vancouver fashion and portrait photography

The World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth  wrapped up its four days of non-stop working activism a little over a week ago. Located in the small Bolivian town of Tiquipaya, right on the outskirts of Cochabamba, the WPCCC was a collective effort to gather the voices of activists, indigenous people and the global community at large into a collective document. This document titled Submission from the Plurinational State of Bolivia to UNFCCC would include the People's Declaration Agreement on Climate Change and the Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth. Static Photography had the chance to head down to South America to photograph this event which sparked a strengthened voice in the people's movement around climate change. 

Many organizations have come from all over the world to participate in the World People's Conference for Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Some of these organizations are small or have just sent part of their delegation while one particular group has a very strong physical presence at the conference. Noted by their large green flags, green hats and green scarves, La Via Campesina is an international organization that fights for the rights of peasant farmers.  Their work on an international level has set the terms for the defining right of food sovereignty. 

Ten years ago the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia was engaged in a political war, called the Cochabamba Water Wars, with the Bolivean government over the privatization of the water systems.  

These wars were a series of protests and demonstrations over the World Bank influenced private contract of the city's water systems which included village community systems and even legislated rainwater control.

What started as a rural movement grew into a country-wide organizing effort to over turn the government contract. 2010 is the ten year anniversary of the successful win for the right of water in the city of Cochabamba.

With the world moving at an ever-quickening pace, it is very important to document the change process as it is happening. Static Photography has had the opportunity to be at some of these world-changing events such as the United Nations Climate Change Conference that took place in Copenhagen, Denmark in December of 2009.

Another such event is taking place in Bolivia this week called the World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth. This conference is more directed towards a people's movement for negotiating climate justice legislation on a global level.