summit responds to the needs of a specific economic model and so the proposals for solutions and any achievements they make are going to respond to that model – and by that I mean that they are not going to resolve the gap between rich and poor. They are working within the perspective of an economic model which continues to fragment society, making the poorest poorer and the richest richer.

Diana Torres

She sees the contrast between the lavish party to be laid on for delegates in Miraflores, one of the richest parts of Lima, and the ‘people’s party’ to be held miles away in another plaza, possibly with the presence of Evo Morles and Hugo Chavez, but no other leaders, as emblematic of the inequality and division in Peruvian society:

“In Miraflores, there will be a big party – who will be at that party?, and here there is going to be a big party – who will be at this party? It shows how divided we are: the state is on one side and civil society is on another.

“Alan Garcia can continue saying that we are in ‘a time of abundance’ and effectively we are, but abundance for who? I think that whatever is agreed at the summit will continue to sustain what is happening in Peru at the moment. I don’t think anything at all will change.

Criminalising protest

In Peru, civil society organisations are extremely concerned about the increasing repression of dissent. The government has introduced measures to try to increase control over NGOs and has openly attacked dissenting voices, calling them ‘terrorists’ and ‘traitors’ who are against development. He has also passed legislation which increases police impunity in cases of violence against protesters. Diana took part yesterday in some of the debates on this topic:

“It was interesting for me to understand the way protest is being criminalised here in Peru in relation to what is happening around the world – that protest and repression of protest is increasing at an alarming rate around the world”.

“One of the speakers said that protest and appears because it is so difficult to sustain the neoliberal model – it is almost a natural consequence of the unjust model – but then it becomes necessary to repress the protest so that it doesn’t have the impact that it should – changing the system. The repression is a symptom of an inability to sustain the system. I think that understanding that reflection might help us to find ways to act and respond.

“It was also interesting to hear that the same thing is going on in Europe – when supposedly we are developing countries and this shouldn’t be happening there…”

A learning opportunity

From her own perspective, having started relatively recently moved to Peru from her native Columbia to start work for Progressio, she says she found the summit a useful window on the reality in Peru:

“As a Development Worker, I think it has helped me to open up my vision – I have learnt things here that I hadn’t even learnt yet in the context of the organisation where I am working.

“It allows you to understand other aspects of the national reality which you cannot find out about through the media which don’t really represent these other worlds and other realities. It allows you to know what is happening for all the groups which are called ‘minorities’ but which are actually sustaining the country.

“You feel like communities are tired – that there are small efforts in the communities but that they aren’t enough. Here in this summit you can see that there are people who are really fighting and achieving important things - and that's encouraging."

--------------------------------------------------

Today the official summit gets underway properly and the alternative summit enters its last day. As Diana says, the two are worlds apart with the official summit talking about climate change in terms of carbon trading schemes and Garcia talking about the need to open Peru up to more investment, whilst the alternative summit talks of ecological debt and rejects all privatisation of natural resources.

I'm heading to the alternative summit now to hear the reading of the final declaration from the summit and the judgements of the People's Tribunal.

An interesting article on the People's Tribunal which will report its judgements tomorrow

LATIN AMERICA: European Corporations on Trial - Milagros Salazar
LIMA - Twenty European corporations are being tried for human rights violations before an ethical tribunal at the Peoples? Summit, organised for the third time by the Bi-Regional Network "Enlazando Alternativas" (Linking Alternatives) in Lima. The organisers announced that they hope to take some of these cases to ordinary courts of justice in Peru.
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42372

Water and football

Presidents Summit begins

The LAC-EU summit started today. I’m watching the presidents arriving and the initial speeches on the TV as I type. According to the press, the Peruvian Government are saying that concrete agreements on climate change will be prioritised in the Lima Declaration to be signed by the parties, but that poverty reduction measures will probably appear as vaguer 'priorities' rather than set targets.

The negotiations have begun with the Peruvian government emphasising that it would like to negotiate a separate free trade agreement with the EU, rather than in combination the Andean Community of Nations (CAN). CAN is divided because whilst the right-wing governments of Peru and Colombia are keen, left leaning presidents in Ecuador and Bolivia are against signing. Europe wants to negotiate with the whole block. At the alternative summit of course there is strong resistance to free trade agreements.

This afternoon a delegation from the alternative summit took proposals gathered from the summit events up until now to present to representatives of each region at the official summit. As well as presenting some of the conclusions they also voiced disappointment at the ‘demonisation’ of the alternative summit as a violent ‘antisummit’ by the Peruvian government and the media and stressed that they sought dialogue and offered alternatives and proposals. They said it was wrong for such important discussion to take place in a closed meeting.

Alternative summit

The alternative summit today was even more packed than it has been up until now as today and tomorrow were declared impromptu public holidays to try to encourage people to leave the city. When we arrived an enormous queue of people were waiting to register for the summit and all day long, every workshop was bursting with people.

People peering in to packed forum from outside the tent

Water us a Human Right, An Ecological Good and a Public Service

I spent most of the day in a forum on water as a human right organised by a range of Peruvian organisations ( mostly trade union and campesino organizations) including FENTAP The National Peruvian Federation of Drinking Water Workers, CGTP, CCP, CONACAMI, CAN, CxD, Public Services International, CONAGUAYVIDA and FOS.

I was keen to hear the key concerns and issues for people as it is one of the key issues Progressio is researching for our international advocacy work. It was also interesting to contrast the concerns and demands with those made at the Fifth National Water Meeting in Ecuador.

It seemed to me that whilst the political context in Ecuador and Peru are very different, the concerns of the grassroots organisations are centred around the same issues and for both groups the issue of water is a vital issue – literally a life and death issue as people reiterated all day.

The difference is that whilst in Ecuador our partner organisation Cameren and the Water Resources Forum has been working on proposals many of which look likely to be included in the new constitution; in Peru, small scale farmers face a new set of legislative proposals being put forward by Alan Garcia’s government including a new water law, which they see as a huge threat (seeking to further privatise water, favour big companies, and turn water into merchandise over which they will lose control).

The issues which came up over and over again were: that water is a human right; that water should be managed by public institutions and that we should fight against privatisation and measures which seek to convert water into merchandise – with tradeable rights etc; that policies should favour the small scale farmers who are subsidising food production with their labour and not the agro-exportation industry which is environmentally and socially destructive; the need for policies which respect ancestral uses of water and cultural beliefs and management practices in relation to water; the need to resolve unfair water distribution in which transnational companies (extractive industries and agricultural) are awarded disproportionately large shares; the already frightening impacts of climate change on water supplies and fears for the future; the threat of agro-fuels; the impacts of deforestation; the inadequacy of social responsibility as a regulation model for industry.A song about injustice and water rights in Tacna, Peru

There was vehement consensus that water should not be included in any free trade negotiations at the LAC-EU summit As Carlos Franco from CONAGUAyVIDA said:
“Water should not enter into the LAC- EU negotiations. They are negotiating with our lives. They need to give campesinos back control over water”

Miguel Jugo from APRODEH , a human rights orgainsation talked about water as a fundamental human right for all - for urban populations and for agriculture. He emphasised the importance of the role of the state – “The state cannot pretend that water conflicts can be fairly resolved between the parties because the players are not equal – in a situation of transnational company versus communities, the company will win”. He argued that the government is failing in its responsibility to equitably distribute water resources: in Lima “some have no water at all whilst others have it in navigable quantities”.

Mario Pallacios from CONACAMI, the Confederation of Communities Affected by Mining talked about the mining industry’s huge demand for water, saying that every metric tonne of soil, metal and rock removed requires 3,000 litres of water to process. In his community 80% of the water is used by mining industry who extract 8,000 metric tones a day. In Yanacocha the figure is even higher with the gold mine there extracting 600,000 metric tonnes a day. He gave powerful examples of the devastating effect this is having on the environment.

Mario Pallacios

David Boys of PSI presented the global context and the failings of the privatisation strategy which has been promoted by the World Bank, IMF, Inter-american Development Bank motivated by: profit(“water is more valuable than oil”; the lack of public investment; market ideology; corruption in public companies; the incentives of cheap loans; international networks of academics; consultants and lobbyists.

David Boys

The forum's main points were summarised in a document which was added to the proposals presented to the official summit this afternoon.

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Over the last few days, I had been thinking it was amazing to get over 3,000 people to attend an event like this, reflecting on how important the issues must be to so many people. But, after lunch I realised what could really draw a crowd. We were headed towards a climate change forum and were passed by a crowd of thousands heading in the other direction. Convinced I must be missing out on the most interesting talk of the summit, I asked where everyone was going: it turned out that the Bolivian President Evo Morales, had arrived for his football game against the Peruvian national team who played in the World Cup in Mexico in 1970. The stadium was soon packed out with hundreds clamouring outside the university gates being held back bypolice. As we left there were rumours that Chavez was shortly coming to join him.

Crowds and queues outside the Univeristy gates

Indigenous people uniting

“I want the presidents at the summit this week to realise that the people are here – so that it is not just a small group of the biggest capitalists having a discussion and then doing whatever they want. I want them to hear the people”.

So said Abraham Salazar, president of one of Progressio’s partner organisations in Ecuador, the Cotopaxi Indigenous and Campesino Movement (MICC - Movimiento Indígena y Campesino de Cotopaxi).

“This summit is a crucial opportunity for us, the indigenous peoples and nations to make the presidents realise that we are also meeting. We also have a summit and we are demanding our rights: we want them to respect our rights, our opinions and our territories. I hope that there can be a dialogue between the two summits and that they will hear our proposals”.

I spoke to him this afternoon just after he spoke on a panel alongside indigenous leaders from Columbia, Bolivia and Peru at a big meeting on Mining, Natural Resources and Indigenous Communities at the alternative summit. He emphasised how important it is for indigenous peoples to unite in their struggles:

“I think this summit here today is a very important space and a great opportunity to be able to exchange our experiences of our struggles for our land, our natural resources, our indigenous identity and rights.

“Today’s event has been an important forum for debate where we can see the perspectives of different indigenous peoples. I think this has helped to bring us closer together and see how much we have in common: we have the same problems. The way that we are treated by multinationals, how they cheat indigenous peoples, and the multinationals’ policies and practices are the same in all of our countries.

“The issues of mining, water, hydroelectricity and oil are very important issues for all of us. I believe that for a long time the oligarchic powers and the transnationals have just been taking from us – taking our resources, from our territory – in Columbia, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador and in Chile and Argentina and other poor countries”.

Abraham is working with Fernando Ruiz, a Progressio Development Worker on a project to protect and manage paramos (high altitude scubland that looks like Scotland). Natural Resource management is an issue close to his heart:

“We, the indigenous peoples live in the paramos and in the mountains, in the highest places where there is water. That water is life and without it we will not be able to live. We need to conserve our ways of life – living in harmony between human beings and nature , together in pachamama [the mother earth]. We feel that capitalism and other processes are trying to extinguish all these cultures that we have: our indigenous plurinationality. It is like they are trying to force us all out.

“In Cotopaxi, Since when I first started on the governing council of MICC, I have been trying to work on and promote natural resource conservation. So together with Fernando, I have been working through workshops, and awareness raising in communities and people are starting to be more aware of the issues. Now that I’m a provincial leader I am working on the issues even more.

“As MICC we are putting more and more emphasis on the topic on natural resources and we are not going to drop that work – we are very involved in water, mining, the struggles against hydroelectric plants. Indigenous peoples are resisting . For example they want to give 50 year water concessions to big hydroelectric plants and mines and we are saying “No way, that is not going to happen when we can see that in other places, people are dying of thirst or hunger”.

“The government needs to start thinking about water by first of all prioritizing everybody having water. And looking at it from the perspective of Food Sovereignty – we are being turned into consumers – consumers who consume products imported from elsewhere. And what are we doing with our local produce, our native seeds?”

Abraham came to the summit with a small delegation from Ecuador to participate in the full week’s activities including an indigenous nations summit which took place on Monday. He believes the summit has helped to strengthen the movement at a regional level and strengthen MICC’s work in Cotopaxi:

“I think we will leave this summit at the end of the week with much more information and much stronger. In Ecuador I think we will be able to act in a much stronger way. I am seeing that Rafael Correa, the president in Ecuador has an internal position which is neoliberal and then an external one which is supposedly in favour of the poor but really it isn’t. He is cheating us and we cannot let that happen – behind what he is saying, he is pushing forward mining and hydroelectric power stations.

“We need to push for a total change in our countries so that they respect our culture, our forms of governance, our natural resources and our autonomy as indigenous peoples. I think that the summit has really helped us and now we need to keep in touch, keep strengthening our links and supporting each other, because the only way we are going to live well as is through our own struggles for indigenous rights”.

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Elsewhere at the summit, the activities continued with a packed day of workshops, fringe meetings and discussions. I went to a couple of interesting sessions on climate change, which is an important theme at the summit, interestingly, being addressed not just by environmental organisations but also by women’s organisations, human right groups and indigenous groups. The emphasis is on the issue as something which will have wide-ranging ramifications and which we all need to adapt to and tackle.

Outside the summit, preparations continued for the LAC-EU summit which starts on Friday. The chaos on the roads is impressive with extensive sections of road shut down and police ID checks on many streets; the international delegations are arriving; labour unions are threatening to strike during the summit to highlight their concerns; and Garcia, the President, created Peru’s first environment ministry and spoke on his proposal for a global fund to finance reforestation which could reforest ten million hectares could be reforested annually.

A few shots of the other activities at the summit: art for change, dancing and cultural displays, stalls, and the women's tent

El pueblo unido nunca sera vencido

The People's Summit started today. It is being held in a Lima University in the north of the city. Arriving at the campus we were greeted by a crazy colourful mix of lots of people and lots of causes…participants and organisers, setting up stalls, waving banners, registering, conducting interviews and flyering each other.


Once things got going, the morning was taken up with a long inauguration ceremony with lots of thank-yous and welcomes and a general scene setting. All the presenters were in agreement about the inequality and suffering caused by neoliberal polices and free trade agreements and gave impassioned speeches about the need for alternatives and the urgency to unite to fight for ‘other possible worlds’. They were also adamant that the summit was not an ‘anti-summit’ or counter summit as it has been labeled in the press, but a positive gathering to allow repressed voices to be heard and offer alternatives and solutions.


The speeches were followed by a ceremony by indigenous ceremony by people from different indigenous nations – including our partner Abrahan Salazar from MICC, the indigenous movement in Cotopaxi, Ecuador.

The audience was lively and passionate, frequently bursting out with chants and waving flags and banners: ‘ La Selva no se vende, la selva se defiende’ ( The jungle’s not for sale, the jungle should be defended’, ‘El pueblo unido nunca sera vencido’, (united we will never be defeated).

After the long complicated process of feeding over 2000 people, the real summit began with 10 simultaneous sessions taking place every 2 hours throughout the university with a bewildering range of topics including climate change, tools for women’s inclusion in social change, sexual and reproductive rights, migration and human rights, agro industries investment in free trade agreements, and workers rights. I went to the Permanent People’s Tribunal to hear Progressio partner organisation Accion Ecologica present the case against Repsol.

The Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal was apparently set up in 1979 as an international opinion tribunal, to examine and judge complaints of human rights violations submitted by the victims themselves or groups representing them. This session of the tribunal is focused on the actions of European multinationals in Latin America.

Today in the afternoon the panel of judges from 8 countries in LAC/ EU and two indigenous nationalities heard testimonies on the extractive industries including against the British mining company Majaz Monterrico Metals because of their activities in Peru. Members of communities presented their accusations of lack of transparency, illegal presence on community land without the populations consent, repression of protest and dissent (leading to two deaths and many injuries), defamation of critics and the creation of a climate of fear.

The government, they said, is complicit in backing the company “the government does not listen to us. We ask the judges to hear us and find the company guilty,” one witness said. The case is well known in Peru and our partner organisations Guarango and Peru Support group have both worked on it – Peru Support Group’s recent report gives more information on the issue.

There were then testimonies from Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador against the Spanish multinational oil company Repsol. Alejandra Almeida from Acción Ecológica (an envirnonmental organization from Ecuador who we are working with on illegal logging) presented the environmental, cultural and social damage caused by the company in the Yasuní national park including water and soil pollution, biodiversity loss, soil erosion, displacement of communities, cultural destruction, dividing communities with conflicts, health impacts and the militarization of communities.

She said the company had turned the Huarani people who were once proud owners of a rich biodiverse forest into practically being beggars, dependent on food handouts, and concluded by asking the judges to find Repsol guilty of creating an enormous ecological and social debt.

The tribunal moved on to testimonies against the company Botnia and abuses and environmental damage caused by their plantation/paper factory in Uruguay. When the tribunal closed for the day, the evenings cultural activities began. I decided to face the maze of road diversions and road works and try to get home.