[Event] National Conference on Peoples Energy -PMCJ

Posted on November 2, 2013 by Human Rights Online Philippines Leave a comment

National Conference on Peoples Energy

November 4-6, 2013, Balay Kalinaw Hall, University of the Philippines – Diliman, Quezon City
Convened by Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ)
In cooperation with Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC)

The Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) is a national coalition of 103 national and local organizations, national networks, peoples organizations, community organizations and NGOs currently doing work in the National Capital Region, Central Luzon Region, Quezon, Laguna, Samar, Leyte, Catanduanes, Cebu, Iloilo, Negros, Misamis Occidental, CARAGA region, Bukidnon, Zamboanga del Sur, SOCSARGEN Region, and Davao, .

Since its inception in 2009, PMCJ has been actively working on developing a national climate justice movement in the country. One of its aims is to build strong campaign centers and chapters in strategic regions across the country, to develop and escalate local, regional and national concerted actions on many climate related issues and key political moments in the country.

PMCJ’s work on addressing and contributing in solving the climate crisis requires a strategic shift in the balance of power, a comprehensive transformation of societies at all levels – local, national and global – and along the way winning urgently needed immediate and medium term victories that contribute in the overall goal of preventing catastrophic climate change.

A key element of its work is building strong national campaigns on transforming energy systems, as well as contributing in the regional (Asia Pacific) and international levels.

In 2010, PMCJ as a national coalition, started working on energy issues in the country. This year, PMCJ have focused on coal (mining and combustion), along with its alternatives, and launched its national campaign “Resist Coal! RE-Energize All!” to contribute in the fight against a particular dirty and harmful energy that the current government and coal corporations have been pushing heavily. Under this campaign, PMCJ last October 22, 2013 successfully organized a nationally coordinated action against coal and shift to renewable energy in 15 coal sites of struggles in 13 provinces across the country.

This year, PMCJ is also convening a national energy conference that aims to take stock of the current overall energy situation in the country and the government’s energy program and policies, and build consensus around a comprehensive Platform on Energy in light of:

1. Peoples’ right to universal access to energy and the obstacles to the fulfillment of this right
2. Issues and problems posed by dirty and harmful energy policies and projects
3. The urgent need to shift as quickly as possible democratic, equitable, renewable, clean and universally accessible Philippine energy system for people and communities
4. Facing the challenge of the climate crisis

The Conference is part of a collective effort to build and strengthen a Philippine movement resisting dirty and harmful energy, promoting peoples and community energy alternative systems, and linking energy campaigns to campaigns for climate justice.

Objectives of the Conference

The over-all goal is to lay the grounds for more intensive, larger scale and scope, coordinated and joint campaigning on energy in the country.

More specifically, the Conference will be an occasion for participants:
1. Gain an overview, exchange analyses and deepen collective understanding of the situation, critical trends and challenges in the energy sector in the Philippines; Examine the issues in the light of the climate crisis and the challenge of shifting to low-carbon, climate resilient, equitable and democratic development pathways and societies;
2. Take stock of ongoing local, national, including regional and global campaigns on energy ( against dirty and harmful energy; for peoples access to energy; for democratic governance of energy systems);
3. Build on existing unities and further develop a common comprehensive platform on Energy in the country, that also clearly addresses the climate crisis and is part of a broader Climate Justice platform;
4. Start developing a common action plan and mechanisms for pursuing coordination and collective actions
5. Put together movements and organizations who can serve as the active core that will drive and animate the process forward, reach out to others for broader, more inclusive convergences and collaboration in 2014 and beyond.

Conference Participants

The conference aims to gather about 50-60 representatives and leaders from PMCJ member organizations and allied organizations and networks working on energy issues from the different parts of the country.

Dates and Venue

The Conference proper will be held on November 4 to 6 at Balay Kalinaw Conference Hall, University of the Philippines – Diliman, Quezon City.

Resource Persons and Guests

Most of the resource persons will be coming from PMCJ, FDC and other allied organizations and institutions who have been working on energy for the past years in the country and who can also help update participants on national efforts and serve as resource persons on some of the topics.

Follow PMCJ @ https://www.facebook.com/ClimateJusticePH

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