PRESERVE MOTHER EARTH, MAMA AISA!
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
I am Orsine Walden, president of the Sustainable Development Foundation (DOB), and I stand here today with an urgent call. It is time to come together, to fight for our future, for the preservation of nature, and for the protection of the rights of our people, the guardians of Mother Earth.
Right now the COP, the global climate conference, is taking place, where world leaders are considering the future of our planet. But what are they actually doing? Are real actions being taken, or is it just words? In Suriname, in the district of Brokopondo, we know all too well that much more is needed than promises and good intentions. We stand for the truth: the struggle to preserve nature is a **fight for life itself.
We are fighting for our future, for our children, for our lives.
In recent years we have faced natural disasters in our district caused by ‘deliberate pollution’, including the illegal importation of cyanide transported unsafely on waterways. These disasters have caused great damage - our valuable reservoir is polluted - and local people, who depend on this water for their livelihood, face unsafe and polluted sources. But that is not all - it is a ‘system of oppression,’ in which the fundamental rights of tribal and indigenous communities are trampled on by corrupt governments and crooked laws.
We see heroes rising - people who, despite the threat of violence, have the courage to fight for the rights of nature. People like Sisa Asawini, who was deported under the current regime after attempts were made to kill her, outside the borders of Suriname, in the territory of French Guyana. This work is not without danger - but despite the threat of intimidation, violence and even murder, as we saw in the tragic deaths of Peter Amoida, Ivanildo Dijksteel, and Martinus Wolfjager, we continue to fight.
What have we achieved?
In recent years, despite many dangers, we have achieved important victories. We have successfully organized meetings where Granmans, Kabiteins and leading figures from the Marron or Marronong (according to Native word warrior against injustice) community took their stand together against the advancing Mennonites in Suriname. This is a victory because in times of political tension it is already
an achievement to come together, raise our voices and be heard.
We see more and more fighters rising up, from the young to the old, from indigenous communities to tribal leaders. This movement is growing, and we remain steadfast in the belief that giving up is not an option. We must continue to resist, continue to organize, continue to mobilize. Last year we saw the terrible consequences of the pollution these companies cause: serious illnesses and young children who died after drinking poisoned water.
Suriname is still one of the largest areas in the world with rich flora and fauna, and the struggle to preserve it is about much more than conservation. It is about human lives. It is about our children, the future of our communities and the livelihoods of the people who have lived here in harmony with nature for centuries. Multinational corporations who value profit above all else, take our nature for their own gain, leaving the lives of innocent people on the line.
The struggle does not end with the murdering of our activists. The struggle continues - and we continue!
What we need is a broad, collective front of cooperation for one common goal: the preservation of clean nature.
This means:
- A ban on the illegal importation of cyanide.
- A ban on gold mining in our creeks and rivers.
- Protecting the rights of the Marrons and Indigenous people, who have always been the guardians of Mother Earth and who continue to fulfill that role with pride.
The future is in our hands!
You, the people who are here today, are the militant heroes of tomorrow. Fighting for Mother Earth is our duty, our responsibility and our calling.
Let us go hand in hand into the future, vigilant and determined. The work is great, the challenge enormous, but victory is possible!
Together we win!
Orsine Walden - Chairwoman Sustainable development Brokopondo Foundation
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