By Furera Mohammed
Protestors from Avaaz, together with Jurassic Park actor James Cromwell have demanded action to “Stop The Human Asteroid” and end the extinction crisis.
Gathered next to a giant dinosaur in central Montreal, Avaaz activists held other banners in the shape of asteroids, which included the faces of various world leaders such as Presidents Alberto Fernandez of Argentina, Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, Emmanuel Macron of France, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission and those of the Prime Ministers of Canada, Justin Trudeau; China, Xi Jinping; Germany, Olaf Sholz; UK, Rishi Sunak and from Japan, Fumio Kishida.
Five days before the conclusion of COP 15 on biodiversity, European countries and other developed countries are pressing in the negotiations to dilute the language that refers to indigenous territories in goal 3 of the Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, and are refusing to adequately finance the protection of biodiversity.
James Cromwell said this combined position represents a “human asteroid” that threatens to destroy all ambition in the text of the Framework.
“The ambition to recover at least half of the world’s biodiversity by the rest of the decade, and with it the chance of avoiding mass extinction.
“Indigenous peoples have survived genocide and centuries of colonial assault on their lives and their lands,” said award-winning actor and activist.
“Today they protect 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity, without which life on Earth would collapse. Yet their former European colonizers still refuse to fully recognize their rights and leadership at crucial negotiations for a deal to stop mass extinction.”
“Humanity keeps tearing apart the very fabric of life on Earth, but after years of negotiations, governments have turned last-ditch efforts to stop mass extinction into a stand-off”, said Oscar Soria, a campaign director at Avaaz.
“Now the same former colonial powers responsible for wiping out Indigenous peoples across all continents are shamelessly killing any recognition of their rights in a deal meant.
