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Showing posts with label Pachamama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pachamama. Show all posts

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Impressions from Bolivia and the People's World Conference for Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth

On the last night of the People's World Conference for Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth a group of us sat together in a circle singing, dancing and reflecting on the successes of the last few days.  The fact that the People's World Conference for Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth ended on Earth Day was lost on none of us.  Was the conference successful?  Did it accomplish its goals?

I think that the answers to both of those questions will depend on the metrics that we are using to measure its success.

If we go back to the purpose with which the delegation came, I think we have succeeded.  Here are the expectations with which we came-

I'd like to be a part of resurrecting the ideas and stories of the past, passed down from our ancestors regarding how to live. 
We are here to further the education and connectivity to Latinos and to bring more awareness to our communities on how to benefit mother earth.
After Haiti, after Chile, after China we are in a state of emergency. We all have to work under urgent organizational co-ordination to save our earth.
We come together as one people to share, strategize, walk away with sustainable realistic approach 2address humanity's mst sever crisis yet.
We are here to inspire hope for the next seven generations "si se puede!" 
We are here to find a viable solution to the mass extinction of everything on this planet. 
We are here to make connections with each other and mother earth that will transform. 
We are here to support the cause because Climate Change is something we are all feeling on earth.  We need to protect mother earth. 
Have we met the expectations that we declared above?  I think we did.  Did we move the conversation forward?  In some ways I think we did, in others we have not.

The conference was a first on many fronts.  It was a conference which included a focus on the indigenous and on the community.  The focus was distinct in that it centered around conversations about Pachamama. People of color were involved in record numbers.  Moreover, it was undeniably Latin American led.  The conference was far from perfect.  As amazing as it was, there were many opportunities.  My next blog post on this topic will discuss where we go from here.  For many of us, this conference is only the beginning.  We had to start somewhere and on many levels for many of us, this was a mighty fine start positioning us in a powerful way for the next conversation in Cancun. 

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

United in Song and Spirit for Mother Earth, aka Pachamama

The power of the people united here is impressive.

United in song and spirit across the globe, this is bigger than any one of us.  Without exception everyone I have interviewed to date at Cochabamba is clear that the power of change belongs to the people.  Whether or not life will change will depend on us and our leadership.

Here they are stepping up to lead and they are taking the responsibility.

I have heard so many times at this conference those famous words from Hillel - If not us, who and if not now, when?

The folks gathered here believe that they are the change agents it will take for the world to change and their energy is driven organically by their desire to positively impact the world through their actions and voices.  Though the energy is similar to the energy seen on political campaigns like the Obama campaign, this is not a  political campaign that is finite with an election cycle.  And if they keep that in mind I think that the folks here have the wherewithal to change the world.

It is inspiring.

We draw from different traditions, cultures and countries but we have all taken responsibility for our relationship with this planet, our earth - Pachamama and the world can only be the better for it.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Pachamama, Cochabamba and Our Grain of Sand


 I've been in Cochabama, Bolivia now for the People's World Conference for Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth for maybe 15 hours but I feel like its been much longer than that.  There has been no time to acclimatize to the altitude.  There has been no time to sleep after the red eye journey from IAD that started out yesterday afternoon.  There is much work to be done and only a few days to do it and so we have all jumped right in.

The delegation that I am traveling with is a phenomenal group of folks of color from the US who want to make a difference on this front and I am clear that the conversations that we are having among ourselves and others will make that vision a reality.  Folks are passionate, hungry for change and gifted. 


Earlier today a question came from the twitterverse asking me what we were doing in Bolivia, why we were here.  I asked eight of my colleagues who I happened to be eating with at the moment and their answers were as follows- see below and welcome to Bolivia.  (I will be posting some video soon.) 



  1. I'd like 2 b a part of resurrecting the ideas and stories of the past-passed dwn from our ancestors re how 2live #WPCCC #LATISM#Cochabamba

  2. we r here 2further the ed and connectivity 2 Latinos & bring > awareness 2our comm on how 2 benefit mother earth #WPCCC#LATISM #Cochabamba

  3. after Haiti/after Chile/after China we r in a state of emerg- we all hv 2work under urgent org co-ordination 2save our earth #WPCCC#LATISM

  4. we come 2gether as 1ppl 2share-strategize-walk away w sustainable realistic approach 2address humanity's mst sever crisis yet #PWCCC#LATISM

  5. we r here to inspire hope for the next seven generations "si se puede!" #ClimateChange #WPCCC #Cochabamba #LATISM #Green

  6. we r here to find a viable solution to the mass extinction of everything on this planet #ClimateChange #WPCCC #Cochabamba #LATISM

  7. we r here to make connections w each other and mother earth that will transform #ClimateChange #WPCCC #Cochabamba #LATISM

  8. we r here 2support the cause b/c #ClimateChange is sthg we r all feeling on earth-we need 2 protect mother earth #latism #WPCCC#Cochabamba