March 14: International day of struggle against dams, for rivers, water and life

The Movement of the People Affected by Dams (MAB) from Brazil calls on all agencies, organizations, church organizations, networks, activists and social movements to insert themselves and help us organize demonstrations to mark the International Day of Struggles Against Dams, for rivers, water and life, on March 14. On this day people affected by dams worldwide denounce the energy model that historically caused severe social, economic, cultural and environmental damage. According to the report of the World Commission on Dams (an organ attached to the UNO) about 80 million people worldwide were affected directly or indirectly by the construction of hydroelectric plants.

The last years were marked by the advancement of large national and multinational corporations in their control of natural resources such as minerals, water, seeds, food, oil and electricity. All these goods become commodities and are exploited by industry sectors that have high power consumption. The current crisis of capitalism shows how this model of production and consumption is unsustainable and insane, focused only on profit for a few. For MAB it is necessary to build a new development model, focused on decent living conditions for the working class.

Resistance movements against this model are strengthened and now, more than ever, it is necessary to perform long journeys of struggle which would go beyond March 14, to the Rio +20, held in June in Rio de Janeiro, combating all unfair structures of this society. In case of the energy model, the economic crisis opens a discussion for a major restructuring, stemming from the real needs of overcoming the contradictions of the current model together with the principles of sovereignty energy from a popular project.

Increasingly, our commitment is organizing and inserting ourselves in struggles against multinationals and for workers’ rights, for the defense of rivers, water and life. The manifestations during the March 14 will be held to ask for solution to the enormous social and environmental debt left by plants already built and to strengthen the struggle for a different energy model. Therefore, this campaign is not only of the population affected by dams. Everyone is hit by high energy prices, the privatization of water and energy, and by public money invested in private works. It’s up to us to resist and build a new energy model and society!

Water for life, not death!
Water and energy are not commodities!