Photos: Petermann/
Global Justice Ecology Project
Nusa Dua, Bali,
Indonesia -A very diverse group of non-governmental organizations,
indigenous peoples organizations and social movements staged a protest
today outside of a press conference where World Bank President and
former US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick announced the launch
of the World Bank?s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility.
"This Facility
is merely the World Bank up to their old tricks," stated Anne
Petermann, Co-Director of Global Justice Ecology Project. "They've
packaged up their carbon trading agenda under the guise of forest
protection, when in fact this Facility will result in more forest
destruction, more displacement of indigenous peoples and more carbon
emissions. It's a lose-lose-lose proposition for everyone but big
business," she added.
Close to 100 people
stood outside of the press conference facility chanting slogans and
staging a die-in, with different people representing island nations,
indigenous and women?s groups, ecosystems and species that are threatened
with annihilation from climate change. They charge that the focus
of the World Bank on profit-oriented "false solutions,"
like carbon trading and carbon offset projects including industrial
tree plantations, is actually contributing to an acceleration of climate
change.
"While pretending
to be concerned about climate change and poverty, The World Bank has
continued to fund fossil fuel exploitation to the tune of $8 billion
since 2000," explained Janet Redman, a researcher with the Sustainable
Energy and Economy Network. "At the same time, they've done virtually
nothing to bring clean energy to the 1.6 billion people without electricity,"
she added.
"The World
Bank is channeling over $2 billion from the most polluting industries
in the industrialized north to the most polluting companies in the
global south, while profiting handsomely from so-called 'overhead',"
added Anna Pinto of the Center for Organizations, Research & Education.
"The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility is merely more of the
same. It is also violating the rights of indigenous peoples to prior
and informed consent as laid out in the UN Declaration on the Rights
of Indigenous Peoples," she concluded.
The very vocal
and empassioned protest continued for 35 minutes with chants including
'World Bank: Hands Off!', 'Robert Zoellick You Can't Hide: Carbon
Trading is a Crime', 'More Forest: Less Bank!' and 'Land Rights Now!'
Titi Soentoro,
of the Indonesian Civil Society Forum and the Gender Caucus read a
statement endorsed by dozens of groups demanding the rejection of
the World Bank?s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility http://www.foei.org/en/campaigns/climate/bali/forests-declaration
Contacts: Janet
Redman, SEEN, +62-813-389-84-882
Simone Lovera, Global Forest Coalition, +62-813-379-84-639
