YOUTH MOVEMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL CHANGE (YMESOC )

CALL FOR ACTION ON 22nd MAY 2012:

THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF

MARINE BIODIVERSITY

INTERNATIONAL BIODIVERSITY DAY is one of environmental celebration day which aims to foster the love of entire earth’s population to biodiversity. Coinciding with that, KIARA together with civil society both from Indonesia and international, The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), The National Fishworkers' Forum (NFF), World Fisherfolk People (WFFP) calling the importance of regaining the traditional fisherfolks right,s as the effort of protection that done to biodiversity, also ensuring sustainable use; and because of that we held variety activities with theme “Ensuring Traditional Fisherfolk over The Right to Access and Right to Manage Coastal Sea”

KIARA invites all traditional fisherfolks, coastal communities, and civil society organizations to perform an active role in it, through variety of educational and informative agendas, also being able to delivered an important message to the enforcement of fishing rights to many countries. In India, fishery workers and environmental activists will hold a meeting in the states, including planting mangrove seedlings, cleaning conservation areas in order to mainstream coastal and marine management to be more effective.

In Indonesia, Marine Biodiversity Day 2012 celebration is held and KIARA initiates simultaneous agendas in several coastal areas as resistance against: disposal pollutants waste into the sea by the mining industries (among them: Lapindo, Newmont); deforestation of mangrove for reclamation and oil palm plantations; privatization and commercialization for the coastal tourism industry -which caused to declining life of fisherfolks. The series of events are taking place simultaneously on May 22, 2012, in various parts of the islands and coastal areas, including:

# Festival of Coastal Marine Biodiversity (Marunda Kepu, North Jakarta)

Situation of Jakarta coastal area in post-reclamation not only destroyed social order of Marunda community, but also destroy coastal ecosystem. For that, "Sea Alms" or Sedekah Laut is a symbol how human could balance the nature elements and human need that depends on sea. This event also will have some side events, such as coloring contest with theme “Coastal and Marine Life”; Drawing contest and Writing Story Contest with theme: “My Dream for the Future of Jakarta Sea and Coastal Areas”; fundraising of reading book for fisherfolks children; planting mangrove; also Finger Puppets Tale with theme handling waste and turtle rescue. For more information, contact: Fisherfolk of North Jakarta, Mr. Tiarom (KNTI) on +628811527166

# Celebrating Marine Biodiversity Rescue (Banda Aceh, Aceh)

With agendas: a) an interactive discussion of "Saving Biodiversity of Marine Turtle Species"; b) Visiting Turtle breeding in Lampuuk Beach; c) cleaning up the environment around the Lampuuk beach. For more info, contact:

Mr. Marzuki (Kuala) on +6281360382594

# Planting 15,000 Mangrove Seedlings (Langkat, North Sumatra)

Planting mangroves precisely in register 8 / l District West Brandan, Langkat, North Sumatra Province is part of efforts to restore ecosystem that since 2006 encroached and converted into oil palm plantations. For more info, contact: Langkat Fisherfolk, Tajruddin Hasibuan (KNTI) on +6281370931995

# Sea Alms/ “Sedekah Laut”: Prioritizing Coastal Rescue against Privatization” (Semarang, Central Java)

Environment increasingly polluted, the climate no longer predictable and deteriorating quality of biological diversity are the reason why fisherfolks still live below the poverty line. Sea alms/ Sedekah Laut is one of fisherfolk local wisdoms to say blessings and thanks for the gift that entrusted by the Almighty. However on the other side, ironically where damaging practice has occured due to policies that not stand in fisherfolk side. For more information, contact: Mr. Selamet (Legal Aid Semarang/ LBH Semarang) on +6281325171267

# Planting Mangrove Seedlings in Bulak Setra Beach, West Java:

"Saving The Coastal Areas against Sand Iron Mining"

Fisherfolk of Ciamis is now against iron sand mining in the district of Ciamis, West Java. Land in Ciamis district will be opened for sand mining by local government, one of them is surrounding Pangandaran Beach, West Java Province, covering an area of 12 hectares. To cancel the government's plan, its is important to raise critcal awareness on how much mining will cause danger, also need to have a real movement of all elements of society especially the fishers rejecting iron sand mining in the area of Pangandaran beach, by planting mangroves. For more information, contact:

East Java Fisherfolk, Mr. Nurdin Asep (KNTI) on +6287826785999

# Planting Mangrove, Rejecting Coastal Reclamation

(Surabaya, East Java)

Reclamation project in Kenjeran coast has caused most of fisherfolk more difficult to capture fish, because of living space and fishing grounds been grabbed. Planting mangrove and campaign in order to reject coastal reclamation is for voicing message that coastal management supposed to be undertaken by the fisherfolks. For more information, contact: East Java Fisherfolk,

Mr. Sugeng Nugroho (KNTI) on +6281231464979.

# Ensuring Fisherfolks Right to Access and the Right

to Manage Coastal Areas (Ternate, North Maluku)

Public campaign to save biodiversity sea and coastal area of Ternate are necessary in order to have a major agenda reviving efforts of saving the environment against mining of nickel and gold which been massive than ever. For more info, contact: Mr. Ismet Soelaiman (Walhi Malut) on +6285240329345 /

Mr. Dominggus Malle (Baileo) on +6281399924104.

# Boats Parade for Voicing Protection of Traditional Fisherfolks

(Tarakan, East Kalimantan)

Currently, Tarakan fisherfolks are mourning, that their vessels sinking due to high waves and strong wind. There are no victims, however six vessels sinking and two of them not yet found. Fisherfolks are also facing challenges due to PT Telkom's cables are being planted on the seabed. The problem is that because the excavation areas are functioned as a fishing ground. Until now, Tarakan fisherfolk are in risky situation of losing their fishing ground and the destruction of marine biodiversity. For more info, contact: Mr. Rustan, Fisherfolks of Tarakan (KNTI) on +6281346499011.

# Saving Fisherfolk's Management Area against Mining Activities

(Kolaka, Southeast Sulawesi)

Most of Southeast Sulawesi area contains with natural resources such as gold, nickel, asphalt, etc., which are now exploited by foreign and national corporations. In North Kolaka, coastal areas that have been used to grow the seaweed and grouper now polluted with red mud from mining. This momentum is to announce the need of rescuing the fisherfolks in Southeast Sulawesi, through consolidation and education agenda also public campaigns. For more info, contact: Mr. Hartono (Walhi of Southeast Sulawesi) on +6282195937575.

KIARA . KNTI . KuALA . LBH Semarang . Walhi Sulawesi Tenggara . PNK . Baileo . Walhi Malut . GSM Sultra .

ICSF . WFFP . NFF

More information available in www.kiara.or.id

A young scholar from B.C. has found herself in the centre of the international climate change spotlight after a video of her rousing speech at the Durban climate talks in South Africa last recently went viral.

Anjali Appadurai, a former student of Gleneagle Secondary in Coquitlam, who is now a third-year student at College of the Atlantic (COA) in Maine, stepped up to the microphone and challenged the delegates to put aside what she called short-sighted ambitions in order to set long-term goals to fight climate change.

“You’ve been negotiating all my life,” said a clear and confident Appadurai in her speech, which is garnering tens of thousands of views on YouTube and is winning praise from the likes of Naomi Klein, The New York Times and Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!, which aired the speech.

“In that time, you’ve failed to meet pledges, you’ve missed targets and you’ve broken promises,” Appadurai continued. “I speak for more than half the world’s population,” she said, referring to the youth of the world. “What does it take to get a stake in this game? Lobbyists? Corporate influence? Money?”

The student of development economics and global politics asked the international dignitaries why they’ve failed to set hard targets to combat climate change. “Where is the courage in this room?” she asked. “These will be seen as the defining moments of an era in which narrow self-interest prevailed over science, reason, and common compassion.”

As she finished her speech, Appadurai stepped to the side of the stage and looked across the room to her fellow student delegates. “Get it done,” she called to the audience, in a fashion similar to that of the global Occupy movement.

“Get it done,” the youths called back, several times.

Andrew Revkin of the New York Times called the speech “remarkable,” while author Naomi Klein called Appadurai “a hero” on Twitter.

Appadurai is one of nine delegates from COA who attended the meetings in Durban, South Africa. The young scholars took part in a tutorial on climate change politics and policy with Doreen Stabinsky, a faculty member at COA in international relations, who also attended the meetings.

The students studied the science, politics, and treaties surrounding climate change, which enabled the youths to attended the meetings known as Conferences of Parties. courtesy Vancouver Sun