Dear Friends,

Below you can find attached the text of the Open Letter we have sent to the OECD regarding their decision to hold their annual Tourism Conference in Jerusalem. We oppose this decision and the Open Letter discusses this and urges a change of venue for the Conference.

In solidarity with us, please assist us in widening the advocacy in the following ways:

1. Send our letter to the OECD with the endorsement of your network/ group/organization on your letterhead, OR, rewrite the Letter as suitable for you and send it. (It is sufficient to send the letter to the first four listed in the Open Letter which provides the email addresses).

2. Send the letter or your version to your own OECD country representative, if relevant, listed among the addresses.

3. Also send the letter to the relevant/appropriate people in your government and opposition (if it applies) in your country.

4. Please circulate the letter to the other networks you collaborate with, requesting them to do as in 1, 2, and 3 above.

5. Please circulate the letter and an accompanying press release to the media you deal with in your country and beyond.

This advocacy needs to be extended as widely as possible around the world in the interests of justice in Palestine and Israel.

Thanks for your help and solidarity.

ECOT, Kairos Palestine and ATG

Attachments:

File	Description	File size
An Open Letter re the Annual OECD Tourism Conference Held in Jerusalem		1056 Kb

A Consultation on ‘Theology of Pilgrimage for Palestine’ took place in Geneva from 18-21 May 2010. ECOT was one of the organisers of this meeting. 

Attachments:

File	Description	File size
'Théologie du pèlerinage pour la Palestine'-Déclaration d’une Rencontre Cons		20 Kb
'Théologie du pèlerinage pour la Palestine'-Communiqué de presse		17 Kb
'Theology of Pilgrimage for Palestine'-Press release		13 Kb
'Theology of Pilgrimage for Palestine'-Statement		18 Kb

People, Not Profit!

Civil Society Perspectives on Tourism and Climate Change

By Amélie Vignaud

The tourism industry must act immediately to reduce its emissions and to operate a broad paradigm shift, from profit-centred strategies to people-centred ones, says a position paper developed by civil society groups and NGOs on the occasion of the UNFCCC talks from 29th September to 9th October, 2009 in Bangkok. The activists raised their voices about the plight of local communities already affected by the impact of climate change. Their creative side events attracted the attention of the media and reinforced the spirit of solidarity between the different groups, built on several months on the road to COP15 in December 2009 in Copenhagen. 

People’s Action on Climate Change (PACC)

Under the People’s Action on Climate Change (PACC) umbrella, ECOT facilitated a workshop close to the UN venue. Presentations focused on the link between tourism, climate change and land rights, water shortage, energy and resource use, and the use of agro-fuels for tourism transport. The common link between all the presentations remained the need for climate justice and for the tourism industry to develop fair and just tourism practices while mitigating its emissions.

At a one-day conference on climate change and climate justice organised by PACC members to provide a platform to grassroots groups, tourism organisations called for the tourism industry to take its responsibility and to place people, and not profits, at the heart of its developments. The final draft of the PACC statement included tourism as a concern in relation to climate change. 

South Consultative Meeting

ECOT organised a ‘South Consultative meeting’ providing rich insights into various issues related to climate change and tourism. Participants developed a position paper, placing people most affected by climate change at its heart. The position paper stresses the fact that no binding measures have been taken so far regarding bunker fuels and that it is now necessary for the UN agreements to take into account the contribution of tourism to greenhouse gas emissions and therefore to climate change. 

The paper insists on the need to stop hiding behind false solutions: ‘Market-based mechanisms and false climate solutions such as CDM, REDD, agro-fuels, carbon trading are not acceptable. Facing the dramatic acceleration of global warming, stated in the last IPCC report, Annex-1 countries have to reduce their emissions at home’ and suggests other ways for tourism: ‘Climate protection in tourism requires a significant transformation of current forms of mass tourism and a serious engagement of governments on this issue to reduce tourism’s climate change footprint. Small scale, fair, just, people-centred and participatory tourism should be given much higher attention.’ 

The final version of the position paper will be presented at an event taking place on 10th December, 2009 on the occasion of COP15, and where ECOT and other tourism critical groups hope to exchange their views with representatives of the UNWTO. 

Tourism in Mindanao: report on a Public Hearing

Iris Ann Agustin-Capus

Peace for Life (PfL), an interfaith people’s forum and movement for global justice and peace, and a host of Mindanao-based organizations and NGOs, including Initiatives for Peace in Mindanao, Sisters Association of Mindanao, and Pamalakaya Fisherfolks Organization set up a two-part event consisting of a Public Hearing on the Eco-Tourism Development Plan of Mantigue Island, Camiguin, Philippines, and a Forum on the environmental and human costs of tourism in Mindanao.  This was organized in partnership with ECOT.  The Forum was a localized version of the October 2008 Manila consultation on Philippines tourism. The Mindanao groups found it appropriate to retain the theme, and thus titled the event “Tourism in Mindanao: A View from the Underside”.  It was held on November 16-18, 2009 in Camiguin and Cagayan de Oro.  

The main issue for the hearing was the scenic four-hectare white-sand Mantigue Island located in northern Mindanao that is also home to 42 fishing families. The entire community is facing eviction and charges of illegal occupancy from the local government, whose rationale is to develop the islet as a premier eco-tourism destination. 

The Forum had as its main subject the assessment of the tourism program in Mindanao, which forms part of the area’s overall development program. Special focus was given to the case of Mantigue. Other presentations dealt with localities inhabited by Lumads (indigenous peoples) and Muslim communities. 

Both the forum and the community hearing were well attended by representatives from churches, NGOs, and social movements in Mindanao. Participants greatly welcomed the activity as it gave them a closer look at how tourism development, as embodied in the Tourism Act 2009, affects people, the environment and national heritage, along with massive displacement, loss of livelihood, restriction of movement, misallocation of social services, alienation of indigenous culture, land-grabbing and disrespect to their legal rights to self-determination. Tourism ranks with other development projects such as large-scale mining and agricultural mono-culture among the biggest causes of development aggression, worsening poverty, environmental destruction and gross human rights violations.

Among the 46 participants were representatives of churches, inter-faith groups, indigenous people, media (print, radio and TV) and NGOs. The organizations included the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, Iglesia Filipina Independiente, Good Shepherd Sisters, United Church of Christ in the Philippines, Kasimbayan, United Methodist Church, Order of St. Benedict, CONCORD, Promotion of Church People’s Response, Suara Bangsamoro, Pamalakaya, Kalumaran, Sisters Association in Mindanao, InPeace Mindanao, Peace for Life, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sun Star CDO, Mindanao Gold Star Daily, DXCC RMN, ABS-CBN, DXCO.

The three-day activity was able to achieve the objectives it set out to do, namely: 

1. collate case stories of anti-people tourism development and people-based tourism initiatives in Mantigue and other parts of Mindanao; 

2. provide an analysis for Mindanao, Philippine and global tourism within the framework of human rights, social and environmental justice; and 

3. identify resolutions and plans for advocacy and solidarity-building with Mindanao communities affected by anti-people tourism projects and development. They are to 

 hold consultation with the Union of People’s Lawyers in Mindanao on the case of Mantigue and other communities affected by the tourism development plan 

 prepare a comprehensive and in-depth study of target tourism areas, networking with private and government agencies for lobbying, policy advocacy, and monitoring and even exploring online social networking sites

 organize community-based alternative tourism areas that will establish a network of support groups within Mindanao as well as nationally and internationally; 

 launch coordinated campaigns (includes lobbying and coordination with influential groups from churches, private and government agencies)  

 address the costs of tourism as practiced and embodied in the present national and regional tourism programs.  

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