International Environment and Development Prize SOPHIE awarded

From: Maju Varghese
(For WFF)

Thomas Kocherry along with Herman Daly was awarded the International
environment and development prize the Sophie prize yesterday at a
meeting
held  at University of Oslo, Assembly hall, Norway.  I am enclosing the
speech made by Mr Kocherry on that occasion.



Speech of Thomas Kocherry
on the occasion of the prize ceremony of the Sophie Foundation
June 15, 1999, Oslo, Norway.

Dear chairperson and friends,

First of all I want to thank  the Sophie Foundation for honouring
me with the Sophie Prize. In particular I thank Jostein Gaarder
for creating the Foundation for honouring such ventures to recognise
and to encourage re-imaging a world where every human being is
equal in opportunities; without discrimination on the basis of
caste, class, creed, religion or gender. Please accept my heartfelt
thanks.

Today we are in the context of GLOBALIZATION - LIBERALIZATION.
The words look very attractive, but the vast majority of the people,
are the victims of Globalisation. Globalisation began with
COLONIALISM.
In the sixteenth century Europe was overpopulated and the people
began to migrate from Europe to other continents as if they were
discovering new places. It ended up with conquering other places
and people. Sword and Cross went together.
They forcefully enslaved and converted natives and indigenous
peoples. They conquered lands, exploited the resources and
accumulated wealth.

In the 20th century, the world witnessed the uprising of peoples
for political freedom. However economic exploitation continued
through Multi-National Corporations (MNCs) and Trans-National
Corporations (TNCs).
But the rich and the ruling class of the newly freed 3rd world
countries generally sided with the MNCs for their own advantage,
against the interest of the common people.  Again the natives
and the indigenous peoples were the worst hit.  As a result,
according to a UN study, today the 20% Northern minority of
humankind has:
82.7% of world gross national product
81.2% of world trade
94.6% of all commercial lending
80.5% of all domestic investment
80.6% of all domestic savings
94.0% of all research and development

It is in this context that we should understand GLOBALIZATION
today. Those who have more are bound to get more. This means more
accumulation and centralisation. The Northern 20% people are better
placed to take away even the 10-20%  of the wealth in the hands
of 80% people in the South. The real Centre is G8 countries and
of course the USA is the real centre of the centre.
They are  wielding POWER of WEALTH and ARMS. They are placed in a
better position for quick  profit at the expense of the vast
majority  of people and the environment. All the rest are in the
periphery.  Thus, PHERIPHERALIZATION  of the vast MAJORITY is
the other side of Globalisation.
In the period following de-colonisation and political independence
of the Third World (South) countries particularly after world
war II, the international relationships among the countries at
bilateral and multilateral levels were considered very important
and viewed as mutually beneficial. This language and practice
seems to be in the wane today.  The Northern MNCs want to take
over the control of UN. If the UN does not dance according to
their tune they will not give their share. They are more interested
in strengthening the WTO than the UN.
They talk of DEMOCRACY and HUMAN RIGHTS but they have
NO CONCERN FOR PEOPLE IN THE SOUTH.
Market economy determines everything, there is no other value
in life. MONEY HAS MORE VALUE THAN PEOPLE OF THE SOUTH.
The UN has become a weak instrument.
Globalisation is beneficial to those who have. All those who
are have-nots are the victims. Globalisation is a mechanistic
process (and therefore most easily manipulatable by the wielders
of power) in the face of which there is no choice and alternative.
This is the most insidious aspect of this ideology: that it could
present itself as the only possible way of being. It creates a
certain sense of inevitability and absoluteness. Outside
Globalisation-and Market Economy, there is no salvation.

Let me show how this is true as regards the fisheries sector.
In the 1990s fishing reached the point of diminishing returns.
Many fish populations have fallen to levels from which they can
no longer recover without significant reductions in the catches
or a moratorium on fishing. There are simply too many boats
catching too many fish. The first surge in numbers of fishing
vessels occurred during the industrial revolution. This upwell
tapered off during the two world wars, but boomed again in the
1950s through 1970s. The world's fishing fleet doubled between
1970 and 1990.
More than 100 million people in developing countries (South)
are dependent on fisheries for our livelihoods. For us fishing
is a way of life, not just a source of income. The Sea is our
MOTHER. Traditionally, small-scale or artisanal fishers have
provided fish for local consumption; but as fish becomes scarce
and its  value increases, it enters the global market and
becomes unaffordable  for common people. In the process we are
displaced and the MNCs take over completely.
Most governments, particularly of the North, are trying to prop
up an unsustainable fishery. According to the FAO, every year
governments world wide pay US $ 116 billion to catch just $ 70
billion worth fish. Developed nations, which have over fished
their own waters, have headed into the waters of the developing
nations. The European Union (EU) has around 40% more vessels
than necessary to catch fish on a sustainable basis. Volatile
'fish wars' are a common place. There are more than 1 million
large industrial fleets  in the world. They have depleted all
the oceans in the world. They have become a threat to the 100
million fisher people in the world. Further these have organic
link with the coastal mono shrimp culture.
The fresh fish caught by the industrial vessels are converted
into fishmeal for the production of shrimp. Ten thousand tons
of fish that would have been available for common people are
converted into fish-meal to produce one
thousand tons of shrimp that only the rich can afford to buy.
Further coastal shrimp industry  depletes fishing grounds,
salinates drinking water, destroys mangroves and displaces fisher
people and agriculturists who depend on these resources for their
livelihood. Further, the North American Free Trade Agreements
(NAFTA) have shifted polluting industries to  the coastal
belts of the developing nations, threatening the very lives of
small fishing communities who are totally dependent on fishing
and fishing alone.

All over the world the victims of Globalisation -the small fishing
communities-  are realising the need of coming together to
establish our right to life. We want to establish our right as
persons.

The World Forum of Fish harvesters and Fishworkers is the result
of this realisation. The Forum is involved in a campaign to
establish the right of  the fishing communities to own the water-
bodies, including seas and rivers, fishing implements and
distribution of the catch. The management of the distribution of
the catch should be done by the fisherwomen. We  have declared
November 21 as WORLD FISHERIES DAY to claim and to campaign for
this right.  We wish to establish our right by exercising our duty,
even through struggles and sacrifices. The 10 million fisher people
in India were able to change the government policy of Joint and
Lease Fishing through long standing struggles. The Canadian
Fisher People have been fighting against huge fishing vessels.
The Gloucester Fisherpeople in the USA, particularly the wives of
fishermen, have succeeded in banning  factory trawlers  through a
legislation.
In Senegal,  fisher people are on a war path against destructive
fishing.
In Brazil the fisherpeople are involved in a struggle against
predatory fishing. In Pakistan and in South Africa the fishing
communities are struggling to establish their right to life.
Thus the fisher people both in the North and South, who are victims
of Globalization, are involved in establishing a new paradigm
of Development and Politics.

We, the fisher people in India, are part of a larger  alliance -
the National Alliance of Peoples Movements (NAPM)- all of whom are
victims of Globalization. There are over 150 peoples movements in
this alliance, not only struggling to survive, but searching for
alternatives to the present form of development which in the long
run is destructive for all. It is through these struggles that the
whole of humanity is going to be saved.
True development is not by conquering and enslaving, not by
accumulating and centralizing, not by displacing peoples and
destroying cultures. True development is only by integrating and
working together, through distributive justice and decentralisation
by nurturing and including Native and Indigenous peoples.
It is here that the struggles of the victims of mega dams in
India can be understood. There are 3600 mega dams in India.
These have displaced 50 million natives, tribals and fisherpeople
and have proved to be MASS DESTRUCTIONS rather than DEVELOPMENT.
These victims are involved in a long standing struggle to create
a new paradigm of DEVELOPMENT, where native skills and technologies
are enhanced, small is accepted as beautiful and sustainable
and simplicity has become a way of life with due respect to
native cultures. We have gone to the extent of JALASAMATHI-
sacrificing ourselves in the rising reservoirs- rather than
inflicting violence upon others, for the creation of this new
paradigm. Right now, about 400 leaders, representing different
movements in India -Farmers, Fishworkers, People displaced by the
Narmada project and others-  are in Europe campaigning against
MNCs, TNCs and the WTO.  For the first time such a mass campaign
is taking place. The victims of GLOBALIZATION are asserting their
rightful place in this planet.  We feel an urgent need to create
a new paradigm of development and politics, a paradigm in which
all human beings have right to live, with equal access to the
resources and opportunities. Development cannot be measured
solely by the quantity  of production, but by its sustainability
by its capacity to protect the livelihood of all human beings.
Production should be coupled with distributive justice.
There is no Development for the sake of Development.
True Globalisation should make free movement of labour unhindered
by national boundaries.  Let the year 2000 be a real Jubilee Year;
let the debts of the developing countries be wiped out;
and let all nations experience true freedom and equality.

THE LIFE OF THE PLANET AND THE DEPENDENT HEALTH AND WELFARE OF
HUMANITY MUST NOT BE SACRIFICED TO THE GREED OF THE FEW.

Thomas Kocherry
Oslo

June 15, 1999
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Thomas Xavier Kocherry
Co-ordinator,  World Forum of Fish-harvesters and Fishworkers [WFF]
Co-ordinator, National Alliance of Peoples Movements (India),[NAPM]
Velankanny, Junction, Valiathura,  Thiruvananthapuram 695 008,INDIA
Phone & Fax: +91 - 471 - 50 1376;
E-mail: nff@md2.vsnl.net.in   Website:
http://www.south-asian-initiative.org/wff