Defend Indigenous People and the Amazon

11th Round Bike Ride: Cycling for an Oil-Free Amazon

We invite you to make a donation to help us raise $6,000 for The Pachamama Alliance as we bike 140 miles over 4 days to raise awareness about the 11th Oil Round which threatens the plants, animals, and indigenous people of the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest.

This Spring, Pachamama Alliance staff members are doing something we've never done before. We are taking on five challenges to share our passions and raise $45,000 for our critical work in the world.

For our challenge, we're using our passion for bicycling to raise awareness about the threat of the 11th Oil Round. 

We're pushing our limits to bike a 140 mile loop from San Francisco up the coast to Bodega Bay and back.  

Along the way we'll stop to interact with people to tell them about the 11th Oil Round, the threat it brings, and how they can help.

We're inviting our family, friends, colleagues, and community to stand with us in this bike-fundraising challenge by making a financial contribution.

Whether you can give $10 or $1000, your donation will fuel our ride, inspire conversations along the way, and most importantly support the critical work of The Pachamama Alliance.

More info here.

Ecuador To Sell A Third Of Its Amazon Rainforest To Chinese Oil Companies

Ecuador is planningto auction off three million of the country's 8.1 million hectares of pristine Amazonian rainforest to Chinese oil companies, Jonathan Kaiman of The Guardian reports.

The report comes as oil pollution forced neighboring Peru to declare an environmental state of emergency in its northern Amazon rainforest.

Ecuador owed China more than $7 billion — more than a tenth of its GDP — as of last summer.

In 2009 China began loaning Ecuador billions of dollars in exchange for oil shipments. It also helped fund two of the country's biggest hydroelectric infrastructure projects, and China National Petroleum Corp may soon have a 30 percent stake in a $10 billion oil refinery in Ecuador.

"My understanding is that this is more of a debt issue – it's because the Ecuadoreans are so dependent on the Chinese to finance their development that they're willing to compromise in other areas such as social and environmental regulations," Adam Zuckerman, environmental and human rights campaigner at California-based NGO Amazon Watch, told the Guardian.

The seven indigenous groups who live on the land are not happy, especially because last year a court ruled that governments must obtain "free, prior, and informed consent" from native groups before approving oil activities on their indigenous land.

"They have not consulted us, and we're here to tell the big investors that they don't have our permission to exploit our land," Narcisa Mashienta, a leader of Ecuador's Shuar people, said in a report.

Dan Collyns of The Guardian reports that "indigenous people living in the Pastaza river basin near Peru's border with Ecuador have complained for decades about ... pollution," which has been caused by high levels of petroleum-related compounds in the area. The Argentinian company Pluspetrol has operated oil fields there since 2001.

SOURCE

Stop the biggest man made hole on Earth

The government of Ecuador allowed foreign companies to start highly pollutive mining projects, even though the constitution enshrines the rights of nature. They are looking for short-term profit while destroing the nature on which all the planet depends and extinguishing indigenous populations.

The mining companies make promises of economic growth, but leave behind death of nature and a big economic burden for the state to repair the damage caused by mining. The pollution is in perpetuity and the destruction irreversible. All the money in the world cannot re-build this fragile eco-system.

The ecuadorian rainforest is among the most biodiverse areas on the planet. The Amazon produces one-fifth of the world´s oxygen and counteracts greenhouse gases. It´s basin is hosting over two thirds of the world´s fresh water. As inhabitants of this planet this matter concerns us all as the destruction of this eco-system is inducing changes for all life forms on the planet.
Indigenous people hold vital information about co-existing with nature and they are totally dependent on it. If they loose this land, their culture and population will be extinct.

The Mirador mine is the first of these mining projects and can become the biggest man made hole on Earth with a depth of 1250m. As more large-scale mining projects are pending in that area, the developing of the Mirador mine signifies the opening of the Pandora´s box in the ecuadorian rainforest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vncd6UhENDw

DESCRITION FOR THE YOUTUBE VIDEO: The environmentalist Luis Corral describes with clarity the incompatibility of mining with the cultural and ecological survival of the affected area, and the indigenous people.

Environmental NGO´s and indigenous people started a court action against the Mirador mine based on the rights of nature enshrined in the constitution. 
There is no media coverage on this topic in Ecuador. Judges that take decisions against the president Correa´s policies loose their jobs. We need to show judge Juez Pablo Narváez that the international community is aware of what´s happening and that we support him in taking the decision.
This lawsuit is of great importance because it has the power to create a precedent and prevent other such destructions.

Sign and share petition:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Stop_The_Mirador_Open_Pit_Copper_and_Gold_Mine_in_The_Head_Waters_of_The_River_Amazon/?pv=1

Strike a tree pose and share it on the "Tree pose for Ecuador" facebook page. Like and share this page with your friend and colleagues:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/TreePoseForEcuador/584161058266768?fref=ts

More information on ProtectEcuador.org website:
http://protectecuador.org/

I sent an E-mail to Cause members last week telling you of my 50`th Birthday wish.

I am hoping to travel to Ecuador from the UK in May this year, (Birthday 12`th May) to hand over this petition to;

HE Wilson Pástor-Morris

Minister of Non-Renewable Natural Resources
Head of Delegation

and,

Leonardo Cuenca Berrezueta, appointed Secretary to the President Correa,

and if I`m lucky enough, President Correa himself.

But I`m on a low income and can just about pay all the bills and provide for my family, so if you or anyone you know would like to sponsor me for the flight to Ecaudor (plus boarding) from UK, please get in touch through this cause or via my Facebook profile.

My local Newspaper has kindly agreed to run an article which can be found here.

I can think of nothing else better for my 50`th Birthday than being given the chance to try and do whatever I can, not just for the Amazon and the Indigenous people within, but for the rest of the world.

If you cannot spare any cash for sponsorship, then at least try to help me get double the signatures I have now before the end of May.

You`re support is, as always, much appreciated.

Thank you,

Luke Ashley

Can oil save the rainforest?

When another new oil field was found beneath the Amazon jungle, campaigners feared the worst. But a radical and daring plan to ransom the drilling rights could save the planet's most biodiverse area

American biologist Kelly Swing thwacks a bush with his butterfly net and a dozen or so bugs and insects drop in. One is a harvester, or daddy-long-legs, another a jumping spider which leaps on to a leaf where two beetles are mating.

This is the Tiputini research station, on the edge of the Yasuni national park in Ecuador, where the foothills of the Andes meet the Amazonian rainforest right on the equator. Swing and I are searching for unidentified creatures and within a minute or two of looking we may well have found several. The daddy-long-legs, the spider, possibly the beetles on the leaf, even the bee that, disturbed, flies out of the undergrowth to bite Kelly on the neck, may well be unnamed by science, says Swing. Yasuni is terra incognita, one of the beastliest, lushest, most fecund, abundant but unknown places on earth. Up to 100 people from two tribes of warlike Huaorani Indians live there in voluntary isolation and, within a kilometre of where we are standing, it has been estimated, live 150 frog, 120 reptile, 600 bird and 200 mammal species, including nearly 100 species of bat. To give a sense of scale, there are only 18 bat and six reptile species in the whole of Britain.

Yasuni has astonished biologists, who say it could have the greatest concentration of species on the planet, having been a refuge during the last ice age. So far, nearly 1,500 species of plants and 400 fish species have been found in the 1.2m sq km national park. More species of frogs and toads have been recorded than are native to the US and Canada combined; more birds than in all of Europe. But when it comes to insects, says Swing, Yasuni is world class. "There are perhaps 10 million insect species in the world, of which one in 10 could be living here. It would take a team of scientists possibly 400 years just to identify them all, and a book of 10,000 pages to record them in," he says.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/jan/20/can-oil-save-the-rainforest?CMP=twt_gu

Donations to the Yasuni initiative can be made at mptf.undp.org/yasuni

Ecuadorian tribe gets reprieve from oil intrusion.

Residents of Sani Isla have built up an arsenal of weapons to fend off Petroamazonas, in a confrontation which did not take place as expected 

An indigenous community in the Ecuadorian Amazon has won a reprieve after building up an arsenal of spears, blowpipes, machetes and guns to fend off an expected intrusion by the army and a state-run oil company.

The residents of Sani Isla expressed relief that a confrontation with Petroamazonas did not take place  on Tuesday as anticipated , but said the firm is still trying to secure exploration rights in their area of pristine rainforest

."We have won a victory in our community. We're united," said the community president, Leonardo Tapuy. "But the government and the oil company won't leave us alone.

 "The Kichwa tribe on Sani Isla, had said they were ready to fight to the death to protect their territory, which covers 70,000 hectares. More than a quarter of their land is in Yasuni national park, the most biodiverse place on earth.

Petroamazonas had earlier told them it would begin prospecting on their land on 15 January, backed by public security forces

.Before the expected confrontation,the shaman, Patricio Jipa said people were making blowpipes and spears, trying to borrow guns and preparing to use sticks stones and any other weapons they could lay their hands on.

"Our intention was not to hurt or kill anyone, but to stop them from entering our land," he said.It is unclear why Petroamazonas hesitated. The company has yet to respond to the Guardian's request for a comment.Locals speculated that it was due to a reaffirmation of opposition to the oil company at a marathon community meeting on Sunday."They've heard that we are united against the exploration so they have backed off," said Fredy Gualinga, manager of the Sani Lodge. "We're happy they haven't come. Life is going on as normal."The relief may not last for long given the huge fossil fuel resources that are thought to lie below the forest."It was a close thing, but we're not out of the water. The oil company has not given up. They will continue to hound us and to try to divide the community. But at least we have a few days respite," said Mari Muench, a British woman who is married to the village shaman.The elected leaders of Sani Isla have pledged to resist offers from Petroamazonas for the duration of their term."This policy will remain in place during our period in office. We're committed to that and we will do what we can to make it more permanent," said Abdon Grefa, the speaker of the community.The battle has now moved to the judicial system and the court of public opinion. Their appeal for an injunction went before a judge on Wednesday and they are calling on supporters to help them build a long-term economic alternative to fossil fuels."We hope people will write protest letters to Petroamazonas, come and visit our lodge, promote Sani, donate money to our school and projects, volunteer as teachers or provide funds to students to travel overseas so they can learn what we need to survive in the future," said the community secretary, Klider Gualinga.

Ecuador: Government Delays Payment to Indigenous People

The Ecuadorian government is delaying the compensation payment to the indigenous people of Sarayaku. Six months ago the Interamerican Court of Human Rights ruled that the Ecuadorian State must pay US$400,000 to one million Sarayaku people in the Pastaza region after an Argentine oil company entered indigenous land.
In 2003, the oil company buried more than 1,400 kilos of pentolite, a dangerous explosive material in the Sarayaku territory.
Sarayaku president, José Gualinga said the Ecuadorian government is failing to realise the ruling of the Court of Human Rights.
The indigenous leaders showed that after six months, the Ecuadorian government has paid only US$18,000 of the demanded compensation. The indigenous community is asking for the withdrawal of explosive materials from indigenous territory and also for public apologies from the president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa.

IS THIS A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME ??

"We Are Not Poor People":
Learning from Indigenous Perspectives of Wealth.

The quote you see in the title of this post comes from Franco Viteri, president of CONFENIAE, a regional organization representing Ecuador's Amazonian indigenous nationalities.
He made this remark in response to Ecuador's plans for oil development in the Amazon, and Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa's stance that indigenous people "mistake poverty for their traditional lifestyle."
http://www.pachamama.org/prot
Both Viteri and Correa's statements indicate starkly contrasted views on wealth and poverty. This contrast becomes especially apparent when a country like Ecuador seeks to develop indigenous land for the perceived national economic benefit it may have.
So how can a country like Ecuador properly engage an indigenous worldview that assesses wealth differently? Is there an economic middle ground to be found between these two parties?
This blog grapples with the issues surrounding these important questions, and in doing so, reveals the profound value of embracing indigenous perspectives of wealth.

Wealth Depends on How You Measure it.
For many indigenous communities, wealth is linked to the application and preservation of ancestral knowledge and cultural traditions, and the depth of one's connection to the environment and the sacred.
For many modern governments, on the other hand, wealth is perhaps more defined in terms of the possession of goods, of newly acquired knowledge like technology, and an ability to utilize and manipulate the environment to create new avenues of monetary revenue.
Of course there is overlap in both cases, but it's clear that concepts of wealth are approached in fundamentally different ways.

What about Environmental Wealth?
Both sides do in fact view wealth in their natural surroundings. However, the difference is one of inherent value (indigenous communities) and produced value (modern governments).
For example, the government of Ecuador sees the environment as a depository of resources to be extracted, creating economic wealth in the form of energy production and commerce.
In the case of the Amazonian indigenous peoples, the environment is a natural source of wealth that has inherent value for what it is, not for what can be taken from it. They don't view trees solely as lumber, or oil as fuel since the pursuit of these elements would destroy the environment's real natural value.

When Wealth Becomes a Human Rights Issue
One could argue that the competing views on wealth in this modern-indigenous clash is fundamentally a human rights issue. No human community should be able to impose its view of wealth on another. So who decides what system of wealth will be ?
The most reasonable answer to this question is that each individual culture must decide for itself. This enables each unique human community to navigate their own landscape of wealth and poverty in the ways that are most culturally effective and relevant.

Meeting in the Middle
In a video from a recent blog post, indigenous leader and dream shaman Manari Ushinga urges the human community to "find ways that enable development while respecting these life systems." His statement offers an example of the middle ground that both sides can agree on.
An economic middle ground that the world over must embrace if environmental wealth is to be recognized (and the cultures that already value it protected) is a process of development defined by one word: sustainability.
Development that takes into account the long-term environmental and social effects of its processes will have to be embraced to ensure preservation of the world's environmental and cultural wealth.

What's Happening Right Now
At the moment, Ecuador is not making concerted efforts to explore alternatives to oil development, and the cultural and environmental wealth of the Amazonian rainforest remains at risk.
http://www.pachamama.org/protect-ecuadors-amazon-rainforest

Since 25th October,> 11.5 thousand signatures,(now averaging at 1 thousand new signatures per week) nearly 56 thousand shares on Facebook, 190 tweets. And 143 positive comments. Also, since this cause was created in May 2011, over 19.5 thousand people have joined the call for a global ban on fracking by joining this cause.

Everyone who joins this cause, is effectively signing a Global Declaration to not only ban fracking worldwide, but also to oppose hydrocarbon extraction and production/consumption in general.

So thanks for all the sharing, tweeting, commenting, posting and support that everyone has shown so far. I`m glad there are so many like-minded people out there, who are willing to take a stand, or who are keen to learn how and why.

As you can see (if you`ve done your homework) there is a lot more to it than just a bit of fracking here and there around the world, Climate change is affecting many people around the globe and the oil and gas industry (as well as many other industries) play a HUGE part in polluting the atmosphere, to name just one major impact.

So it is within EVERYONE`S interest to spread the word and find out ways to make them `STOP`.

Please keep sharing this Facebook `Causes`s page and especially this petition. Get anyone you can to join this cause. Sometime in the future I hope to be involved in helping to create and present this global declaration of UNITED concerned citizens, to a *worthy* International Global committee/organisation, (that is proving difficult) in an attempt to utilise our REAL democratic rights and powers, to enable us to create a TRULY sustainable, clean, safe and healthy future for OUR Planet.

Thanks for all your support. Please don`t stop.
YOU HAVE THE POWER.

Keep the Pressure On to Stop Oil Exploitation Before It Starts.

On Wednesday, Ecuador's government gave oil companies the go-ahead to begin preparing their bids for oil exploitation of nearly eight million acres of rainforest in Ecuador's south-central Amazon.

The government moved forward in spite of indigenous communities' clear and repeated opposition, flouting the historic "Sarayaku ruling" by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights earlier this year, which established new standards for indigenous peoples' right to prior consultation related to oil development in their territories.

Despite the government's actions, I'm still optimistic that the expansion of petroleum exploitation into this pristine area can be stopped.

The fact that the Ecuadorean government removed from the initial bidding some of the areas with the strongest indigenous opposition– including Sarayaku and most of Achuar territory– demonstrates that the combined efforts of indigenous peoples and international supporters like you is having an impact.

Even Platts, an oil industry news outlet, reported "Industry executives said that [indigenous] protests put the government's plans at risk because of the threat of legal challenges if companies participate."

Our indigenous partners have resisted previous oil threats before, and with your support, they'll be even better equipped to meet the challenge again.

The amount of oil in the area currently threatened in Ecuador is estimated as enough to meet global demand for just a few days at most.

With extreme weather events like Hurricane Sandy and historic droughts drawing attention to the climate crisis, our rainforests– the "lungs" of our planet that regulate our climate and benefit every one of us every day– are more important than ever.

What happens in Ecuador could establish a precedent not just for the Amazon, but the entire world– a precedent of putting a livable environment ahead of short-term economic gain.

At this crucial moment, please help us build a defence fund to keep oil development out of this important area by making a gift to The Pachamama Alliance.

Your support will enable trainings, mobilizations, public relations campaigns, and bold action by our indigenous partners in the face of intense pressure from the government and oil companies.

Keep the momentum going by making a gift now »
https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/ThePachamamaAlliance/OnlineGiving.html?source=donate30

Dear Friends,

I am overwhelmed by the support you have shown since this petition started 12 days ago. 3,860 signatures, 9,680 shares on Facebook, 43 shares on Twitter and $50 donated to Amazon Watch. This is absolutely fantastic and thank you very much.

With this update, I am not only asking you to keep up your fantastic and generous support, I want to remind you why it is so important.

Take a look at this message by The Pachamama Alliance.

"You were born for this moment.

Yes, this moment-the one full of environmental, social, and spiritual crises. It's your opportunity to live one of the most meaningful lives in history.
Our indigenous partners in the Amazon know this, too - the Kichwa nation as well as the Shuar, Waorani, Sapara, Shiwiar, and Achuar nations.
Their ancestral lands and cultures will be directly impacted by this 11th Round, but they're clear that this is a struggle on behalf of all life: theirs, yours, and that of future generations.
Support and investment from allies like you have already made so much possible:

Postponed this phase of the 11th Round, which was originally scheduled for January 2012.

Produced over 50 workshops for indigenous people throughout the Amazon, ensuring a united front in resisting oil development and promoting alternatives.

Provided crucial legal support to the Kichwa people of Sarayaku, leading to an historic ruling in July 2012 that affirmed and strengthened indigenous people's right to free, prior, and informed consultation.

Now, not only is the government moving forward with the 11th Round, they are doing so in spite of indigenous people's protests that the consultation process has not adhered to the ruling.
But there's still time to turn this situation around if we take action and let our indigenous partners know we've got their backs.
Step up as their ally and tell President Correa that he too has an historic opportunity to safeguard life on Earth for generations to come!"

You see my friends, this is the first time The Pachamama Alliance has ever launched a letter writing campaign online, the first time they`ve asked the worldwide community to take an action like this. But they`ve always been willing to take on new things in the name of being allies, and I know you are, too.

So PLEASE, don`t stop now. Keep doing what you`re doing. Sharing, Caring and Donating.

Thank you very much for your support.

Luke Ashley.
Global Fracking Ban.

Dear Friends,

With your help this exceptionally important petition has reached over 1000 signatures in just three days.

I`m sure you`ll agree with me that this is a staggering achievement. Each and every one of you deserves a a pat on the back. Well done and thank you for your support.

My initial goal was set to 1000 by the end of this Month but I may have underestimated your willingness to support the efforts of the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon and their Rights.

So I have decided to increase the goal to 5000 signatures by the end of the Month. That`s another three days. Am I being over optimistic? Possibly, but with more people now aware of this petition, the more it will be shared around the web.

I believe we can do it. I know you are already sharing, with over 2,500 shares on Facebook so far. That`s absolutely fantastic.

Remember, It is in EVERYONE`S interest that this Licence round does not go through, so the more signatures we get, the better chance we have of not just succeeding in the Amazon, but also other sensitive areas around the world. We need to show these destructive extractive corporate thugs that they cannot and will not be allowed to continue on their destructive path around the world to satisfy their personal need for greed whilst abusing the rights of Humanity, Animals and Nature.

So PLEASE keep Sharing and Caring.
Thank you for your support.
FrackingBan.

Dear Friends,

In just two days and with your help, we are already over half way to achieving our initial goal of 1000 signatures. With this update I would like to not only thank you for your time and effort, but also to bring you news of a demonstration against the oil licensing round.

Quito, Ecuador – Ecuador's Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities, or Conaie, said Wednesday it is planning demonstrations against the planned 11th licensing round for oil exploration in the country's south-east.

Humberto Cholango, Conaie's president, as well as representatives of several indigenous communities of the Ecuadorian Amazon, said at a press conference that they are against oil activity in their "ancestral lands," which they claim will be affected by the exploration.

Ecuador plans to launch a licensing round for oil exploration in the south-east, near the border with Peru, on Nov. 28 to tender 13 oil blocks.

Additionally, state-run oil company Petroecuador plans to negotiate with foreign state companies to develop three other blocks in the area.

"We are defending our land. We won't allow oil activity," said Franco Viteri, president of a Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon, known as Confeniae.
http://www.ecuanex.net.ec/confeniae/

The demonstrations will be held before the official call for the tender.

Mr. Cholango also said that Conaie plans to go to the Constitutional Court in an effort to stop the tender.

Ecuador expects to attract up to $1.2 billion worth of investment to develop the oil blocks of the 11th licensing round. The country plans to sign the respective contracts at the end of September 2013.

I cannot stress enough the importance of stopping this license round from going ahead. It is in ALL our interests no matter what part of the world we live in to take whatever action available to us. Keep an eye out for further updates as the date of the demonstration approaches in 2013, but in the meantime, please keep spreading the word about this petition. Judging by the number of signatures in such a short space of time, I have a feeling this petition will be going viral due to peoples understanding of why it so important to protect the Ecuadorian Amazon and surrounding areas by keeping the oil companies OUT.

Thanks again for your support,

PS. Keep sharing.
For more information about issues in the Amazon, please visit Amazon Watch
http://amazonwatch.org/news
For information about the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador, please visit,
http://www.conaie.org/sobre-nosotros
or Wikipedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CONAIE