Letter of Evo Morales to the International Conference of the Via Campesina

[Massimo]

Letter of Evo Morales to the Vth Conference
http://www.viacampesina.org/main_en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=631&Itemid=1

Sisters and Brothers
International Conference of the Via Campesina
Maputo, Mozambique

Sisters and brothers: The innumerable activities that I now have as 
President of Bolivia prevent me from being with you, as is my constant 
desire. Whenever I am informed about your activities, meetings, 
workshops and conferences I am filled with nostalgia because as a 
founder of Via Campesina I would like to be with you debating the 
problems that we have as a sector.
Nevertheless, in Maputo there will be representatives from Bolivia, my 
brothers and sisters who help me now in the struggle for a united 
Bolivia, above all egalitarian, without racism or discrimination. A 
country when there are no first or second class citizens and where all 
have the same rights and obligations, with the same possibilities to 
study and access health care, where basic services are not a private 
service but rather a human right.

For this reason I would like to place for your consideration, with much 
respect, the proposal that I made before the United Nations (UN), the 
same one consisting of a 10-point plan to save the world, life and 
humanity, pulling together ideas on how to change the “external” debt 
for the ecological debt, to put an end to agrofuels and the 
privatization of water, electricity, education and health, communication 
and transportation, and to bet on a culture of “unity in diversity.”

“10-point plan to save the world, life and humanity”

First.- Climate change is not the product of human beings in general, 
but rather the on-going capitalist system, based on unlimited industrial 
development. We must do away with the exploitation of human beings and 
with the pillage of our natural resources. The north needs to pay the 
ecological debt, rather than the countries paying the external debt.

Second. – War brings profits to empires, transnational corporations and 
a group of families, but implies death, destruction and poverty for the 
peoples. The trillions of dollars destined for war should be invested in 
the Earth wounded by abuse and over-exploitation.

Third. – Relations of co-existence and not of submission among the 
countries of the world needs to be achieved, free of imperialism or 
colonialism. Bilateral and multilateral relations are necessary because 
we favor a culture of dialog and of social conviviality.

Fourth. – Water is a human right and for all living creatures on the 
planet. One can live without electricity but not without water. Water is 
life. It is not possible to tolerate policies that permit the 
privatization of water. We need an international convention on water to 
protect the sources of water as a human right and to avoid privatization.

Fifth. - The development of clean energies friendly to nature will do 
away with the energy crisis. In 100 years we are using up fossil 
energies created during millions of years. Avoid the promotion of 
agro-fuels. Lands cannot be set aside for the functioning of luxury cars 
in the place of food production for human beings.

Sixth. – No “expert” or specialist can debate with indigenous leaders 
about respect for the Mother Earth. The indigenous movement ought to 
explain to other social sectors, urban and rural, that the earth is our 
mother.

Seventh. – Basic services, such as water, electricity, education, 
health, communication and transportation should be considered as human 
rights. They cannot be made private businesses since they are public 
services.

Eighth. - Consume what is needed, prioritize what we produce and consume 
locally. Put an end to consumerism, decadence and luxury. It is not 
comprehensible that a few persons seek only luxury at the expense of 
millions who are deprived of a decent life. While millions of people die 
each year from hunger, in other parts of the world millions of dollars 
are dedicated to combating obesity.

Ninth. - Promote the diversity of cultures and economies. The indigenous 
movement that has always been excluded is betting on unity in diversity. 
A plurinational State, where everyone is included within the State, 
whites, brown, black and red.

Tenth. - It is nothing new to Live Well. It is simply a matter of 
recovering the life ways of our forebears and end with the kind of 
thinking that encourages individualistic egoism and the thirst for 
luxury. Live well is not to live better at the expense of others. We 
need to build a communitarian socialism in harmony with the Mother Earth.

This V Conference in Maputo will bring together, I am informed, more 
than 500 peasant leaders from more than 70 countries. Its importance is 
principally found in the contributions you bring to try to resolve the 
current food crisis that impacts several countries of the world, above 
all in Latin America, where many producers are making a maximum effort 
to avoid a major agrarian crisis, impacted also by financial, climactic 
and environmental problems.

I would like to take this opportunity to express to you my great 
solidarity in the work and the struggle that you have been realizing for 
the past 15 years and wish you all the best success in your 
deliberations and for the approval of future areas of action in the 
struggle against capitalism and the creation of a new model of 
agricultural production that is sustainable.

With my greatest consideration, I send you a revolutionary greeting.

Evo Morales Ayma
Constitutional President of the Republic of Bolivia