INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE OF WASTE PICKERS

The International Alliance of Waste Pickers is a union of waste picker organizations representing more than 460,000 workers across 34 countries
Supported by Logo WIEGO

December 01, 2010


Check translation:

Spanish – English Follows….

El mundo que están quemando, no es solo el mundo de los ricos, es el mundo en el que todos vivimos, es nuestro mundo.

La sociedad consciente es la que quedó sobre la tierra: fue el momento en que se tomaron las mejores decisiones para el planeta, sus habitantes y todas las especies; el momento en que se sobrepuso el interés general por sobre de los intereses individuales; el momento en que se desarrolló en toda su capacidad la fuerza para aliviar de raíz el hambre, las enfermedades y el cambio climático.

Ojalá pudiéramos hablar así en el futuro sobre este momento histórico. Y continuaríamos:

Dio la mayor importancia y actuó en base a investigaciones científicas que propusieron soluciones de tecnología limpia en base a las necesidades de las comunidades y los ecosistemas, así como se destinaron los recursos suficientes para mitigar los devastadores efectos del calentamiento global, sin mercantilizar la naturaleza sino dotándola de derechos.

Fomentó las organizaciones de base en todos los sectores populares e indígenas para la búsqueda y promoción de soluciones locales y comunitarias con tecnología apropiada para mejorar la vida de todos y todas.

Dicha civilización reconoció el aporte ambiental histórico de los 20 millones de Recicladores Populares y del Reciclaje social, por sobre la incineración y el enterramiento.

Fue aquella sociedad en que las vidas de todos vibraron a un mismo ritmo, como si estuviesen conectadas por finos hilos; al romperse una se rompían todas, y de salvarse una, todas las vidas se salvaban.

¿Es esta la oportunidad del planeta? ¿Serán ustedes esos líderes que reconocerá la humanidad futura? ¿Es ahora el momento? La historia dará cuenta de ello.

~ Silvio Ruiz

 

The world that they are burning is not just the world of the rich. It’s the world where we all live – it’s our world.

An aware society is what is left on earth: there was a moment in which they made the best decisions for the planet, its living beings and all its species; the moment in which the common good was put before individual interests; the moment in which every effort was made to alleviate hunger, illness and climate change at their root.

If only we could speak this way in the future about this historic moment. We would continue:

This civilization recognized the historic environmental contribution of 20 million grassroots recyclers, over incineration and landfills. It supported community organizations from all popular and indigenous sectors in looking for and promoting local solutions and appropriate technologies to improve the lives of all.

It provided sufficient resources to mitigate the devastating effects of climate change, and responded to the call for climate justice, including a balanced response to adaptation, mitigation, financial, and technology needs, without turning nature into merchandise but rather respecting its rights.

This society valued and acted on the base of scientific investigations that called for the immediate reduction of emissions, in the context of a just and fair negotiation process; recognizing the historic responsibility of industrialized countries and their climate debt with the rest of the planet.

It was this society, in which the lives of all moved to the same beat, as if they were connected by fine threads; and by breaking one all would break, and by saving one, all lives would be saved.

Is this the opportunity for our planet? Will you be those leaders that future humans will recognize? Is now that moment? Only history will tell.

~ Silvio Ruiz



  1. >I am here at the NGO INSEA in Belo Horizonte with some waste pickers and they want to send their message to the Cancun delegation. Here is what Eliana fro ASMARE says:

    Sou Eliana Domingues, cooperada da ASMARE de Belo Horizonte. Acho excelente que todo mundo possa entrar neste blog e falar o que sente. Acho que os catadores limpam a cidade e acho que merecemos respeito.

    I am Eliana Domingues, from ASMARE coop on Belo Horizonte. I think that is excelent that everyone can use this blog to say how it feels. I think waste pickers clean the city and deserve respect.

    Comment by Sonia Dias — December 3, 2010 @ 1:18 pm