In response to the UN conference on climate change held in Copenhagen in December 2009, where many industrialized countries demonstrated their inability to make real commitments on the issue, the Plurinational State of Bolivia will host a historic conference. Called “Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth,” is taking place on April 19-22 in the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia.
This forum will openly discuss causes and solutions to climate change. The conference is expecting around 12,000 participants including government officials, scientists, academics, jurists, social movements and organizations from over 130 countries. Check out these resources for updates from the conference:
- It's Getting Hot in Here: "Dispatch 1: Rumbo a Cochabamba"
- Oakland Local: "Oakland Institute Fellow Jeff Conant reports from People's Climate Summit in Cochabamba"
- IPS News: "Voice of Civil Society Loud and Clear in Cochabamba"
- AFP: "Eco-activists mass for alternative climate summit in Bolivia"
This month also marks the ten-year anniversary of the Water Wars in Cochabamba, when people took to the streets to protest the Bechtel Corporation and the privatization of their water supplies. Democracy Now, which is covering the summit all week, posted this video reflecting on that history of protest:
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