When La Via Campesina, the world’s largest federation of peasant farmers, called for a day of action, yesterday in solidarity with their prsence at the UNCOP 17 climate forum in Durban South Africa, Occupy Oakland responded. Read their statement, below. (For more photos from the day in Durban, click.)
Occupy Oakland Solidarity Statement with the 1000 Durbans Day of Action for Climate Justice
La Via Campesina march in Durban. December 3, 2011
In response to the 1% profiting from pollution:
Occupy Oakland stands in solidarity with the December 3rd Global Day of Action for climate justice called by La Via Campesina, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance and the Civil Society Organizing Committee in South Africa. This day of action is happening under the banner “Stop the 1% from profiting from pollution! Lift up community solutions that cool the planet!”
While the 1% trash the planet and our communities for profit, we know that the solutions to both pollution and poverty are one and the same. The same corporations that control U.S. politics and hold unrestrained amounts of power in this failed economic system, such as Chevron, have also caused catastrophic ecological destruction and profited off of the exploitation of communities of color and low-income communities in Richmond, Oakland and around the world.
At the United Nations COP 17 climate conference being held in Durban, South Africa right now, another round of empty promises and false solutions led by the U.S. and it’s backing corporations will be ‘debated’ – false solutions that earn them a profit at the expense of people and the planet. We believe that local solutions that build community resilience and power are keys to fighting our world’s ecological and economic crises.
Occupy Oakland stands in solidarity with frontline communities around the world on this December 3rd Global Day of Action, as a day to stop the 1% from polluting and profiting and model the real solutions coming from our communities that cool the planet.
As part of this day of action, Occupy Oakland stands in solidarity with East Oakland residents and allied groups who will be participating by working to expand the Tassafaronga Farm in East Oakland. Growing the farm will be a model for meeting community needs on underutilized land through urban agriculture to provide healthy food for all residents of Oakland. We invite you to support this action where we will be planting beds, sharing food, and discussing community solutions for climate justice, food sovereignty and land reclamation.
Tere Almaguer of Poder! and Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, in Durban, December 3, 2011
For the full text of the Dec. 3 Global Day of Action, visit: http://ggjalliance.org/node/883
