Vembar Declaration on Climate Change

Local, National and International Communities and Govts.
Urged to take Concrete Actions to Combat Climate Change

Tuticorin August 31: The Civil Society Organisations have urged the Local, National and International Communities and Govts. to take Concrete Actions to Combat Climate Change, in an International Seminar on Climate Change in the context of the forthcoming Copenhagen UN Conference on Climate Change.
Siemenpuu Foundation, Finland, Tamil Nadu Environment Council (TNEC), Southern Initiative NGO Forum for Participatory Development (SINFPAD), Joint Action for Sustainable Livelihood (JASuL), Low External Input for Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA), Tribal Organisations for Fifth Schedule Campaign (TAFSC), National Adhivasi Alliance (NAA) and South Asian Dialogues on Ecological Democracy SADED jointly organized the seminar on Climate Change in Vembar on August 29th and 30th and made deliberations on Climate Change and has come out with “Vembar Declaration on Climate Change”, which consists of action plans for combating climate change. The following are the actions proposed in the Vembar Declaration:

1. We will work towards raising awareness, promoting and sensitizing local communities on climate change (including Tribal issues);

2. Listen to the voices of local Peoples’ their aspirations and their dreams (fisher folk, farmers, tribals, dalits and other marginalized groups);

3. Strengthening the gramsabhas (local governance body) towards controlling resources and developing action plans for addressing climate change and strategies for engaging with local and international issues;

4. Strengthening democracy at local level through collective and participatory decision making;

5. Organizing dialogues at different levels for new knowledge about climate change and other related issues;

6. Advocating and creating policies to force government adhere to alternative, pro-people and pro-community policies.

7. Addressing the local issues with global perspective and strategies;

8. Promote local consumption and avoid transporting farm products to far of places;

9. Develop a consumption index for promoting reduction of emissions;

10. Reviving , Developing and adopting eco and environment friendly technologies;

11. Ensuring sustainable livelihoods for the People;

12. Sensitize and train the local Panchayat bodies [government], local communities on issues affecting Adivasis, fisher folk, Dalits, unorganized labourers, farmers and the policies affecting these communities;

13. Build the interface and networking between Peoples’ organizations, movements and local Panchayat bodies;

14. Empowering the grassroots organizations on issues of climate change;

15. Engaging media actively for advocacy campaigns at different levels;

16. Nurturing the Ecological values, community knowledge and practices among all including youth and children;

17. Making self commitment towards reducing our ecological footprint

The Vembar Declaration also demands the international communities and governments to take concrete targeted measures towards combating global climate change. The basis of the Declaration is to ensure Justice, Equitable and sustainable life of the entire humanity and Mother Earth.



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