Racism in The Environment
By Auburn Air youth journalist, Scott Hyland
When governments disregard or just plain ignore the protests of
indigenous peoples regarding deforestation and loss of culture,
this is an example of one of the environments greatest enemies:
Environmental Racism.
In Panama deforestation is a major problem and in a matter of
years there will be a desert where forests used to thrive, says
moderator Carmel Mbizvo. The indigenous people in these areas are
having their way of life completely destroyed.
In the 50's and 60's, the movement against colonization and racism
got into full swing, but by the 70's environmental law had not yet
recognized a native people's right for self-determination. By the
1980's and the 1992 Rio Summit, many agencies began to recognize
the rights of native peoples and demanded that they be given the
right to control resource use and conservation in their areas.
Many countries allow native cultures to have control over
resources, as long as it involves some sort of cultural
significance. Many non-government organizations feel that they,
instead of indigenous people, should have total control over these
resources.
A draft declaration has been released to governments around the
world which recognizes the rights of native peoples to
self-determination and resource managment. There are hopes that it
will be passed and accepted by all governments within the next
decade. The major problem is that some governments think it does
not concern them. For example, China thinks that the issue only
effects Europe.
There is a strong world-wide commitment to the draft declaration.
"It is discriminatory for any government to ignore the rights of
Indiginous peoples." said IUCN councillor Mary Simon.