The Diálogo Climático-Espacio Mexicano brings together a wide range of civil society and social movement actors, including urban and rural grassroots organizations, trade unions, students, peasants, migrants, indigenous peoples, women’s networks and some NGOs, who are interested in debating the main issues related to the climate crisis, promoting mobilizations, exchanging information and coordinating educational and media activities to demand climate justice for the next 16th Conference of Parts Meeting, which will take place from November 29th to December 10th, 2010 in Cancun, Mexico. It is a plural and open space, in which different opinions, strategies and political cultures are expressed while, at the same time, its organizing efforts are based on a shared and clear political position for common action.
At the international level, the networks, organizations and social movements – that have worked together in the struggle against the free trade model and its effects on people’s lives and in the search for alternatives – support this initiative. We have sent a Call with our political positions/proposals for COP16. An international commitee has been established, in which international networks, national alliances and organizations interested in supporting the coordination work towards Cancun are participating.
Although not all social movements and networks are part of this confluence/space, it was agreed that we would continue looking for unity (in Mexico and at the international level) , proposing that the different social movements that will be organizing parallel activitiesjoin in the December 7th mobilization and elaborate a common declaration. We also propose that we strengthen our efforts through mutual support, in terms of promoting activities, doing joint press work, coordinating as much as possible our debates and panels and respecting the role and autonomy of each space.
We send below some information on the latest advances and definitions concerning the activities in Cancún:
Calendar
December 3th and 4th: arrival of the caravans
December 5th-10th: Climate Justice Forum
December 7th (to be confirmed) mobilization – global action day
December 11th : reactions to the COP16 final statement/declaration.
Place: Through negotiations with the federal government and the municipal government of Cancun and thanks to social pressure, it has been confirmed that the venue for activities wil be the “Super Manzana 21″, located in the center of Cancun. There is a proposal to call the space “MUP Palas” (the name refers to the social movement and to the civil society meeting place that has been accredited by the UN). The government accepted the Dialogo Climático-Espacio Mexicano’s conditions, which are: to respect the autonomy, the self-coordination and the independence of social movements; there will be no police inside the venue, nor security procedures for entering the space or to attend events. Also, corporate propaganda and expositions and media events organized by the government will take place elsewhere in the city (that is to say that the “Villa Climatica”, set up by the government is totally separate from our autonomous civil society space).
International Commitee’s Working Commissions/Committees: Four working commissions have been created (on an international level), and will coordinate with the comrades working in Mexico.
a. Political: define the key messagesthat are to be highlighted, discussion and elaboration of a draft statement.
b. Methodology: define the agenda and the activities program, discuss thematic areas
c. Communications: support the media strategy, for both alternative and official media, and promote activities prior to COP16; it will promote exchanges with and the participation of other networks.
d. Mobilization: coordination of mobilizations inside and outside Cancun.
All the organizations and networks interested in participating in the international commitee and support the working comissions, please write to:secretaria@asc-hsa.net
Additional Information (Updates are avaliable on the site: www.dialogoclimatico.org)
We’d like to report on some important elements:
*Now that the physical space for the events has been defined, a list of the hotels near the Super Manzana 21 and the instructions to make reservations will be posted on the above-mentioned site.
*The Mexican government has agreed to adopt a a simplified procedure for obtaining. Information on this procedure will also be posted on the website.
*Also on this website, one can register the self-organized events;
*Both the international caravans and the ones being organized in Mexico are growing in size and a campsite is being organized for them. At the campsite, social movements from Cancun will prepare food in communitarian kitchens at a very low cost.
*We also report from Mexico that there is dialogue to seek convergences with La Via Campesina and Klimaforum10. In fact, the caravans will bring together people and organizations from both international confluences.
