Poor countries urged to demand 'ecological debt' from rich nations<\/p>\n
Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali<\/p>\n
Friends of the Earth International is mobilizing support for
\ndeveloping countries with rich natural resources to demand
\ncompensation from developed countries and their companies that
\nhave exploited their natural resources for years.<\/p>\n
Aurora Donoso of the Friends of the Earth, said on Monday that
\ndeveloped countries and their corporations owed a huge
\n\"ecological debt\" to developing and poor countries where they
\nexploited their natural resources.<\/p>\n
Ecological debts of northern developed countries have been
\nmounting since the Rio declaration in 1992, Donoso said.<\/p>\n
\"The overuse and overconsumption of natural resources on the
\npart of developed countries had caused harm and poverty to third
\nworld countries,\" said Donoso, a member of Accoion Ecologica,
\nFriends of the Earth Ecuador.<\/p>\n
She said the process of extraction and exporting natural
\nresources such as oil, mineral, forest, marine and genetic
\nresources from third-world countries had destroyed the ecosystem
\nand had affected the survival of the peoples of the Southern
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
\"The concept of ecological debt for us lies on the
\nresponsibility of Northern industrialized countries, their
\nindustries, overexploitation of natural resources, human labor,
\nand looting of resources,\" Donoso said.<\/p>\n
The looting, she said, had began during the colonial period
\naround 300 to 500 years ago and had not stopped since.<\/p>\n
\"Friends of the Earth demanded the looting of natural
\nresources be stopped immediately, and sanctions imposed on those
\nresponsible,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Those that were responsible should fix any environmental
\ndamage that has been done. \"The people whose lives were affected
\nby environmental destruction must be compensated by giving them
\nback their land and restore their resources of life. Give them
\nback the possibility to live in a sustainable way,\" Donoso said.<\/p>\n
Donoso said the establishment of Southern People's Ecological
\nDebt Creditors Alliance in Prague in 2000 and the African
\nPeople's Ecological Debt Creditors Alliance in Benin, Africa, in
\nNovember 2001 had been able to raise awareness among people in
\nthose poor countries about the necessity of demanding
\ncompensation from developed countries.<\/p>\n
These alliances comprise a number of non-governmental
\norganizations including Friends of the Earth International
\ndealing with ecological and debt issues. They have been
\nmonitoring the operations of giant mining, oil and gas companies
\nin developing countries such as Texaco in Ecuador, Shell in
\nNigeria, Caltex in Indonesia and Occidental in Columbia.<\/p>\n
Friend of the Earth International plans to launch an Asian
\nPeople's Ecological Debt Creditors Alliance in Bali during the
\ncurrent fourth preparatory committee meeting for World Summit on
\nSustainable Development.<\/p>\n
The campaign also aims to establish international recognition
\nof ecological debt.<\/p>\n
\"We want third world countries to recognize this debt, but so
\nfar the only country which has recognized ecological debt and
\ndemanded reparation is Cuba,\" Donoso added.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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