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Saturday, June 13, 2009

Peru: Exploitation of people and resources...will it ever end?


All over the web and especially throughout social media I find sites and pages and followers and friends seeking to bring about a pure world, a conscious world, a world where there is no exploitation of any living beings or of nature itself. There is activity everywhere, there is belief and there is hope. It is inspiring. But the rough reality remains. We are all talking of change and a new, more compassionate world, but perhaps no-one is listening? Or we are all just talking among ourselves, oblivious and ignored. Because there is no true change in how the world works. No change of heart, anyway.

Looking at the situation in Peru this week it seems that global corporates and the world's wealthy nations have ignored the lessons many of us hoped would be by-products of the GFC. Wasn't it all about greed and exploitation of people and resources? So if it's all over for greed in developed nations, and destroying the environment at home is not good for the share price, then it looks like targeting third world nations and their indigenous populations is the new greed. So far the Peru story is not making mainstream news headlines.

If you search Google news - but you need to search - or you follow an environmental group on twitter, you may have caught up with the uprising of indigenous Peruvians and their supporters in the last ten days or so. They are protesting about the exploitation of the Amazon's resources by global corporations and investors. They are protesting because their own rights are being trodden to the ground. All cards are, as usual, in the hands of the first world players. If the Peruvian government tries to protect its people it will cross swords with the big powers who will seek for a ruling on unrestricted free trade (GW Bush!). Foreign investors could have the power to stop the Peruvian government legislating on behalf of its own people, as well as on behalf of its own resources. The latter is the norm in the 3rd world - think Timor Leste! In the meantime, blood is being shed and lives are being lost in clashes between Peruvians - government troops against indigenous groups, students and environmentalists. The usual.

Will there ever be another consciousness? What ever can we do?