[fse-esf] Take action: Grassroots forum under attack

Sat Feb 14 00:24:22 CET 2009

Dear friends,

We (21 Danish grassroots
movements*[i]*<http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&view=js&name=js&ver=tD5ZcpXKngc&am=X7UYJcT3cLEJBf_i0bZLFWym#_edn1>,
including Friends of the Earth Denmark, Via Campesina Denmark, Attac Denmark
and the Coordinating Network with the "Call for Climate Action") are working
very hard to establish a Civil Society's Climate Forum parallel to UN's
Climate Conference in Copenhagen in December.

The idea is to create a space for civil society organisations, grassroots
movements and activists from the South as well as the North – a space for
debates, exhibitions, meetings and room for planning demonstrations,
happenings etc.

*We are really sorry that we have not succeeded yet!*

*And now we need your help!*

Since early spring 2008, we have been negotiating with the Danish government
and Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs about providing funding to the*
**Climate
Forum. *

* *

Since April, the big NGOs in Denmark have repeatedly made it very clear that
they are policy oriented and do not want to take part in planning a forum to
welcome visitors to Copenhagen during the COP15. Therefore, our initiative
has been, since the beginning, the only one taking this responsibility.

Civil Society activities are funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. And so we felt that it is our legitimate right to ask for public
money to assure the basic funding for a public forum when our government has
invited the world to Copenhagen. And we felt that we had a rather
constructive dialogue with the civil servants. However, the government has
continuously been stalling the process.

Somewhere around last autumn some NGO's and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
got together to organise all civil society activities for COP15 under the
umbrella: Peoples Climate Action (PCA). The government decided to
immediately grant PCA 4.2 million Danish Kroner for their secretariat.
Furthermore, 20 million Danish Kroner (2.68 million euro) was allocated from
the Ministry to PCA. The task of PCA is to divide the 20 millions to all
sorts of different activities that civil society organisations are planning
in relation to the COP15 including Civil Society's Climate Forum.

So in order to receive funding for the Climate Forum, we applied to PCA on
the 20th of January 2009 although we had already sent a very detailed
application to the Foreign Ministry in November last year – which the
ministry had in fact asked us to do. Yet, they did neither accept nor reject
the application. Since we are the only candidate with plans for a proactive
outreach-oriented event during COP15, we expected that we would be granted a
sufficient amount of money to get started – 4 months later than we had
planned.

But today (Friday the 13th of February), we have found out that the PCA is
prepared to give us about half of the needed money, but only on the
condition that we redesign the initiative completely.

That is: transform from being a radical and visionary grassroots forum to a
more mainstream NGO forum, and accept that the Climate Forum becomes an
activity under the administration of PCA Secretariat. As such Climate Forum
would lose its independence.

So now we are in a situation where our grassroots forum is being attacked by
an attempted coup. It began with something that looked like a complete
disorganisation, but it looks more and more like a well prepared plan to
undermine the ambitious grassroots forum.

*We need your help!*

*To:*

*Spread the message in your countries *

*If you have "friendly" governments ask them to raise the issue to the
Danish government *

*If you have ideas for funds let us know *

*If you have some advice or good ideas that can bring us forward, don't
hesitate to speak out!*

*Sign up to the list if your organisation wants to support our initiative
(see footnote[ii]<http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&view=js&name=js&ver=tD5ZcpXKngc&am=X7UYJcT3cLEJBf_i0bZLFWym#_edn2>for
full list of international organisations that have already signed up)
*

* *

*Also ... *

* *

*Tell us why you think the Climate Forum is important to you and your
organisation *

*And tell us what kind of activities you would like to see happening*

* *

In solidarity,
Bente Hessellund Andersen and Safania Eriksen

-- 
NOAH - Friends of the Earth Denmark
Nørrebrogade 39, 1. sal
2200 Copenhagen N
Phone: + 45 35 36 12 12
Mobile: +45 29 90 16 07
Fax: + 45 35 36 12 17
Web: www.noah.dk

* *

* *

*NOTES*

------------------------------

[i]<http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&view=js&name=js&ver=tD5ZcpXKngc&am=X7UYJcT3cLEJBf_i0bZLFWym#_ednref1>
*Netværket (21 organisationer)*

Agenda 21 Center Nørrebro

Attac

Brahma Kumaris Åndelige Verdensuniversitet

Dansk Cubansk Forening

Det Økologiske Inspirationshus

Frie Bønder - Levende Land / Via Campesina Denmark

Foreningen Frit Tibet

Foreningen Nordens Ungdom

FN Forbundet

Klimabevægelsen i Danmark

KlimaX

Kultur Vesterbro

Københavns Miljø- og Energikontor (KMEK)

Landsforeningen for Økosamsund (LØS)

Landsforeningen Økologisk Byggeri (LØB)

Levende Hav

Miljøbevægelsen NOAH

Natur og Ungdom

Rådet for Bæredygtig Trafik

VesterGror

Øko-net Netværket for økologisk folkeoplysning og praksis

* *

[ii]<http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&view=js&name=js&ver=tD5ZcpXKngc&am=X7UYJcT3cLEJBf_i0bZLFWym#_ednref2>
* Internationale støtter (30 organisationer og netværk)*

*Acción Ecológica Ecuador***

Black Womens Poundtable (NCBCP)

British Russian Eco-cultural Network (*BREN*)

Campaign against Climate Change

Civil Society Forum on Climate Change

Environmental Justice & Climate Change Initiative

FERN

Federation of Community Forest Users, Nepal (FECOFUN)

Friends of the Earth International

Friends of the Earth U.S.

Global Forest Coalition

Georgia Coalition for Peoples' Agenda

IndyACT

International Forum on Globalization

International Network for Sustainable Energy (INFORSE)

Global Forest Coalition

Global Justice Ecology Project

*KAIROS (Canadian** *Ecumenical Justice Initiatives)**

Klimataktion

Permaculture International

PLATFORM

Rainforest Action Network

Sustainable Energy & Economy Network

The Nordic Youth Association

Third World Network

Transnational Institute

350.org

Young Friends of the Earth Europe

Via Campesina

World Rainforest Movement
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