The Barcelona Consensus Strategy for Rio de Janeiro

Posted by admin on Thursday, June 14, 2012 · 1 Comment

At the Rio+20 People’s Summit Barcelona Consensus will clearly represent its core values focusing on environmental sustainability and the creation of a social, just and sustainable economy.

The main activity of the Consensus will be the Atelier called: “Engagement interculturel pour un monde juste et durable: Le Barcelona Consensus”. This event is taking place on the 16^th of June between 14h00 and 15h30 and between 15h45 and 17h15, you can find the schedule for all Self Managed Activities here. The presence of the Barcelona Consensus is possible thanks to our collaborators at Visions Solidaires, a togolese NGO and the Alliance for an ecological, social and urgent alternative to capitalisme.

Already in the preparation phase of the Rio Summit, Barcelona Consensus has been an voice speaking up for the importance of heading into a transition towards the world liveable for all. As such, Samir Abi, who will also represent the Consensus in Rio, was participating in the preparatory meeting of the African civil society in March 2012 in Limbe, Cameroon who will be present in Rio. NGOs and other civil society organisations from twenty different African countries were present. These organisations have taken the role to address the African leaders on behalf of the civil society and strongly urge them to stand up for a sustainable, just and viable world.

As for the strategy in Rio: Barcelona Consensus will clearly represent its core values focusing on environmental sustainability and especially the importance to reinstate the relationship between man and nature, taking into account the necessitites of indegenous people and finally to enhance a energetic transitions in Africa. Barcelona Consensus will be present in Rio to defend collectively the principles that should be able to bring hope and a viable and sustainable world for present and future generations.

Here are the two transitions Barcelona Consensus will be focusing on in Rio:

A transition towards environmental sustainability:

Restore a vision of human life as interdependent and intrinsically linked to living beings, nature, sunlight, air, water and land
Generate new modes of sustainable living, responsible consumption and promote use of renewable energy, gradually reducing the use of fossil fuels and radioactive;
Promote regeneration methods and decentralization of human settlements;
Adopt and implement more rigorous fiscal policies promoting sustainability nationally and globally, through the use of taxes, penalties and incentives both environmentally and socially;
Protect the rights of present and future generations and expand the jurisdiction of the ICC (International Criminal Court) to environmental and economic crimes.

A transition towards a social, just and sustainable economy:

Rethinking the economic system and the lifestyle associated with it and replace the skewed economic indicators;

Prevent monopolization of land and natural resources and the concentration of wealth, property and power, applying the principle of “who owns or earns more, pays more”

Guarantee the right to a decent job, a adequate redistribution and an minimum income, recognized as human rights

Overcome policies of development assistance which have become a means of exploitation of people and resources and establish a global trading system based on solidarity