Cochabamba-Tiquipaya-La Paz, Bolivia
I write this entry from 12,000 feet above sea-level where clouds and people share the same horizon.
I spend a lot of my time thinking about how climate change and rising sea-levels will affect low-income people of color in waterfront communities in the United States. In the communities that exist high in the sky, I'm realizing how climate change, melting glaciers, and the scarcity of water for drinking and agriculture is already devastating the people of Bolivia.
Our political economies often segregate people of color struggles around the world. My time in Cochabamba has been a testament to the urgency for the struggles of the north and south to merge, and we can because the resilient children of the global south are living and fighting for change in the north. After a week of negotiations to create declarations of the rights for climate migrants and critical interventions for the shifting eco-systems, among 16 other working groups, with my hermanos y hermanas from developing countries around the world, it is clear to me our power to work together as pueblos in solidarity.
Working toward local and global justice in belly of the beast of capitalism and imperialism is often ugly. However, the 10's of thousands of people that came together to deepen their commitments to the rights of poor people around the world and the rights of Pachamama reaffirmed another world is possible. A world where the people that have been undervalued and exploited for hundreds of years are prioritized and treated with human dignity. A world where we the children of mother earth are in harmony with her. A world that is beautifully filled with local economies managed with the careful hands of los pueblos.
I feel assured of my ability to lead and work with the communities that are most affected by the violent and toxic abuse of Pachamama. I feel assured of our resilience in the United States when capitalism fails irreparably. I feel more prepared to build a new social order with mis comañer@s around the globe as we transition out of the systems of power as we know them today.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Activistas Norteamericanos Participan en la Inauguración con Presidente Evo Morales a La Primera Cumbre Mundial Sobre el Cambio Climático
PARA DIFUSION INMEDIATA
20 Abril 2010
Contacts (in Bolivia):
Joaquín Sánchez, UPROSE: +591 774 11248
Diana Wu, Movement Strategy Center+591 779 46796
Activistas Norteamericanos Participan en la Inauguración con Presidente Evo Morales a La Primera Cumbre Mundial Sobre el Cambio Climático
Cochabamba, Bolivia- Activistas Latinos y Afro-Americanos de centros urbanos de toda norteamérica y sus aliados de todo el mundo asistieron a la inauguración de la conferencia sobre el Cambio Climático y los Derechos de la Madre Tierra, invitados por el Presidente Boliviano Evo Morales en Cochabamba.
Morales convocó a la conferencia después del fracaso de las negociaciones políticas sobre el cambio climático en Copenhague el año pasado. Más de 15,000 delegados de 126 países oyeron las palabras del presidente Morales hoy en Tiquipaya-Cochabamba, Bolivia, y van a estar reuniéndose en grupos de trabajo esta semana, para desarrollar estrategias y proponer políticas sobre temas como bosques, el agua, deuda climática, y finanzas. Presidente Morales se comprometió a traer y promover éstas recomendaciones a la 16a Conferencia de los Partidos que se realizará en Cancún al final de este año.
La convocación incluyó una ceremonia de bendición multicultural de pueblos indígenas de todo el continente, y discursos por representantes de los movimientos sociales de los cinco continentes. Hablaron sobre la urgencia del crisis climático y la necesidad de acciones audaces que protegen los derechos humanos y del medio ambiente.
“El cambio climático y su impacto en la gente urbano ha sido ignorado por nuestro gobierno. El Protocolo de Kyoto y Copenhague fueron oportunidades para que el gobierno garantiza la sobrevivencia de las comunidades más vulnerables en los Estados Unidos. Estamos en Bolivia para aprender a trabajar juntos con los pueblos indígenas en la lucha contra la explotación de las empresas transnacionales y los gobiernos negligentes,” dijó Joaquín Sánchez de UPROSE (NY), y coordinador del proyecto Youth Justice, una iniciativa del empoderamiento de jóvenes en Brooklyn.
“Estoy aquí porque yo estaba en Copenhague y vi cómo las voces de la gente fueron limitados en el proceso de negociación. Quería asegurar que las voces de las comunidades internacionales que son los más afectados por el cambio climático se conectaron y en solidaridad en camino hacia a COP 16 en Cancún. Es importante que la gente en el sur ve que en el vientre de la bestia tambien hay comunidades que viven en las sombras de las industrias toxicas que vean en sus propias comunidades,” dijó Kari Fulton, Coordinadora de la Campaña Nacional para Jovenes de la Iniciativa para la Justicia Ambiental y el Cambio Climático y co-fundador de Checktheweather.net.
“Estoy aquí porque creo que lo más importante para nuestra sobrevivencia colectiva es que todo lo que hagamos sobre el cambio climático sea suficientemente grande para cumplir con la escala del problema, y que realmente transforma el capitalismo, el colonialismo, el racismo y el patriarcado, entre otras cosas. La explotación de la naturaleza y lo que WEB Dubois llamó “cuerpos oscuros” son tan entremezclados que cualquier solución que sólo trata a una parte, está condenada al fracaso,” dijó Diana Wu del Centro de Estategias del Movimiento y profesora de estudios ambientales. “Necesitamos conectar las luchas de las comunidades vulnerables en los EE.UU. con otras comunidades vulnerables y los movimientos sociales en el sur. La gente en esta delegación de los EE.UU. son los que lo estan haciendo.”
La delegación estará en Cochabamba durante la Conferencia (20-24 de abril). Celular local: +591 774 11248
###
20 Abril 2010
Contacts (in Bolivia):
Joaquín Sánchez, UPROSE: +591 774 11248
Diana Wu, Movement Strategy Center+591 779 46796
Activistas Norteamericanos Participan en la Inauguración con Presidente Evo Morales a La Primera Cumbre Mundial Sobre el Cambio Climático
Cochabamba, Bolivia- Activistas Latinos y Afro-Americanos de centros urbanos de toda norteamérica y sus aliados de todo el mundo asistieron a la inauguración de la conferencia sobre el Cambio Climático y los Derechos de la Madre Tierra, invitados por el Presidente Boliviano Evo Morales en Cochabamba.
Morales convocó a la conferencia después del fracaso de las negociaciones políticas sobre el cambio climático en Copenhague el año pasado. Más de 15,000 delegados de 126 países oyeron las palabras del presidente Morales hoy en Tiquipaya-Cochabamba, Bolivia, y van a estar reuniéndose en grupos de trabajo esta semana, para desarrollar estrategias y proponer políticas sobre temas como bosques, el agua, deuda climática, y finanzas. Presidente Morales se comprometió a traer y promover éstas recomendaciones a la 16a Conferencia de los Partidos que se realizará en Cancún al final de este año.
La convocación incluyó una ceremonia de bendición multicultural de pueblos indígenas de todo el continente, y discursos por representantes de los movimientos sociales de los cinco continentes. Hablaron sobre la urgencia del crisis climático y la necesidad de acciones audaces que protegen los derechos humanos y del medio ambiente.
“El cambio climático y su impacto en la gente urbano ha sido ignorado por nuestro gobierno. El Protocolo de Kyoto y Copenhague fueron oportunidades para que el gobierno garantiza la sobrevivencia de las comunidades más vulnerables en los Estados Unidos. Estamos en Bolivia para aprender a trabajar juntos con los pueblos indígenas en la lucha contra la explotación de las empresas transnacionales y los gobiernos negligentes,” dijó Joaquín Sánchez de UPROSE (NY), y coordinador del proyecto Youth Justice, una iniciativa del empoderamiento de jóvenes en Brooklyn.
“Estoy aquí porque yo estaba en Copenhague y vi cómo las voces de la gente fueron limitados en el proceso de negociación. Quería asegurar que las voces de las comunidades internacionales que son los más afectados por el cambio climático se conectaron y en solidaridad en camino hacia a COP 16 en Cancún. Es importante que la gente en el sur ve que en el vientre de la bestia tambien hay comunidades que viven en las sombras de las industrias toxicas que vean en sus propias comunidades,” dijó Kari Fulton, Coordinadora de la Campaña Nacional para Jovenes de la Iniciativa para la Justicia Ambiental y el Cambio Climático y co-fundador de Checktheweather.net.
“Estoy aquí porque creo que lo más importante para nuestra sobrevivencia colectiva es que todo lo que hagamos sobre el cambio climático sea suficientemente grande para cumplir con la escala del problema, y que realmente transforma el capitalismo, el colonialismo, el racismo y el patriarcado, entre otras cosas. La explotación de la naturaleza y lo que WEB Dubois llamó “cuerpos oscuros” son tan entremezclados que cualquier solución que sólo trata a una parte, está condenada al fracaso,” dijó Diana Wu del Centro de Estategias del Movimiento y profesora de estudios ambientales. “Necesitamos conectar las luchas de las comunidades vulnerables en los EE.UU. con otras comunidades vulnerables y los movimientos sociales en el sur. La gente en esta delegación de los EE.UU. son los que lo estan haciendo.”
La delegación estará en Cochabamba durante la Conferencia (20-24 de abril). Celular local: +591 774 11248
###
Friday, April 9, 2010
queer resilience; Cochabamba, Bolivia; NYC Climate Justice Youth Summit
over the last few months, there have been multiple instances when i tried to write my meditations and political musings. my body has been so exhausted, it has been hard to get passed the first couple of sentences, sometimes passed a few words. but this time my motivation is different. i am writing this on the heels of watching a documentary on netflix.
since i've been single, i have had some "spare" time on my hands and have tried a whole range of activities to keep me entertained. instead of cyber-cruising for hot, NSA... (i'm just sayin'), although that's not really my thing anyway (i mean), i decided to finally consider one of my therapist's suggestions. my therapist is ALWAYS recommending shit. so tonight, i finally drank the kool aid. tonight. after a long ass day at work (typical) and many failed attempts to connect with friends (everyone seems to be out of town- it is conference season, i suppose), i decided to watch Nuyorican Dream.
loca, that shit was heavy. the story is about a Puerto Rican family's struggle in NYC. one of the protagonists is Robert, the eldest of his mother's children. He was the only one in the family to graduate from high school and college. He's a teacher. Robert is surrounded by his mother who migrated from Puerto Rico who was forced to abandon her education to work the fields as a child, his younger brother who is in and out of prison and his sisters who are single mothers struggling with drug addictions. The documentary follows the family for 4 years and does an excellent job of capturing Robert's personal struggle to balance an active life with his family plagued with the conditions of poverty and his autonomy as "someone who made it out of the ghetto". At one point in the film Robert says "it hurts to be so far from and so close to my family. it hurts. it's almost like i can touch them but i can't feel them or they can't feel me anymore." This brotha gets deep on a few occasions throughout the film.
In spite of the poverty, the drugs, the lack of opportunities, amid the chaos, Robert prevails. this brotha got a resilience that sexier than ricky martin doing yoga at the beach with his beau. what distinguishes Robert from his siblings is really one thing- he's gay. the more i thought about his sexuality within the context of his environment, the more i concluded that this sexuality stuff is what cores are made of, what dreams are made of. being able to define and choose one's sexual allegiances and to name our desires is a endless source independent of power.
it's this power that has pushed me beyond the limitations imposed upon me by others. this particular power has stretched my political muscles in ways that have transformed entire systems of oppression. how beautiful is that?
watching the documentary, i couldn't help but to think about where i've come from and where i'm going. in the immediate sense, i'm headed to the Conferencia Mundial de los Pueblos Sobre el Cambio Climatico y los Derechos de la Madre Tierra (World's People Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth) in Cochabamba, Bolivia. how does queerness change up the conversation about Mother Earth's rights? what's does a queer mother earth look like? is she a lesbian (she betta be)? what will this queer body be exposed to at this particular conference and what will this queer body expose to others in that particular space?
as the son of obatala, i often ask these types of questions. i'm hoping elegua knocks some practical sense into me and get me back on track to thinking about what the hell i'm going to be talking about in bolivia. after these messages, we'll be right back.
-----
okay, so, i was reading my last post from march 2009 (over a year ago) and realized i was pontificating about a youth of color encuentro on climate change. 1 year later, it's called the first ever NYC Climate Justice Youth Summit- Our People, Our 'Hoods, Our Future, taking place next weekend, April 16-17 (a day after, me voy a Bolivia). It's been a busy year. I am proud of the work I've been able to achieve in the last year. Shout outs to ALL the supporters and mentors that have provided guidance and love that has brought this summit to bear. it's been a pleasure working with so many wonderful people committed to getting the generations that will be most affected by climate change informed about the issues and empowered to take action. I am thrilled to see the outcomes of the upcoming summit and to build with the burgeoning leaders in the environmental justice movement. feel free to come through to check out the summit if you're in town. we've all put a lot of love and hard work into this project. axe!
register online @ www.uproseyouthsummit.blogspot.com
since i've been single, i have had some "spare" time on my hands and have tried a whole range of activities to keep me entertained. instead of cyber-cruising for hot, NSA... (i'm just sayin'), although that's not really my thing anyway (i mean), i decided to finally consider one of my therapist's suggestions. my therapist is ALWAYS recommending shit. so tonight, i finally drank the kool aid. tonight. after a long ass day at work (typical) and many failed attempts to connect with friends (everyone seems to be out of town- it is conference season, i suppose), i decided to watch Nuyorican Dream.
loca, that shit was heavy. the story is about a Puerto Rican family's struggle in NYC. one of the protagonists is Robert, the eldest of his mother's children. He was the only one in the family to graduate from high school and college. He's a teacher. Robert is surrounded by his mother who migrated from Puerto Rico who was forced to abandon her education to work the fields as a child, his younger brother who is in and out of prison and his sisters who are single mothers struggling with drug addictions. The documentary follows the family for 4 years and does an excellent job of capturing Robert's personal struggle to balance an active life with his family plagued with the conditions of poverty and his autonomy as "someone who made it out of the ghetto". At one point in the film Robert says "it hurts to be so far from and so close to my family. it hurts. it's almost like i can touch them but i can't feel them or they can't feel me anymore." This brotha gets deep on a few occasions throughout the film.
In spite of the poverty, the drugs, the lack of opportunities, amid the chaos, Robert prevails. this brotha got a resilience that sexier than ricky martin doing yoga at the beach with his beau. what distinguishes Robert from his siblings is really one thing- he's gay. the more i thought about his sexuality within the context of his environment, the more i concluded that this sexuality stuff is what cores are made of, what dreams are made of. being able to define and choose one's sexual allegiances and to name our desires is a endless source independent of power.
it's this power that has pushed me beyond the limitations imposed upon me by others. this particular power has stretched my political muscles in ways that have transformed entire systems of oppression. how beautiful is that?
watching the documentary, i couldn't help but to think about where i've come from and where i'm going. in the immediate sense, i'm headed to the Conferencia Mundial de los Pueblos Sobre el Cambio Climatico y los Derechos de la Madre Tierra (World's People Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth) in Cochabamba, Bolivia. how does queerness change up the conversation about Mother Earth's rights? what's does a queer mother earth look like? is she a lesbian (she betta be)? what will this queer body be exposed to at this particular conference and what will this queer body expose to others in that particular space?
as the son of obatala, i often ask these types of questions. i'm hoping elegua knocks some practical sense into me and get me back on track to thinking about what the hell i'm going to be talking about in bolivia. after these messages, we'll be right back.
-----
okay, so, i was reading my last post from march 2009 (over a year ago) and realized i was pontificating about a youth of color encuentro on climate change. 1 year later, it's called the first ever NYC Climate Justice Youth Summit- Our People, Our 'Hoods, Our Future, taking place next weekend, April 16-17 (a day after, me voy a Bolivia). It's been a busy year. I am proud of the work I've been able to achieve in the last year. Shout outs to ALL the supporters and mentors that have provided guidance and love that has brought this summit to bear. it's been a pleasure working with so many wonderful people committed to getting the generations that will be most affected by climate change informed about the issues and empowered to take action. I am thrilled to see the outcomes of the upcoming summit and to build with the burgeoning leaders in the environmental justice movement. feel free to come through to check out the summit if you're in town. we've all put a lot of love and hard work into this project. axe!
register online @ www.uproseyouthsummit.blogspot.com
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