Thousands of citizens and delegates from around the world will meet this week in Cochabamba, Bolivia, from April 19 to 22, to attend the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth.
Bolivia’s president, Evo Morales, called for the summit soon after the United Nations Climate Summit in Copenhagen last December, when it became clear that a binding treaty with strong action was not forthcoming.
Many believe that the major carbon polluters of the world prevented a strong agreement and that the voices of both civil society and nations of the global south were sidelined or silenced. They determined that a process outside the United Nations framework was needed. Billed as an ‘alternate climate conference,’ the WPCCC brings together delegates from more than 50 world governments, including the presidents of Ecuador, Paraguay, Nicaragua and Venezuela; government officials from Europe, Asia and Africa; along with indigenous communities, grassroots environmental organizations and concerned citizens with a mission to focus on practical solutions for communities affected by climate change. Continue reading »
