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New Moon Updates for April 2008
Pachamama and Ecuador’s Constitutional Assembly Explore Creation of an Environmental State
Ecuador is writing one of the most important chapters of its history with its newly elected and functioning Constitutional Assembly in charge of creating a new Constitution. Pachamama’s Ecuadorian operation, Fundación Pachamama, is seizing that opportunity to aid the Assembly members in their task of turning Ecuador into an environmental state guided by a sustainable development model that responds more coherently to the country’s rich biological and cultural diversity.
Fundación Pachamama is working directly with the Assembly members, especially those dedicated to Ecuador’s natural resources and biodiversity. Seven key topics were selected to be worked on in the constitutional creation process: how to pass from an extractive development model to a sustainable development model; how to introduce rights for Nature into this new constitution; how to incorporate alternative national accounts that consider and monitor Nature; how to limit corporate power; how the resource of water is treated; how renewable resources are managed (involving activities such as fishing, hunting and timber); as well as non-renewable resources (oil extraction and mining). The objective was to come up with proposals for each of these detailed topics that includes an explanation of the real consequences to Ecuador under a model that has neglected Nature, and the necessary elements that should be taken into account for crafting this new Magna Carta. This work was done with the contributions of all the environmental sectors and actors in Ecuador, including the National Environmentalist Assembly.
Some results from this work are already visible. After Pachamama arranged the Assembly visit of Thomas Linzey and Mari Margil of the Pennsylvania-based Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund one month ago, the debate started among Assembly members about the importance of recognizing rights for Nature, especially in a country as rich in biodiversity as Ecuador. Giving rights to Nature could potentially codify sustainable development and align with the vision of indigenous cultures previously ignored; Nature is not some-thing to be exploited, but some-body to be respected and taken care of. It will also limit extractive activities that threaten Nature’s capacity to exist, prosper and maintain its natural vital cycles, thus limiting corporate power. The President’s political party, Alianza País, recently agreed to support the initiative of inserting this right into the new constitution, and starting last week, the debate began at the General Assembly. This revolutionary idea is also receiving wide media coverage and civil society debate in Ecuador.
Fundación Pachamama will continue to accompany the Constitutional Assembly’s process, and together with other key actors from Ecuador’s civil society, will keep working to fully leverage this historical opportunity to transform Ecuador.
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Symposium, Collaboration and Engaged Action
Takes Off in Northwest
 The Northwest is ‘waking up’ at an accelerated rate. There has been an explosion of Awakening the Dreamer related activity there, with 6 Symposiums in Washington already this year and 5 more currently scheduled. A flurry of activity in Portland and Vancouver, B.C. has also occurred, with two recent events really marking the region.
Awakening the Dreamer Facilitator and founding director of Be The Change Earth Alliance (BTCEA), Maureen Jack-LaCroix, was joined by facilitators Elizabeth Gorla, Dennis Lucarelli and Sherry Helmke along with twenty dedicated volunteers in the launch of Be The Change Symposium in Vancouver on March 29th. BTCEA is integrating the Symposium into a comprehensive citizen engagement program that enables participants to form BTC Action Circles for ongoing peer engagement and support. BTCEA has created a handbook that correlates a comprehensive Action Guide with materials from Northwest Earth Institute, of whom they are a sister affiliate. Over 195 people attended the Symposium, representing community leaders from environmental, social justice, business, education, government, organized labor and faith traditions. Participants loved the Symposium that featured Canadian social justice content, interactive group participation and the Points of Awareness ritual ending the section “Where We Are Now”. It is anticipated that over 40 Action Circles (comprised of 10 people each) will result from this first Symposium. BTCEA will host three more Symposiums in the coming months.
On that same day, Portland delivered its largest Symposium to date. Over 100 people attended the event and experienced for the first time the new format being tested called the "video intensive version” (VIV) of the Symposium. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with glowing comments such as, "it was the best program that you could have in five hours" and "excellent and inspiring.” The volunteer team that produced the event has created a Wiser Earth group website for all of the participants, and will be using it to reconnect with participants, organize future events, and highlight local resources. As we learn more about how to best utilize the group as a resource, we plan to share our findings with other production and facilitation teams. A facilitator training was announced at the event, and dozens of people expressed interest in attending. Many people volunteered to host, promote and produce future Symposiums, as well. It was a blessed day with a strong sense of community and service. As a result, a steering committee has been formed in the Portland area and they are already planning future events.
Both of these Symposiums brilliantly created ways for participants to remain engaged after the event was over. As the Symposium states, “the days of the lone-ranger are gone.” We can’t change the dream of the modern world on our own, and besides, it’s much more fun doing so while collaborating with others.
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Birthing A Gift Economy
Tuesday, April 8th - San Francisco, CA: Join us for a special evening with Nipun Mehta, founder of CharityFocus.org a fully volunteer run organization and gift-economy incubator with 200,000 members that leverages technology to inspire greater volunteerism and shift our cultural ethos towards generosity. The Gift-Economy is an ancient, indigenous idea that is curiously finding its footing in the modern, Internet economy. Nipun will share inspiring lessons from his experiments with the gift-economy, both personally and institutionally, and discuss small steps that anyone can take to align with the trust and abundance of the gift-economy. For venue information and to RSVP, please click here...
Return to the Amazon
Wednesday, April 9th at 8:00pm - Rainforest Special on PBS: The Amazon is the most powerful of the world's rivers, and its rapid transformation will alter the global climate. This is a region of urgency and conflict, where human enterprise and expansion not only compromise the health and ecology of the river, forest and indigenous inhabitants, but also inflict consequences on a global scale. Yet, new beacons of hope and sustainability are emerging from the Amazon as the fight for the future of the region unfolds. For more info, visit...
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Help Indigenous Communities Defend
Their Lands and Cultures 
Indigenous communities everywhere are struggling to prevent the destruction of their ancestral lands and they're asking for support. Global Response makes it easy by organizing very effective international letter-writing campaigns. Your letters can make the difference between survival and extinction for the wondrously diverse peoples and species of our planet. To get involved in Global Response campaigns, click here…
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Job Announcement: Development Director
The Pachamama Alliance is seeking a Development Director to generate and direct new and existing fundraising programs and strategies. The position is responsible for taking our organization to the next level of financial vitality. For more information, click here...
Volunteer Opportunities
There are many opportunities to volunteer your skills, have fun and make a difference. We welcome your participation. Please visit our website to find out more or contact Eve Libertone, Volunteer Coordinator, at 415-561-4522 ext. 107 or email.
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Oil and Power in Latin America
By Los Angeles Times: While the Achuar of Ecuador have successfully avoided extractive exploitation with the partnership of Pachamama and its allies, a small part of Achuar territory in Peru has suffered decades of oil extraction and contamination. Pachamama is increasing its support of the Peruvian Achuar, who are currently more vulnerable to new extractive threats. Tomas Maynas Carijano, an elder and spiritual leader of the Achuar in Peru, recently traveled to Los Angeles as the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against Occidental Petroleum. For full story, click here...
Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference
Energizes Green Economy
By Environmental News Service: With continued job losses in America's manufacturing industry and the warning signs of a national economic slowdown, Governor Edward Rendell today cited Pennsylvania's track record of investing in green technologies and renewable energy to help revitalize the economy and create new jobs. For full story, click here...
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