Exposing false solutions, building real answers, climate justice for all

Bali, Indonesia (December 10, 2007) - Today, on international human rights
day, peoples from all over the globe will gather for the closing session of
the Solidarity Village for a Cool Planet, an initiative from different
social organizations and movements fighting against ecological and social
injustice and working for alternatives to the policies and practices that
destroy livelihoods and the environment.

In the past four days affected communities, Indigenous Peoples, women and
peasants have given testimony on their direct experiences of climate
change, including floods, fires, drought, food insecurity, displacement and
impoverishment.

Participants of the Village exposed the false solutions to climate change
proposed by international financial institutions, governments and the big
corporations, such as agro-fuels, offsetting, and carbon trading. Speakers
highlighted the failure of carbon trading to reduce overall emissions and
exposed the cynical way it has been used by polluters to profit from their
pollution. Given the poor record of market solutions, and the tremendous
influence of corporations inside the negotiations, the participants are
deeply concerned about the direction the Bali talks are taking.

People from across the planet - from the Pacific to the Atlantic - also
spoke of real solutions, such as local energy sovereignty, replacing high
carbon emitting industrial agriculture with small scale sustainable farming
and food sovereignty, reducing the distance between working and living,
radically changing current production and consumption patters, regaining
control over resources, including forests, land, and water and reclaiming
the peoples’ sovereignty.

Throughout the four days, speakers emphasized that climate change is the
result of the over-consumption and destruction of fossil fuels and other
natural resources, unsustainable production and consumption patters,
excessive lifestyles, particularly in the North, and destructive policies
such as trade liberalization and privatisation.

The unifying spirit of the Solidarity Village for a Cool Planet is the call
for Climate Justice. By this we understand that countries and sectors that
have contributed the most to the climate crisis -- the rich countries and
transnational corporations of the North -- must pay the cost of ensuring
that all peoples and future generations can live in a healthy and just
world, respecting the ecological limits of the planet.

In Bali, we took another step towards building a global movement for
climate justice.

The Solidarity Village for a Cool Planet (6-10 December 2007) was organized by

The Indonesian People's Movement Against Neo-colonialism and Imperialism
(GERAK LAWAN; The Indonesian Peasant's Union/ SPI, Indonesian Human Rights
Committee for Social Justice/ IHCS, Indonesian Anti Debt Coalition/ KAU, LS
ADI, Federation of Trade Union Jakarta/ FSBJ, KAM LAKSI, Indonesian Youth
Front Struggle/ FPPI, KMAI, SHI, Women Solidarity/ SP, WALHI, and Institute
for Global Justice/ IGJ together, Indonesian Workers Unions (SBI) with La
Via Campesina, Friends of the Earth International, Focus on the Global
South, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), Migrant Forum in Asia,
ATTAC Japan, Stop the New Round Coalition, Philippines, Kilusang
Mangingisda (Fisherfolk Movement-Philippines), Hong Kong Confederation of
Trade Unions (HKCTU), Globalization Monitor, Hong Kong, Transnational
Institute

Contacts:
Kartini SPI/Via Campesina +62 81314761305
Joe Zacune, Friends of the Earth International +62 81338969955