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Highlighted in Biodiversity Privatisation Report
1 February 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Human rights abuses and poor governance in wildlife management in Swaziland have been revealed in a major new report released this week at the World Social Forum in Brazil. The report, "Nature for Sale: the Impacts of Privatizing Water and Biodiversity" documents the negative social and environmental impact of water and biodiversity privatization through thirty-four stories from across the globe. The World Social Forum (WSF) is an open meeting place where groups and movements of civil society come together to pursue their thinking, to debate ideas democratically, to formulate proposals and network for effective action. The 2005 WSF was the largest ever with 155,000 participants from 135 countries. The WSF is an annual event timed to coincide with, and counteract, the meeting of world leaders at the World Economic Forum, which traditionally promotes a financial, profits-driven focus to development. Concerns on biodiversity management in Swaziland were presented at the WSF by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI). This demonstrates the real value of Yonge Nawe being the national member organisation for Swaziland in FoEI. Swaziland is covered in a section of Nature for Sale that details examples of indigenous peoples and local communities finding themselves excluded from forests and other biologically rich areas they have traditionally lived in and utilised. Particular concerns that are referred to include the lack of accountability and governance for the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) and the Game Act in the Kingdom, and the recent decision to allow Swaziland to sell her endangered white rhinos for trophy hunting and export to unnamed destinations. Furthermore, the report criticizes the human rights violations being inflicted on communities living near game parks by game rangers and farm owners, and cases of "inhumane acts and torture reminiscent to those of the apartheid regime in neighbouring South Africa". ENDS Notes to Editors: 1. A full copy of Nature for
Sale: the Impacts of Privatizing Water and Biodiversity is available at:
http://www.foei.org/publications/link/privatization/index.html.
2. For more information on the World Social Forum, see: http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/index.php?cd_language=2. Media Contact:
Click Here to see details of Yonge Nawe's work on Biodiversity and Wildlife Conflicts. Back to Press Releases. Back to Press
Information.
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