Proposal Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth

Preamble

We, the peoples and nations of Earth:

considering that we are all part of Mother Earth, an indivisible, living community of interrelated and interdependent beings with a common destiny;

gratefully acknowledging that Mother Earth is the source of life, nourishment and learning and provides everything we need to live well;

recognizing that the capitalist system and all forms of depredation, exploitation, abuse and contamination have caused great destruction, degradation and disruption of Mother Earth, putting life as we know it today at risk through phenomena such as climate change;

Working Group 3: Mother Earth Rights

PRE CONFERENCE OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS IN BOLIVIA ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND MOTHER EARTH’S RIGHTS

(Cochabamba, 29 and 30 March 2010)

The representatives of the following organizations: Confederación Sindical Única de Trabajadores Campesinos de Bolivia (CSUTCB), Confederación Nacional de Mujeres Campesinas Indígenas Originarias de Bolivia “Bartolina Sisa”,  (CNMCIOB “BS”), Consejo Nacional de Ayllus y Markas del Qollasuyo (CONAMAQ), Confederación de Pueblos Indígenas de Bolivia (CIDOB), Confederación Sindical de Comunidades Interculturales de Bolivia (CSCIB), Central Obrera Boliviana (COB),  and other participants of Subgroup 3: MOTHER EARTH’S RIGHTS

GROUP 3: THE RIGHTS OF MOTHER EARTH

If we are all part of a single interdependent system, why should only humans have rights, and nature be treated simply as the object of human interests? In order to ensure respect for human rights in the twenty-first century, we must recognize that our Mother Earth has rights, too. Only by recognizing and defending the Rights of the Mother Earth can we restore balance on the planet. As long as humans treat Mother Earth as a slave with no rights, it will be impossible to recover our humanity.

What are the Rights of the Mother Earth? What can we do to promote and defend them at national, regional and international levels?

The challenge of this working group is to reflect on these questions and to and collectively construct a project for a Universal Declaration Mother Earth Rights.

Mother Earth Rights

Objective of the group in terms of debate and product

• To draft a project of the Universal Declaration of Mother Earth’s Rights
• Discuss proposals to promote Mother Earth’s Rights regionally, nationally and     internationally

Main topics to be discussed by each group:

• Why do we use the term “Mother Earth”?
• Why does Mother Earth need Rights?
• Why do we need a Universal Declaration?
• Which rights are to be included?
• Which steps could contribute to the adoption of rights at a regional, national and international levels?

DRAFT UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MOTHER EARTH

UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MOTHER EARTH

[draft February 2010]

Preamble

We, the peoples of Earth:

 gratefully acknowledging that Mother Earth gives us life, nourishes and teaches us and provides us with all that we need to live well;

recognizing that Mother Earth is an indivisible community of diverse and interdependent beings with whom we share a common destiny and to whom we must relate in ways that benefit Mother Earth;

Pre-conference of Bolivian indigenous peoples and social organizations on climate change and the Rights of Mother Earth

PRE CONFERENCE OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS IN BOLIVIA ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND MOTHER EARTH’S RIGHTS

(Cochabamba, 29 and 30 March 2010)

The representatives of the following organizations: Confederación Sindical Única de Trabajadores Campesinos de Bolivia (CSUTCB), Confederación Nacional de Mujeres Campesinas Indígenas Originarias de Bolivia “Bartolina Sisa”,  (CNMCIOB “BS”), Consejo Nacional de Ayllus y Markas del Qollasuyo (CONAMAQ), Confederación de Pueblos Indígenas de Bolivia (CIDOB), Confederación Sindical de Comunidades Interculturales de Bolivia (CSCIB), Central Obrera Boliviana (COB),  and other participants of Subgroup 3: MOTHER EARTH’S RIGHTS

Mother Earth being a living being, of which all life forms, both animate and inanimate are part, and aware of its benefits for living well-in good health-, we assume the responsibility and the generational role in cultivating balance and harmony in our lives and with our Mother Earth.

We call the world to regain our ancestral spiritual essence and raise community and universal awareness, practicing and generating:

–       Acknowledgement and respect for Mother Earth’s rights

–       Actions in daily community life, in balance and harmony with Mother  Earth

–       The recovery of our Mother Earth’s health for humanity, practicing the health principles and values of our ancestral peoples and putting into practice ancestral actions acknowledging and respecting our own forms of living, forms characteristic of the indigenous peoples, with respect to Mother Earth.

–       Daily ancestral actions recognizing each other as brothers and sisters and acknowledging the duty to take care of Mother Earth in order to live well.

We put forward the following Draft Universal Declaration of Mother Earth’s Rights, for the peoples, nations, States and governments in the whole world:

UNIVERSAL ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS

By Diane Perlman, PhD
Recommended Amendments to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

PREAMBLE

Whereas the 1948 “recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,”

Whereas in 2009, recognition the world has changed dramatically in ways not imagined, such that catastrophic climate change threatens the very rights declared in 1948, we recognize that human rights now depend on protecting our environment for the welfare of all living now and in the future, and that freedom to live in harmony with our environment is the basis for all other human rights, necessary to enjoy life, health, freedom, justice and peace.

Empirical implications of the alternative vision of Earth as subjects of rights.

Contribution working group by:

Lysete Sandra Hernández Gámez

Msc Environmental Change and Management, ECI, Oxford

PhD Researcher

University of East Anglia

Environmental Science, CSERGE

United Kingdom

Empirical implications of the alternative vision of Earth as subjects of rights

The conceptualization of the Earth within the dominant economic system is that of the exploitable services. Ecosystems are viewed as producers and this way fall in the economic language daily, so that way the management of resources is aimed at minimizing costs, maximizing profits, supply and demand. One example is the emerging carbon market and offsetting of emissions, where forests are seen as sinks of CO2, as potential means of escape to continue polluting notwithstanding the urgency of reducing emissions. The rationality that dominates is that of finding ways to efficiently exploit this “service” (the carbon capture and storage), while obtaining a benefit, such as allowing the polluter to continue doing so.