Letter to world leaders on the occasion of the Leaders’ Summit on Climate

By International People’s Assembly
From the MST Page

It is common knowledge that we are at a decisive moment for human survival and for the biodiversity of our planet. There is a serious environmental and public health crisis, caused by crimes committed continuously by the greed for profit. The research and scientific data are more and more evident, which you know, and we don’t need to quote them. Meanwhile, all the peoples of the world, in the countryside and in the city, feel the consequences of this crisis every day.

According to scientific studies, if the current patterns of land use, deforestation, predatory mining, the agribusiness model dependent on pesticides that kill biodiversity, the monoculture of transgenic crops, and accelerated urbanization are maintained, 4.5 billion people will face problems with the quality and access to water and food production. Climate change affects people’s lives and agricultural productivity.

The question, therefore, is no longer whether there is an environmental crisis, but how to address it.

Financial capital and its banks and transnational corporations control economies, the exploitation of nature, and governments. They are to blame, and they will never offer real solutions. They just want a green capitalism! And the international institutions of the United Nations system have failed.

The way to preserve life, for people and the planet, dear ladies and gentlemen, is clearly in another direction. It will be necessary to mobilize society as a whole, its organizations, popular movements, scientists, and environmental entities, and form an agreement around urgent and necessary measures:

1. Putting human life and nature above private property. The private appropriation of common goods essential to the life of all, such as land, water, air, and biodiversity, is not acceptable. Their care must be attributed to the people, as a collective right and responsibility for the well-being of all people.

2. Promote public policies that confront hunger and promote food sovereignty, supporting peasant and traditional peoples, based on the principles of agroecology. To make a global effort to support, with all the necessary resources, a worldwide campaign to plant native and fruit trees.

3. To guarantee respect for the traditional knowledge of the people, with its forms of managing nature, which have already lasted for centuries, and scientific knowledge, in the search to guarantee production and human reproduction, cultural and biological diversity, in balance with nature.

4. Create financial mechanisms to support initiatives and projects of local populations so that they can carry out concrete actions to protect nature, forests, water, and healthy food.

5. Penalize companies and projects that harm the environment and the indigenous and native populations, expelling them from the market.

6. Change the energy matrix in all countries to sustainable forms. Make changes in the big cities, with measures to avoid pollution, to improve the lives of all, including public transportation.

7. Take definitive action to protect the pollution of the oceans, lakes, and rivers, severely penalizing all aggressors such as the chemical industry, the plastic industry, and industrial pollutants.

8. Ban the use of glyphosate, 2,4-D, and other agrotoxics, which kill biodiversity, contaminate the environment, and people’s health.

9. Provide financial relief with resources from capital hidden in tax havens, for the protection and maintenance of peasant families, traditional peoples, and those who live in areas of risk in the cities.

10. Create international mechanisms of policies, control, and inspection with the participation of scientists, governments, social entities, and popular movements from all over the world.

Capitalism, ladies and gentlemen, is heading towards social barbarism. In its search for profit alone it is leading humanity and nature to collapse. We are at a singular moment in world history, where solidarity and ecological values must overcome those of individualism and consumerism, only defended by the insane capitalists and their governments.

We defend a new path, with our agroecological plantations and breeding, in the protection of waters and nature’s goods, in our territorial resistances, in our solidarity reconstructions in the cities.

Against the project of death and destruction implemented by neoliberal capital, by the big corporations, we commit ourselves to life. This is the path we will continue to follow, building a fair, solidary, ecological and internationalist world.

And to you, rulers, assume your public responsibility, even though it is late!

April 22, 2021, Earth Day!

SIGNATURES:

International Networks

1. IPA – International Peoples’ Assembly
2. ALBA Movimientos
3. La Via Campesina
4. World March of Women

Europe

5. Italy, Associazione Amig@s MST
6. Italy, Associazione Costituzione e beni Comuni
7. Italy, Associazione internazionale “Agorà degli Abitanti della Terra”
8. Italy, Associazione Laudato Sì, Alleanza per il Clima, la Cura della Terra e la Giustizia Sociale
9. Italy, Associazione YAKU
10. Italy, CISS – Cooperazione Internazionale Sud Sud
11. Italy, Comitato Acqua Pubblica della provincia di Cremona
12. Italy, Comitato Acqua Pubblica Lago di Bracciano
13. Italy, Comitato Italiano per il Contratto Mondiale dell’Acqua
14. Italy, Forum Italiano dei Movimenti per l’Acqua
15. Italy, Forum siciliano dei movimenti per l’acqua e i beni comuni
16. Italy, Fuorimercato, autogestione in movimento
17. Italy, MovimentoBlu
18. Italy, Potere al Popolo
19. Italy, Rede da Rione Sanità-Naples.     
20. Italy, Rifondazione Comunista
21. Italy, Segreteria Nazionale Rete Radiè Resch

North America

22. United States, ANSWER Coalition 
23. United States, Border Agricultural Workers Project
24. United States, CodePink: Women for Peace
25. United States, PEP – Popular Education Project
26. United States, PSL – Party for Socialism and Liberation
27. United States, TPF – The People’s Forum

Latin America

28. Argentina, Jóvenes por el Clima
29. Argentina, Patria Grande
30. Brazil, ABONG – Associação Brasileira de ONGs
31. Brazil, ADERE/MG – Articulação dos Empregados Rurais do Estado de Minas Gerais
32. Brazil, Amigos da Terra Brasil
33. Brazil, APIB – Articulação dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil – APIB
34. Brazil, APREMAVI – Associação de Preservação do Meio Ambiente e da Vida
35. Brazil, ASA – Articulação de entidades do Semi-Árido
36. Brazil, ASCEMA Nacional – Associação Nacional dos Servidores Especialistas em Meio Ambiente
37. Brazil, Asibama/Acre – Associação dos Servidores Ibama e ICMBio Acre
38. Brazil, Associação Alternativa Terrazul
39. Brazil, Campanha Antipetroleira Nem um poço a mais!
40. Brazil, CEDECA Sapopemba
41. Brazil, Centro de Promoção da Cidadania e Defesa dos Direitos Humanos Pe Josimo
42. Brazil, CNS – Conselho Nacional das Populações Extrativistas
43. Brazil, CONAQ – Coordenação Nacional de Articulação das Comunidades Negras Rurais Quilombolas
44. Brazil, Congregação da Paixão de Jesus Cristo
45. Brazil, CONTAG – Confederação Nacional dos Trabalhadores Rurais Agricultores e Agricultoras Familiares
46. Brazil, CONTRAF – Confederação Nacional dos Trabalhadores e Trabalhadoras na Agricultura Familiar
47. Brazil, CPP – Conselho Pastoral dos Pescadores
48. Brazil, CPT – Comissão Pastoral da Terra
49. Brazil, CUT – Central única dos Trabalhadores
50. Brazil, ECO4.Santarritense
51. Brazil, Ecossocialistas do Brasil
52. Brazil, Engajamundo
53. Brazil, FAOR – Fórum da Amazônia Oriental
54. Brazil, FASE – Solidariedade e Educação
55. Brazil, FMAP – Fórum de Mulheres da Amazônia Paraense
56. Brazil, FNPE – Fórum Nacional Popular de Educação
57. Brazil, FNU – Federação Nacional dos Urbanitários
58. Brazil, Fórum Popular da Natureza
59. Brazil, Frente Parlamentar Ambientalista
60. Brazil, Frente Parlamentar Mista em Defesa dos Direitos dos Povos Indígenas
61. Brazil, Fridays for Future Brasil
62. Brazil, Fundação Avina
63. Brazil, FVA – Fundação Vitória Amazônica
64. Brazil, Gambá – Grupo Ambientalista da Bahia
65. Brazil, GRAIN
66. Brazil, Greenpeace Brasil
67. Brazil, IDESAM – Instituto de Conservação e Desenvolvimento Sustentável da Amazônia
68. Brazil, IEA – Instituto de Estudos Amazônicos
69. Brazil, Imaflora
70. Brazil, INESC – Instituto de Estudos Socioeconômicos – INESC
71. Brazil, Instituo 5 Elementos – Educação para Sustentabilidade
72. Brazil, Instituto Climainfo
73. Brazil, Instituto de Pesquisa e Formação Indígena – Iepé
74. Brazil, Instituto PACS
75. Brazil, IQ/UFPA – Projeto Saúde, Cidadania e Direitos Humanos
76. Brazil, ISA – Instituto Socioambiental
77. Brazil, ISPN – Instituto Sociedade, População e Natureza
78. Brazil, MAB – Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens
79. Brazil, Marcha Mundial das Mulheres
80. Brazil, Marcha Mundial por Justiça Climática/Marcha Mundial do Clima
81. Brazil, Mater Natura – Instituto de Estudos Ambientais
82. Brazil, MCP – Movimento Camponês Popular
83. Brazil, MNCCD – Movimento Nacional Contra Corrupção e pela Democracia
84. Brazil, Movimento Nacional ODS/Sergipe
85. Brazil, Movimento Saúde Mental
86. Brazil, MPA – Movimentos dos Pequenos Agricultores
87. Brazil, MST – Movimentos dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra
88. Brazil, Observatório de Direitos Humanos dos Povos Indígenas Isolados e de Recente Contato – Opi
89. Brazil, OC – Observatório do Clima
90. Brazil, ONDAS – Observatório Nacional dos Direitos à Água e ao Saneamento
91. Brazil, Projeto Saúde e Alegria
92. Brazil, Província dos Missionários Combonianos do Brasil
93. Brazil, RCA – Rede de Cooperação Amazônica
94. Brazil, Rede Igrejas e Mineração
95. Brazil, Semana Social Brasileira
96. Brazil, SERRSMG – Sindicato dos Empregados Rurais da Região Sul de Minas Gerais
97. Brazil, Sinfrajupe – Serviço Interfranciscano de Justiça, Paz e Ecologia
98. Venezuela, Geografia Viva

Sub Saharan Africa

99. Pan Africa Today
100. Ghana, SFG – Socialist Forum of Ghana
101. Kenya, Revolution Socialist League
102. Kenya, World March of Women
103. South Africa, ABM – Abahlali Basemjondolo
104. South Africa, NUMSA – National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa
105. South Africa, SRWP – Socialist Revolutionary Workers’ Party
106. Tanzania, MVIWATA – MTANDAO WA VIKUNDI VYA WAKULIMA TANZANIA
107. Zambia, SP – Socialist Party Zambia

Arab Maghreb

108. Bharain, Bahrain Women Association
109. Egypt, Socialist Popular Alliance Party
110. Iraq, General Students Union in the Republic of Iraq
111. Iraq, Iraqi Democratic Youth Federation
112. Iraq, Iraqi Women Forum
113. Iraq, Iraqi Womens League
114. Jordan, Arab Women Organization of Jordan
115. Jordan, Jordanian Communist Party
116. Jordan, Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party “Wihda”
117. Jordan, Jordanian Peoples’ Democratic Party
118. Jordan, Jordanian Women Federation “RMA”
119. Jordan, League of Democratic Youth
120. Lebanon, Equality of Boutros Rose for Women’s Work
121. Mauritania, We Can
122. Morocco, Democratic Way
123. Morocco, Moroccan Association for Human Rights
124. Morocco, Moroccan Association of Progressive Women
125. Morocco, Moroccan League for the Defense of Human Rights
126. Palestine, Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
127. Palestine, Palestinian Democratic Women “NADA”
128. Palestine, Palestinian Democratic Youth Union “PDYU”
129. Palestine, Palestinian Peoples Party
130. Palestine, Palestinian People’s Party Youth
131. Palestine, Palestinian Working Women Committees Union
132. Palestine, UAWC – Union of Agricultural Work Committees
133. Palestine, UPWC – Union of Palestinain Women Committes
134. Syria, Syrian Women League
135. Western Sahara, CODESA