Friends of the Earth


Palestine, Land and Life

Amid bombings, war crimes, mass killings of civilians, most of whom are women and children, missing persons, famine and the devastation of entire cities, environmental justice seems like a minor issue. But it is not. The link between the environmental destruction of a territory and that of its original people is inseparable. Chemical residues in the soil, water and air,…

UN Conference in Nairobi ignores agreements ahead of Summit of the Future

The United Nations Civil Society Conference, taking place this Wednesday and Thursday in Nairobi, Kenya, ahead of the Summit of the Future to be held in September in New York (United States), ‘seeks to reinstate a corporate-driven agenda rejected by States and social organisations in the Summit process.’ ‘It is a crude attempt by the Office of the Secretary General…

Continuing the feminist struggle in the face of attacks on democracy

Dismantling and resisting patriarchy is essential to Food Sovereignty, forest management and democracy and in the struggle against oppressive economic systems and political institutions. Below are interviews with three people leading the charge toward a more just, equitable, and feminist world that centers gender justice.  How do patriarchy and other oppressions stand in the struggle for democracy and forests and…

Our history: 20 years of Real World Radio

In 20 years, Real World Radio (RWR) has changed, just like reality. Different people have worked on the project, we transformed our website, we diversified our products and broadened our reach to all regions. But our identity remained the same, as did our conviction to be a communications outlet by and for social movements.  RWR was born in 2003 as…

Opportunities and challenges ahead of 28th round of UN climate talks

The upcoming United Nations Conference of the Parties on Climate Change, COP 28, has been controversial from the outset: the United Arab Emirates (UAE), one of the world's largest oil producers, is designated as host country, and Sultan Ahmed al Jaber, CEO of the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), as president of the global event. In addition, the…

International Conference on Just and Feminist Energy Transition

Energy transition is one of the key ways to tackle climate change. The current energy system, based on fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas, is a major emitter of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. These gases are responsible for global warming. But the problems of the current energy system lie not only in the type of energy and…

TEMBÉ INDIGENOUS PEOPLE FACE REPEATED ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS IN PARÁ STATE, BRAZIL

Three leaders of the Tembé Indigenous People were shot on Monday in the Brazilian town of Tomé-Açu, situated in the state of Pará, 200 kilometres from the state capital Belém do Pará. The incident occurred during preparations for a visit from the National Human Rights Council. According to information from the Brazilian Pastoral Land Commission (CPT), the shots were fired…

URUGUAY: MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE WITHOUT ACCESS TO DRINKING WATER

Almost 100 days ago, residents of Uruguay’s capital city, Montevideo, were informed that sodium and chloride levels in their drinking would go up. This news came from the public company in charge of the national drinking water supply, OSE. The freshwater reserves of Paso Severino dam on the Santa Lucía river, which supplies water to this region, were running low…

Spotlight Philippines: A Year into the Marcos 2.0 Regime

June 30th marks the full circle of the first year under Philippine president Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr., son of previously deposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. The Philippines is both a globally critical hotspot of biodiversity and natural resources, and a historic beacon of democracy and people power in Asia. But the environmental and human rights situation has deteriorated over the…

Breaking the plastic cycle in Asia

Asia is drowning in plastic, with national production and imports from the global north having devastating environmental and public health impacts. According to a report by Friends of the Earth Asia Pacific, most South and East Asian countries lack proper waste management strategies, regulations and facilities to deal with the plastic waste crisis. Often, communities are forced to resort to…