5th June — The International Day of the Environment
The Assembly of Social Movements decided at its plenary at the World Social Forum on Saturday (28 February 2012) that it would organise social movements throughout the world to occupy the streets on 5 June as a great day of global mobilisation against capitalism and in defence of social and environmental justice.
The date has been chosen so that social movements can publicise their position on environmental and social questions a fortnight before a major international UN conference, Rio + 20, which will bring together the leaders of the 192 nations who are members of the United Nations, will be held in Rio de Janeiro.
“The attempt to greenwash capitalism, together with the imposition of new instruments of ‘green economy’, is an alert for us, the social movements, to strengthen our resistance and to take the lead in building true alternatives to the crisis”, say the movements in the document they approved at the end of the meeting.
About 1,500 people from 30 countries took part in the plenary. They identified the two big challenges the global left confronts: to build a unified programme of struggles; and to mobilise the world’s population to impose real defeats on capital.
The first challenge, they say, has been achieved. Although they are active in different areas, the movements have managed to define a common platform for struggle. The second depends on the capacity the movements have in each country to mobilise.
“We have to be more creative to involve the masses. Without this, we shall not have the force to defeat capitalism in this crisis that that is afflicting the people of the world”, said João Pedro Stédile, one of the coordinators of Via Campesina and Brazil’s Landless Movement (MST).
For more information, in Portuguese, go to Carta Maior.