The people create thousands of solutions to confront climate change

Thousands of Cancuns for climate justice

La Via Campesina calls on social movements and all people to mobilize       around the world

Peasants are cooling down the planet

Globalize the struggle

Globalize hope!

Climate activists from around the globe have been planning activities on and around December 7th to unite as a community for climate justice and to denounce false solutions to climate change.

Get involved by participating wherever you are. Mobilizations can take many shapes: direct actions, parties, markets, festivals, discussions or exhibitions…. They can take place in any city, village, school or community. Actions are being posted every day at the Via Campesina webpage. In North America, the Mobilization for Climate Justice and the Grassroots Global Justice Alliance both have resources and updates.

Locally in the Bay Area, Mobilization for Climate Justice West is hosting a teach in on Dec 1. More details on that here. Also on Dec 7 MCJW will be pushing for the creation of a public park in the Mission on publicly-owned land currently used as a parking lot. Everyone is invited to build a garden, celebrate community-based activism and enjoy speakers, theatre and music!

Two more resources:

Via Campesina has created a great 7 minute video about climate justice looking towards Cancun, check it out here (also the Via Campesina call out for action) or here.

Grassroots Global Justice Alliance offers a fantastic action and communications toolkit for mobilizing here.

…And here are links to few principles sheets and documents in case you do not have them:

Cochabamba Accord

Indigenous Environmental Network Four Principles of Climate Justice

IEN Report and Statement on REDD

Global Justice Ecology Project Podcast on Cancun Climate Talks Exposes REDD (click on the 11/20/10 Earth Minute)

I join the Acapulco leg of the Caravans of Resistance and Against Environmental Destruction and Inaction (Caravanas en Resistencia en Contra de la Destrucción Ambiental y la Indolencia) tomorrow and will report out soon!

To support LVC’s actions in Cancun, donate here.

To act locally (Bay Area), support MCJW here.

Global Exchange recently attending a gathering of Indigenous leaders for a strategy session on the Rights of Mother Earth hosted by ally organization the Pachamama Alliance.  During the day-long meeting, the gathered tribes discussed bringing the United Nations Declaration on Mother Earth to their members, and the possibility of endorsing this resolution.  We were honored to have taken part in this groundbreaking process.  Community-based organizing and the Rights of Nature represent a new direction for both democracy-building efforts and environmental protection, and we couldn’t be happier about the growth of the movement.

Recently, we met with IEN’s Tom Goldtooth and other native and non-native communities along the tar sands route about possible collaboration around Tar Sands Pipeline. The collaboration would explore the potential for a Rights of Nature movement in partnership with Indigenous Nations and communities to stop the Keystone pipeline by creating local bases of power along the route, mobilizing messaging and tactics from a coordinated rights-based framework.

Please take a few moments to watch this video interview of Michael Horse and his wife, Pennie Opal Plant.  A true modern day renaissance man, Michael Horse is a famous Native American jeweler, actor, stunt man, sculptor, painter and activist.  Hear Pennie and Michael discuss the importance of a rights based approach.  <<VIDEO LINK HERE>>