The panel was made up by Marco Von Borstel of Otros Mundos Chiapas-FoE Mexico, Mariana Porras of COECOCEIBA -FoE Costa Rica, Iris Callejas and Leonel Raymundo of CEIBA-FoE Guatemala and Jose Acosta of FoE El Salvador. The main issue discussed was the building of the Movement of Victims and People Affected by Climate Change and Megaprojects in Measoamerica (MOVIAC).

They talked about the way in which the communities began to organize around a common “abstract” subject initially like climate change based on their specific, often painful experiences that involve human and material loss.

Acosta highlighted the work carried out by the people affected by climate change at the United Nations COP 16 on Climate Change in Cancun, Mexico. “MOVIAC has awaken the hope that another world is possible”, he said.

Meanwhile, Von Borstel said “we suddenly realized that there are alternatives so we are happy about that. When we talk against capitalism many people think there is only one way, but we know that there are many, there are many worlds possible. In each place we call these alternatives in different ways and we come up with new words to name what we do want. We know what we do not want: human exploitation by human beings and the exploitation of mother earth”.

The five environmental activists were sitting in circle talking about the building of MOVIAC and they acknowledged that situations like this one had not been possible, not even necessary before. The hundred delegates at the Assembly applauded.

Photo: RMR