[Occupymendocino] a petition to the World Bank to save the forest people and their forest

[ELLEN ROSSER]

Allison Johnson - Avaaz.org
Feb 9 (1 day ago)
to me
Dear friends,

<http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_the_forced_evictions_loc_kenya_pa_us/?bGanbab&v=35528>

*Heavily armed police just burned 1,000 homes to the ground *to force
indigenous families out of the Kenyan forest. The World Bank has given
millions to the forest police, but is staying quiet. If enough of us
supercharge the community's desperate call for help,* we can force the
World Bank to demand the government halts these vicious land grabs.* *Sign
now:*

[image: SIGN THE
PETITION]<http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_the_forced_evictions_loc_kenya_pa_us/?bGanbab&v=35528>
*Heavily armed police just burned 1,000 homes to the ground *to force
indigenous families out of the Kenyan forest where they've lived for
centuries. *This desperate community needs our help *to save their homes --
and the forest -- before it's destroyed forever.

The World Bank has given millions of our tax dollars to the Kenyan forest
police who are annihilating this ancient community. And -- with new funding
at stake this year -- the Bank has massive leverage over the government. So
far the Bank is staying mum, but *if enough of us supercharge the
community's call for help, we can force it to demand this horror stops*.

*World Bank President Jim Yong Kim *says he wants to change the Bank. Let's
hold him to his word, demanding that he call on the Kenyan government to
stop these vicious land grabs and commit to new human rights standards for
all future grants. When a million of us sign, *we'll grab Kim's
attention by* *showing burning home**s** outside the Bank's Washington HQ. *Add
your name now:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_the_forced_evictions_loc_kenya_pa_us/?bGanbab&v=35528

*The Sengwer people have lived in the majestic Embobut forest for
centuries *and their rights to their ancestral lands are protected under the
Kenyan constitution and international law. They've already won a court
order to stop the evictions, but the government has ignored it, claiming
they need to clear the forest to protect water sources for nearby towns.
The Sengwer fear that
*next, the forest will be decimated for profit. *
The Bank has backed many impressive initiatives, but for too long has
blamed the governments and companies it lends to when destructive projects
force people off their land.* But the tide is turning. *After an outcry,
the Bank pulled back from projects that were driving 30,000 Cambodians a
year from their homes. And it admitted it ignored its own policies when it
funded a Honduran palm oil company accused of brutal evictions and
assassinations.
*The Bank is now investigating the Sengwer scandal, but far too slowly to
save Kenya's ancient forest peoples.*
The US Congress has just called on the Bank to stop evictions, or risk
losing US money. I*t's the perfect moment to stop this brutal land grab in
Kenya and get the institution to take human rights seriously. Sign now* --
when a million of us are on board, we'll deliver our message straight to
President Kim:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_the_forced_evictions_loc_kenya_pa_us/?bGanbab&v=35528

After the Tanzanian government announced plans to kick thousands of Maasai
families off their lands to build a hunting reserve, almost two million
Avaaz members stood with their community. We kept pushing for over a year
until finally the Prime Minister allowed them to stay, helping end a 20
year land battle. The Maasai say they couldn't have done it without us --
now let's do it again, for the Sengwer people.

With hope,

Allison, Alex, Joseph, Emilie, Alice, Sayeeda, Ricken and the rest of the
Avaaz team

More information:

Kenya: KFS Guards Burn Down Homes in Embobut Forest (The Star)
http://allafrica.com/stories/201401200456.html

Kenyan families flee Embobut forest to avoid forced evictions by police
(The Guardian)
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/jan/07/kenya-embobut-forest-forced-evictions-police


Kenya defies its own courts (Forest Peoples Programme)

*http://www.forestpeoples.org/topics/legal-human-rights/news/2014/01/kenya-defies-its-own-courts-torc...
<http://www.forestpeoples.org/topics/legal-human-rights/news/2014/01/kenya-defies-its-own-courts-torching-homes-and-forcefully-evi>*
U.S. pushes for outside oversight of World Bank (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/us-pushes-for-outside-oversight-of-world-bank-opposes-push-toward-big-hydro/2014/01/24/fb41bb7c-8516-11e3-8099-9181471f7aaf_story.html

Kenya / Embobut Forest: UN rights expert calls for the protection of
indigenous people facing eviction (UN)
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=14163&LangID=E


Indigenous Kenyans evicted in the name of 'conservation' (New
Internationalist)
http://newint.org/features/web-exclusive/2014/01/23/sengwer-forest-evictions/


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