June Update

It is quite extraordinary that this year there has been little or no deforestation to report. This is as a direct result of the Supreme Court’s temporary ban on forest clearance (see previous BLOG). Though we are not the only player out in the field, ASOCIANA has played a key role in bringing this situation about, with some of our research having now become an important source of documentary evidence in the judicial procedures now underway.

Indian leaders from Tartagal stopping a bulldozer from deforestsing (2008)
Note the rather dispondent driver on the right.

In order to consider lifting the ban, the Court has now requested that the Salta authorities conduct a strategic, and region wide, environmental impact assessment of all deforestation carried out to date and all planned deforestation for the near future. This is something we have been calling for repeatedly all through last year and part of the year before, so it is gratifying to see that the message somehow got through.

The nature and scale of the impact assessment requested by the court surpasses anything that has ever been done in Salta, and probably in Argentina. It is quite likely, and we already have some evidence in this regard, that the provincial authorities will be extremely hard pressed to find people with enough experience to do the study, let alone people who might undertake objective research. Most of those trained in impact assessment have already effectively sold their souls to the soy and cattle men.

ASOCIANA is now gearing up to monitor how the study is undertaken, and will be regularly communicating our views to the lawyers who represent the indigenous communities on this case. This will be one of the issues that keeps me most occupied for the next few weeks, at least at local level. One of key aspects we are observing is the extent to which indigenous peoples will be listened to over their grievances related to deforestation.

Andrew, on a recent visit to Indian leaders who took the lead in
requesting the Supreme Court of Argentina to put a halt to deforestation

The court’s ban, not only of deforestation but also cutting down individual trees, has had a collateral effect in that it has also affected those Indians who make a living from the cutting and sale of lumber. This has sparked off a series of protests and road blocks led by “tree cutting” Indians, but motivated from behind the scenes by the lumber business. Economic interest and poverty have combined into a situation where “tree cutting” Indians have been “sponsored” by we know not whom to travel all the way to Bs As to ask the court to lift the ban!. As a result, ASOCIANA has been the object of a fair bit of flack lately, which is not fun.

The above difficulties are evidence of the fact that ASOCIANA operates in a very real world, where there is a constant interplay, and not irregular conflict, between a diverse ranges of political and financial interests. It is not a neat world in which proposed projects can be executed according to predefined time frames and budgets. Most of the time we find ourselves having to respond to events, such as monitoring the environmental impact study being undertaken by the state, without any budgeted resources.

Consultancy work maintains its regular pace, and brings a welcome change to the often politically charged nature of the work here in Salta, though it certainly has its own challenges! Truthfully it is always a privilege to go and visit other Christians working around the world. I always feel I learn far more than I can ever hope to give. My time in Colombia was no exception. Hundreds of Churches across the country are enabled by Compassion International to develop ministries that in turn are helping tens of thousands of children to have a better start to life than they would otherwise get. It is always very moving to talk with young people who have received that support and to see how their lives have been so dramatically changed.

As I write this I have just received the latest pictures (viewer discretion advised) of indigenous people killed by the Peruvian police as part of the government response to Indians opposing policies that will mean the exapnsion of oil and gas extractioion in parts of the Amzon. These were passed on by another Christian organisation, Paz y Esperanza, as part of their role in monitoring what in this case amounts to the most horrendous abuse of human rights. They are another organization I have worked with in the past and who are also very inspiring in terms of their bravery and willingness to speak out on behalf of those who have no voice.

For further news on this situation, clik here