http://earthpeoples.org/blog updates on environmental and human rights issues by and for earth peoples Sat, 18 May 2013 23:43:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=1523#comment-4924 NO REDD+! in Rio+20: A declaration to decolonize the earth and the sky | WRM English Fri, 03 May 2013 22:57:36 +0000 http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=1523#comment-4924 [...] Sommer, Rebecca, “Brazil: Munudurku Chief Clarifies REDD Contract Farse with Celestial Green Ventures“. [...] [...] Sommer, Rebecca, “Brazil: Munudurku Chief Clarifies REDD Contract Farse with Celestial Green Ventures“. [...]

]]> http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=4465#comment-4474 EARTH PEOPLES Blog » Blog Archive » Top UN climate change official Christiana Figueres said that it is ‘no longer necessary’ for the World Bank to rely on coal in its energy projects Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:20:48 +0000 http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=4465#comment-4474 [...] READ: Where does fossil fuels come from? [...] [...] READ: Where does fossil fuels come from? [...]

]]> http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=4071#comment-3336 EARTH PEOPLES Blog » Blog Archive » German GIZ directly engaged with dispossessing indigenous peoples of their lands and territories in Namibia Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:59:23 +0000 http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=4071#comment-3336 [...] Himna and Zemba protested for a third time in the past months, for the reason of the negative impact of the Land Reform Act on their land rights, as well as other human rights violations, including the lack of implementation of their Free, Prior and informed consent (FPIC) which has been ignored by the state while pushing forward with plans to construct a hydroelectric dam on their territory in the Baynes Mountains’ Kunene River. To read about their protest, click here. [...] [...] Himna and Zemba protested for a third time in the past months, for the reason of the negative impact of the Land Reform Act on their land rights, as well as other human rights violations, including the lack of implementation of their Free, Prior and informed consent (FPIC) which has been ignored by the state while pushing forward with plans to construct a hydroelectric dam on their territory in the Baynes Mountains’ Kunene River. To read about their protest, click here. [...]

]]> http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=1070#comment-3335 EARTH PEOPLES Blog » Blog Archive » German GIZ directly engaged with dispossessing indigenous peoples of their lands and territories in Namibia Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:41:16 +0000 http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=1070#comment-3335 [...] ” To our great grievance, the Namibian government has destroyed our ancestral traditional governance structure, by disposing and withholding the official recognition of 33 of us as rightful traditional leaders. We and other traditional leaders from other tribes went to the High Court, and we won the case on December 13th 2001, and the Government of Namibia was ordered to re-install us in our rightful positions as Traditional Authorities. But the state did not comply with the Court order to this very day, and we remain not recognized leaders, removed from our legal powers. Today we have only 3 traditional chiefs that are recognized by the state, that share overlapping jurisdiction of the entire Kaokoland. Our people and we strongly object to the states’ ruthless interference by the Government of Namibia that is disabling our people to choose their own leaders and destiny. We therefore declare that the Government of Namibia deliberately disempowering us to govern ourselves within our Kaokoland to hinder us and our people to determine our own future, such as to ensure the continuity of our cultural identity, traditions and customs and our political institution, that we wish to preserve for the future generations. Because we are no longer allowed to govern, and are not recognized by the Government of Namibia as the legitimate leaders of our people and land, we see our traditional territory being invaded by the ruling Owambo ethnic group in Namibia, that controls the ruling SWAPO Party which in turn runs the government. The ruling SWAPO Party has been imposing on us laws, programs, leaders and projects that we don’t want, but we are made voiceless. We are not consulted, not included in any decision-making processes, nor are we heard when we object. We are therefore the marginalized and oppressed tribe in our country Namibia. We are currently facing a law that allows any citizen of Namibia to apply and receive 20 hectares of our land. (Communal Land Reform Act 5 of 2002). We strongly object this law that is forced upon our throats against our will and consent. This is a land grab! We are loosing our land. Our land is being fenced by outsiders that are not from our area.” To read the entire Traditional Himba leader’s Declaration, click here [...] [...] ” To our great grievance, the Namibian government has destroyed our ancestral traditional governance structure, by disposing and withholding the official recognition of 33 of us as rightful traditional leaders. We and other traditional leaders from other tribes went to the High Court, and we won the case on December 13th 2001, and the Government of Namibia was ordered to re-install us in our rightful positions as Traditional Authorities. But the state did not comply with the Court order to this very day, and we remain not recognized leaders, removed from our legal powers. Today we have only 3 traditional chiefs that are recognized by the state, that share overlapping jurisdiction of the entire Kaokoland. Our people and we strongly object to the states’ ruthless interference by the Government of Namibia that is disabling our people to choose their own leaders and destiny. We therefore declare that the Government of Namibia deliberately disempowering us to govern ourselves within our Kaokoland to hinder us and our people to determine our own future, such as to ensure the continuity of our cultural identity, traditions and customs and our political institution, that we wish to preserve for the future generations. Because we are no longer allowed to govern, and are not recognized by the Government of Namibia as the legitimate leaders of our people and land, we see our traditional territory being invaded by the ruling Owambo ethnic group in Namibia, that controls the ruling SWAPO Party which in turn runs the government. The ruling SWAPO Party has been imposing on us laws, programs, leaders and projects that we don’t want, but we are made voiceless. We are not consulted, not included in any decision-making processes, nor are we heard when we object. We are therefore the marginalized and oppressed tribe in our country Namibia. We are currently facing a law that allows any citizen of Namibia to apply and receive 20 hectares of our land. (Communal Land Reform Act 5 of 2002). We strongly object this law that is forced upon our throats against our will and consent. This is a land grab! We are loosing our land. Our land is being fenced by outsiders that are not from our area.” To read the entire Traditional Himba leader’s Declaration, click here [...]

]]> http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=1059#comment-3286 EARTH PEOPLES Blog » Blog Archive » 1000 Himba+Zemba march again in protest, angered by Namibia’s human rights violations and against plans to build Orokawe dam in the Baynes Mountains Wed, 27 Mar 2013 17:20:23 +0000 http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=1059#comment-3286 [...] Read: DECLARATION OF THE ZEMBA PEOPLE OF NAMIBIA [...] [...] Read: DECLARATION OF THE ZEMBA PEOPLE OF NAMIBIA [...]

]]> http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=4082#comment-3270 Namibia | www.HumansinShadow.wordpress.com Wed, 27 Mar 2013 07:01:45 +0000 http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=4082#comment-3270 [...] The governor promised that the President would receive the letter tomorrow (Read Letter to President here: http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=4082). [...] [...] The governor promised that the President would receive the letter tomorrow (Read Letter to President here: http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=4082). [...]

]]> http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=1070#comment-3248 EARTH PEOPLES Blog » Blog Archive » 1000 Himba+Zemba march again in protest, angered by Namibia’s human rights violations and against plans to build dam Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:24:36 +0000 http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=1070#comment-3248 [...] Read: DECLARATION OF THE DIRECTLY AFFECTED OVAHIMBA, OVATWA, OVATJIMBA AND OVAZEMBA AGAINST THE OROKAWE DAM IN THE BAYNES MOUNTAINS Read: DECLARATION OF THE TRADITIONAL HIMBA LEADERS OF KAOKOLAND IN NAMIBIA [...] [...] Read: DECLARATION OF THE DIRECTLY AFFECTED OVAHIMBA, OVATWA, OVATJIMBA AND OVAZEMBA AGAINST THE OROKAWE DAM IN THE BAYNES MOUNTAINS Read: DECLARATION OF THE TRADITIONAL HIMBA LEADERS OF KAOKOLAND IN NAMIBIA [...]

]]> http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=4079#comment-3246 EARTH PEOPLES Blog » Blog Archive » 1000 Himba+Zemba march again in protest, angered by Namibia’s human rights violations and against plans to build dam Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:12:58 +0000 http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=4079#comment-3246 [...] THE SITUATION IN THE XAYSOMBOUN SPECIAL ZONE AND 1100 HMONG-LAO REFUGEES WHO ESCAPED TO PETCHABUN Namibia: Indigenous Himba and Zemba - LETTER TO THE OMBUDSMAN JOHN ROBERT WALTERS (March 25, 2013) [...] [...] THE SITUATION IN THE XAYSOMBOUN SPECIAL ZONE AND 1100 HMONG-LAO REFUGEES WHO ESCAPED TO PETCHABUN Namibia: Indigenous Himba and Zemba - LETTER TO THE OMBUDSMAN JOHN ROBERT WALTERS (March 25, 2013) [...]

]]> http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=1061#comment-3245 EARTH PEOPLES Blog » Blog Archive » 1000 Himba+Zemba march again in protest, angered by Namibia’s human rights violations and against plans to build dam Tue, 26 Mar 2013 12:12:40 +0000 http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=1061#comment-3245 [...] Read the  DECLARATION OF THE DIRECTLY AFFECTED OVAHIMBA, OVATWA, OVATJIMBA AND OVAZEMBA AGAINST THE OROKAWE DAM IN THE BAYNES MOUNTAINS:  http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=1061 [...] [...] Read the  DECLARATION OF THE DIRECTLY AFFECTED OVAHIMBA, OVATWA, OVATJIMBA AND OVAZEMBA AGAINST THE OROKAWE DAM IN THE BAYNES MOUNTAINS:  http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=1061 [...]

]]> http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=2435#comment-3161 EARTH PEOPLES Blog » Blog Archive » INDIGENOUS SEMI-NOMADIC HIMBA AMD ZEMBA PROTEST AGAIN AGAINST PLANNED DAM CONSTRUCTION AND HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS Sat, 23 Mar 2013 14:10:22 +0000 http://earthpeoples.org/blog/?p=2435#comment-3161 [...] The UN Special Rapportuer Anaya confirmed in his Statement the human rights violations that the Himba people are facing, which can be read here. [...] [...] The UN Special Rapportuer Anaya confirmed in his Statement the human rights violations that the Himba people are facing, which can be read here. [...]

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