Fwd: Urgent Action: forest rights under threat

[prakash bhalavi]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Survival International <in...@survivalinternational.org>
Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 15:10:24 +0000
Subject: Urgent Action: forest rights under threat
To: PRAKASH <litbh...@gmail.com>

Email not displaying properly? View it in your browser
(http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=b14580b05b832fb959c4ee444&id=54f6ffc7be&e=2a7c3d54b4)
.
http://www.survivalinternational.org/
Survival (http://www.survivalinternational.org/) Tribes
(http://www.survivalinternational.org/tribes) News
(http://www.survivalinternational.org/news) Act Now
(http://www.survivalinternational.org/actnow) Donate
(https://www.survivalinternational.org/donate)
*


**

Urgent Action: forest rights under threat

------------------------------------------------------------

The legal right of tribal peoples to give, or withhold, their consent
before their forests are cut down is under threat: there are reports
that India’s new government is investigating ways of removing this
vital protection.

This right is enshrined in the Forest Rights Act 2006 and under
international law, but the Prime Minister’s office and the Ministry of
Environment are examining ways that this right can be removed. Without
this protection India’s tribal peoples will be powerless to stop the
forests that they rely on, manage and protect, from being destroyed.

Not only is the Minister for Environment trying to deny India’s tribal
people their right to say no to development they don’t want, he’s
pretending he’s doing it for their own good, stating ‘tribals have
every right to development and cannot be turned into anthropological
showpieces’.

Please send a message to the Minister of Environment asking him not to
remove tribal peoples’ rights to protect their forests.
Click here to send a pre-written message
(mailto:prak...@sansad.nic.in?bcc=info%2Bac...@survivalinternational.org&subject=Respect%20the%20forest%20rights%20of%20India's%20tribal%20peoples&body=Dear%20Minister%20Prakash%20Javadekar,%0D%0A%0D%0AI%20am%20extremely%20concerned%20at%20reports%20that%20the%20Indian%20government%20is%20seeking%20to%20remove%20the%20right%20for%20tribal%20people%20to%20give,%20or%20withhold,%20their%20consent%20before%20their%20forests%20are%20cut%20down.%20This%20would%20be%20devastating%20for%20the%20millions%20of%20tribal%20people%20who%20rely%20on%20their%20forests%20in%20order%20to%20survive%20and%20who%20have%20managed%20and%20protected%20these%20forests%20for%20countless%20generations.%20%0D%0A%0D%0AI%20am%20also%20alarmed%20that,%20in%20defence%20of%20this%20move,%20you%20have%20been%20quoted%20as%20saying%20'tribals%20have%20every%20right%20to%20development%20and%20cannot%20be%20turned%20into%20anthropological%20showpieces'.%20Under%20the%20Forest%20Rights%20Act%20India's%20tri
bal%20peoples%20still%20have%20the%20'right%20to%20development',%20but%20they%20also%20have%20the%20right%20to%20say%20no%20to%20the%20wrong%20sort%20of%20development%20%E2%80%93%20the%20sort%20that%20will%20destroy%20their%20land%20and%20their%20way%20of%20life%20%E2%80%93%20leaving%20them%20with%20nothing.%20%0D%0A%0D%0ATribal%20peoples'%20rights%20to%20make%20their%20own%20choices%20about%20their%20lands%20and%20way%20of%20life%20are%20enshrined%20in%20the%20Forest%20Rights%20Act%20and%20in%20international%20law.%20Please%20do%20not%20deny%20this%20right%20to%20the%20tribal%20people%20of%20India.%20%0D%0A%0D%0AYours%20sincerely,%0D%0A%0D%0A)



** Or if this doesn't work for you, you can use this text to send an
email to Minister of Environment at prak...@sansad.nic.in
(mailto:prak...@sansad.nic.in)
------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Minister Prakash Javadekar,

I am extremely concerned at reports that the Indian government is
seeking to remove the right for tribal people to give, or withhold,
their consent before their forests are cut down. This would be
devastating for the millions of tribal people who rely on their
forests in order to survive and who have managed and protected these
forests for countless generations.

I am also alarmed that, in defence of this move, you have been quoted
as saying ‘tribals have every right to development and cannot be
turned into anthropological showpieces’. Under the Forest Rights Act
India’s tribal peoples still have the ‘right to development’, but they
also have the right to say no to the wrong sort of development – the
sort that will destroy their land and their way of life – leaving them
with nothing.

Tribal peoples’ rights to make their own choices about their lands and
way of life are enshrined in the Forest Rights Act and in
international law. Please do not deny this right to the tribal people
of India.

Yours sincerely,


** If you have a few minutes, please write your own message. This is
much more powerful.
------------------------------------------------------------



** If your email bounces, please don't worry about sending us a
message. It's probably because the recipient has blocked their account
due to the high number of protest emails. It means the campaign is
working.
------------------------------------------------------------


Thank you

You’re receiving...
http://survival-international.us1.list-manage.com/profile?u=b14580b05b832fb959c4ee444&id=241e47c256&e=2a7c3d54b4
Email updates (http://survival-international.us1.list-manage.com/profile?u=b14580b05b832fb959c4ee444&id=241e47c256&e=2a7c3d54b4)

http://survival-international.us1.list-manage.com/profile?u=b14580b05b832fb959c4ee444&id=241e47c256&e=2a7c3d54b4
Shopping (http://survival-international.us1.list-manage.com/profile?u=b14580b05b832fb959c4ee444&id=241e47c256&e=2a7c3d54b4)

http://survival-international.us1.list-manage.com/profile?u=b14580b05b832fb959c4ee444&id=241e47c256&e=2a7c3d54b4
News as it happens
(http://survival-international.us1.list-manage.com/profile?u=b14580b05b832fb959c4ee444&id=241e47c256&e=2a7c3d54b4)
Latest news from tribal peoples & urgent campaign actions
special offers from Survival's range of cards and gifts
frequent updates

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to Survival's email updates
Click here to remove litbh...@gmail.com from our system entirely,
and we won't send you any updates from Survival
(http://survival-international.us1.list-manage2.com/unsubscribe?u=b14580b05b832fb959c4ee444&id=241e47c256&e=2a7c3d54b4&c=54f6ffc7be)

Survival International USA, 2325 3rd Street, Suite 401, San Francisco,
CA 94107, USA
T +1 415 503 1254

Survival International, 6 Charterhouse Buildings, LONDON, UK, EC1M 7ET
T +44(0)20 7687 8700

www.survivalinternational.org (http://www.survivalinternational.org/)