Posts Tagged ‘SDCEA’
During COP 17, the UN’s latest round of climate talks, civil society organizations – including 4 IDEX Partners – are mobilizing from all over the world to put pressure from the outside on the government negotiators on the inside.
Katherine Zavala – IDEX’s Program Manager, Grassroots Alliances – is in South Africa on a site visit to our partners and to support their activities at COP 17. She reports from Durban.
IDEX partner SDCEA conducts a toxic tour in South Durban to highlight environmental degradation in the area under the watchful eye of a security guard.
Throughout the two weeks of COP17, IDEX Partner SDCEA has organized toxic tours, as part of their strategy to showcase the realities of low-income communities in South Durban living right next to several big polluters.
Toxic tours always start at a spot overlooking the Shell/BP oil refinery which is located right next to a huge paper mill and an airport strip.
This whole cluster is right next to the Umlazi channel that flows all the toxic waste directly to the beach, where fisher folks can no longer fish because of the extreme toxic waste that has accumulated on the shore.
As we arrived, we noticed several people including a security agent for the oil refinery, who is paid to stand around and call the cops if he sees anyone from SDCEA doing their toxic tours.
SDCEA is so accustomed to this routine that they have taken the approach of being transparent and telling the security agents what they’re doing and how many people are there for their tour.
Sure enough, after a few minutes a police helicopter came and surrounded our area for a good five minutes before flying away!
During COP 17, the UN’s latest round of climate talks, civil society organizations – including 4 IDEX Partners – are mobilizing from all over the world to put pressure from the outside on the government negotiators on the inside.
Katherine Zavala – IDEX’s Program Manager, Grassroots Alliances – is in South Africa on a site visit to our partners and to support their activities at COP 17. She reports from Durban.
Getting ready to walk in the Global Day of Action march in Durban, South Africa where the UN COP17 talks are taking place
It wasn’t easy to get the right route for the Global Day of Action march, but after multiple negotiations with the municipality a path was finally agreed on. It would start at Botha’s Garden, going towards Down West Street, turn into Aliwal Street [ Samora Machel ] and then in Braam Fisher Street [Ordinance Road] to meet the UN President of COP 17, Christina Figueres at the International Convention Center. The march ended at the Old Pavilion site, next to the beach.
Arriving at Botha’s Garden around 10am, I found a huge octopus marking the ending point of the march. The octopus represented USA and its demands for more carbon markets!
I joined the march with IDEX Partner Biowatch who had brought 15 farm workers (mostly women) from rural KwaZulu Natal to Durban to be part of the protests at the People’s Space and the International Convention Center (ICC) where the UNFCCC conversations were happening.
This was the first time the farm workers had been part of this process and in their debrief later many expressed how powerful it was for them to see African leaders in different networks and movements.
IDEX Partner Biowatch's workshop brought together rural women farm workers to put together posters to march with on Dec 3rd's Global Day of Action
IDEX is joining social movements from across the globe in creating 1000′s of Durbans in conjunction with the social movement activities around the UN climate talks in Durban, South Africa.
Why? To demonstrate to governments around the world the people’s determination to prevent catastrophic climate change.
This year the Global Day of Action calling for a “1,000 Durbans” is being headed up by Desmond D’Sa, of IDEX partner South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, which will see a non-violent mass march in Durban calling for measures to halt climate change.
“World leaders are discussing the fate of our planet but they are far from reaching a solution to climate change. If they fail to make progress we will see drought and hunger blight our country and continent even further. We call on all South African’s to march with us this Saturday and remind our leaders they must come to a fair climate change deal that avoids runaway climate change.” - Desmond D’sa
Like many organizations around the US and the world, IDEX will be marking the Global Day of Action and supporting our South African partners through a series of activities to highlight grassroots communities concerns and making the local-global links around climate change work.
In Durban, staffer Katherine Zavala will be supporting partner activities and networking to promote climate justice solutions.
In the US, we will engage in activities that include:
- Occupy Oakland Event – Friday, December 2:
Join us at the Occupy Oakland General Assembly on at 6pm as we introduce a statement of solidarity with social movements in Durban. Email yeshica at idex.org for info.
- Oakland Urban Farm Event – Saturday, December 3:
We’ll be supporting a Bay Area ally organization as they demonstrate sustainable urban food-growing practices on their public land-based farm in an East Oakland community.
- Learning Call – Tuesday, December 6th:
At 9am (Pacific) and 7pm (South Africa), IDEX will be hosting Learning Call: Grassroots Leaders Live from South AfricaCivil Society’s Role in COP17 Climate Talks in Durban with our four partners organizing on climate justice issues at COP 17. This is a unique, firs- time effort to bring grassroots voices live and direct from one of these events. We are very excited about this first-time event! If you are interested, please call the office at 415-824-8284 for more information.
- COp17 Report Back – Later in January, date TBA:
We’ll be participating alongside Bay Area ally organizations about COP 17 and our partners’ grassroots solutions to climate change.
To read more about the 1000 Durbans Global Week of Action and to see other actions happening around the US, visit: www.grassrootsclimatesolutions.net.
In South Durban, host of COP 17, this year's UN climate talks, homes are located directly next to oil refineries and factories. The factories continue to offer no support to these families who are at risk because of their poor environmental practices.
- Written by Yeshica Weerasekera, Director, Program Partnerships
As the COP 17 UN Climate Talks kicked off this week, in Durban, South Africa, I’ve noticed a sudden and somewhat limited flurry of media interest.
With the world at great risk from the consequences of global warming, millions of people are rightly concerned about whose interests the UN negotiators will protect as they hash out a deal to address climate change.
Will they, as they have to date, focus on market interests, short-term costs and narrow, political expediency, or will they take the ethical higher ground and think of equitable solutions which protect vulnerable communities, the rights of nature and future generations?
I rarely hear the voices of the poor in the media, however, and the scale and impact of the environmental crises on their communities.
Africa Will be “Frying”
In each of the countries that IDEX works in, our partners remind us time and time again of the deepening impact of changing weather patterns and toxic pollution.
An agreement to limit global temperature to even the best-hoped for 2 degrees centigrade, for example, will mean a 4 degree change in Africa, the most vulnerable continent, and catastrophe for it’s people. Africa will be “frying” as African environmentalists lament.
An estimated 40,000 people from all around the world are arriving in Durban, South Africa this week for COP 17, the UN’s latest round of climate talks. Civil society organizations – including 4 IDEX Partners – are mobilizing from all over the world to put pressure from the outside on the government negotiators on the inside.
Katherine Zavala – IDEX’s Program Manager, Grassroots Alliances – is in South Africa on a site visit to our partners and to support their activities at COP 17. She reports from Durban.
What is COP17?
COP17 is the 17th annual meeting where world governments get together to discuss and negotiate solutions to mitigate climate change. COP stands for Conference of Parties – the parties being the 195 nations that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The ultimate goal of the UNFCCC is to get nations to cut greenhouse gas emissions, so that these gases stabilize at a level that will prevent “dangerous” climate change.
Why COP 17 Matters for Grassroots Organizations
Many grassroots organizations were disappointed with the outcome of the last COP (COP16), held in Cancun, Mexico to the point where many feel (and rightly so) hopeless with this process and foresee governments once again prioritizing false market-based solutions to climate change.
But it is important to continue to mobilize and amplify the voices of grassroots organizations, especially those based in South Africa, as the COP17 lands on the African continent for the second time.
The People’s Space: IDEX’s South African Partners and Their Role in COP 17
Durban is home to two of IDEX South African Partners. One of them, South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), is actively convening and establishing the alternative civil society space (The People’s Space) during COP17.
This space will provide the base for organizations to network and share grassroots solutions to tackle climate change in real, practical ways to ensure their communities’ ability to cope with and adapt to climate change.
Four IDEX Partners in South Africa to Present Their Climate Justice Solutions
IDEX will be present at the civil society space, as an ally and supporter of four IDEX Partners and Grantees who will all be present this week organizing and networking to promote their climate justice solutions:
Desmond D’Sa, a key leader in the South African climate justice movement and chairperson of IDEX Partner South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA), came to the Bay Area, Seattle, and New York as to share his findings of pollution left by major oil refineries in south Durban, and participate in the ongoing discussion of getting large oil companies to change their destructive ways.
IDEX is pleased to announce that in June, Desmond D’Sa of South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) – an IDEX partner since 2009 – will be visiting the United States. Desmond will be sharing the work of his organization at events in the Bay Area, Seattle, and New York- visit our calendar soon for more details. Read the rest of this entry »
Dec
4Global Day of Action on Climate Change: Fighting for Environmental Justice in Durban
2010
Posted by IDEX
As international leaders gather in Cancun for the 16th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, environmental activists are participating in worldwide demonstrations to demand urgent action on climate justice on December 4th.
In South Africa, IDEX partner South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) will join millions of others around the world in a call on global leaders in a Global Day of Action. In solidarity, the day of action is part of the Global Climate Campaign to develop a stronger emissions reductions treaty that is “both equitable and effective in minimizing the harmful effects climate change.”
As in previous years, SDCEA has organized a day of activism during which onsite demonstrations will take place at various refineries and chemical plants throughout South Durban. The group hopes to draw attention to the need for both the immediate reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and for the critical implementation of adaptation measures for developing countries.
“Time is running out and an urgent, just deal must be made to safeguard our climate from the dangerous impact of global warming,” SDCEA chair Desmond D’Sa remarked in a written statement. “Our planet must be protected against the disastrous impacts of climate change.”
In additional to highlighting the political, socio-economic and environmental injustices wrought on by climate change, SDCEA works to confront what the organization calls its home country’s “contradictory position on climate change policies and measures.”
“We have to hold our South African government accountable for being amongst the top polluters in the world and number one in Africa,” said D’Sa. “The South African government must take drastic steps against big polluters and commit itself to a just transition to a sustainable energy system.”
Once called “the Toxic Hub of South Africa,”,South Durban’s rampant industrial pollution has been blamed for numerous serious health problems among its residents, including respiratory illness and cancer.
Founded in 1995, SDCEA works to end industrial pollution in South Durban and elsewhere.
To combat pollution, SDCEA provides training on air quality monitoring and environmental awareness, encouraging community members to advocate for greater environmental protections. SDCEA also approaches large industries and government authorities about South Durban’s environmental issues and presents methods to improve the city’s environment and quality of life.
Nov
19A Look at Development within South Africa’s Small-Scale Fishing Community
2010
Posted by IDEX
November 21 marks World Fisheries Day, and we are reminded of Andrew Johnston’s insightful piece on the challenges facing South Africa’s small-scale fishing community.
The current chairman of the Artisanal Fishers Association, Johnston examines what needs to occur for lasting, sustainable development and discusses the pros and cons of the latest draft of the government’s Draft Policy for the Small-Scale Fisheries Sector.
According to Johnston, small-scale fishers and their communities face major constraints to positive social and economic development, due to an uneven distribution of wealth, knowledge and business know-how that has lingered since the days of apartheid.
Most detrimental, he notes, “is the rent-seeking, money incentive ideology that now exists within our society. Small-scale fishing and those involved in it was once recognized as the lowest type of ‘skollie’ work by many of social standing.”
In order to overcome these factors, Jonhston writes, a significant change in the “attitudes, skills, knowledge, resources, institutional organization and methodologies of intervention” is necessary.
Read the full article here
World Fisheries day is celebrated every November 21 by fishing communities worldwide.
IDEX understands the importance of thriving, independent artisanal fishing communities in South Africa, and we are proud to partner with the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA).
Since forming in 1995, SDCEA fights against toxic emissions from industries into the air and water that are threatening the health and livelihoods of local fishermen, farmers and residents in the South Durban basin, home to 285,000 people and numerous polluting industries.
SDCEA monitors poor operating practices by companies that have led to periodic oil spills and sprays, industrial accidents, inadequate safety and emergency plans for workers and neighborhoods, and illegal dumping of toxic wastes, including water pollutants that threaten local marine life.
In addition to challenging industries and government authorities to make South Durban a cleaner and healthier place to live, SDCEA works to educate the fishing community about self-sufficient and sustainable fishing techniques.
Blog post by Erin Zaleski, Journalist & IDEX Volunteer.
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