As the United Nations Climate Conference take place, thousands of environmental activists and campaigners head to Cancun, Mexico, some to take part in open protests others to participate in the alternative grassroots Global Forum for Life and Environmental and Social Justice.
In April this year (2010) more than 30 thousand environmental activists and representatives of social organisations participated in the World Summit of People Against Climate Change and in Defense of Mother Earth that took place in Tiquipaya, Bolivia. The Summit agreed in the creation of a Climate Justice Tribunal and that developed countries must acknowledge their responsibility on climate change and pay the costs involved in addressing environmental woes.
The Tiquipaya Summit strongly criticised the Kyoto Protocol, viewing this as nothing but a means for polluters to continue destroying the environment, for financial speculators to continue to profit and for developed countries to avoid their responsibilities in repairing the damages caused to the environment.
The Cancun Conference will debate at least 13 recommendations of the document agreed at Tiquipaya. This in itself is seen as hopeful, although many developed nations strongly oppose them.
The Conference started on Mon 30 November and will end on 12 December 2010. The President of Bolivia, Evo Morales, will attend the last two days of the Conference, and will make sure to voice the rights of Mother Earth. In Cancun today another battle is taking place in defense of Mother Earth and the future of humanity.