The Post-Irma Disaster and the Right to Act in Defense of their Territory
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn The Post-Irma Disaster and the Right to Act in Defense of their Territory Land Defenders
Barbuda is unique in the Caribbean and indeed the world, being one of the few places in which the land is for the benefit of all its people. Today, disaster capitalism threatens to change that.
In the wake of Hurricane Irma in 2017, many of us Barbudans, in our homes on the island, were surprised to hear the world being told that the island was now uninhabitable. Following this, most of us were forcibly removed from our homes by military forces. Those of us who resisted and remained soon observed international real estate developers surveying constitutionally community owned assets, unbeknownst to the majority of the rightful inhabitants of the island.
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn The Post-Irma Disaster and the Right to Act in Defense of their Territory Land Defenders
Communal Lands: A Model for Sustainable Resource Management and Cultural Identity Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Photo Credit: iStock thePicThing
The natural vegetation of Palmetto Point has played a critical role in the defense of Barbudans from storm surges for generations.
Today the once dynamic wetland and dune system, the natural system of climate resilience, is being uprooted to make way for golf course grass and luxury homes, leaving nothing to protect the coastline from storm surges and hurricanes.
Investor PLH purports that this ravaging of Barbuda’s natural environment is to the island’s greater benefit, but as detailed in the documentation below, these claims are significantly misleading.
Keep abreast of what’s happening on the island, as we strive for a Stronger Caribbean.
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A detailed rebuttal to PLH’s misleading claims including 'becoming the largest contributor to Barbuda’s revenue' while enjoying unseemly tax and duties exemptions, while paying only USD $354 per acre to lease 626.83 of a protected wetland, which for the first 80 years must be spent on an airport constructed without proper approvals and against vigorous opposition by the Barbudan people.
Financial, legal and political resources heavily skewed against them, having lost their court case on 13 June 2022, Barbudans determinedly continue the battle against Goliath in court to protect their communal land ownership in the Privy Council in London.
The Global Legal Action Network writes to Ramsar Convention Secretariat regarding the impending irremediable ecological damage to Codrington Lagoon
DOE review prepared by Ruleta Camacho Thomas 20th November 2019 on BOC Application # A 454-2019 for Golf Course Phase 1 and Water Sourcing by PLH conglomerate
Barbuda People's Movement issues press release citing illegal transaction, raising questions about the 99 year lease which is contrary to law and failed to obtain consent.
Discussion of the policy for the sustainable development of Antigua Barbuda derived from Antigua and Barbuda’s National Physical Development plan (2011) and the Antigua Barbuda National Environmental Management Strategy (NEMS).
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Your voice can help advocate for socio-environmental justice on Barbuda.
Showcasing stories of Caribbean organizations at the foreground of the struggle against disaster capitalism in the Caribbean. Our network of participants in the Greater Caribbean region connect, learn, share their hands on responses to the impacts of the twin threats of the climate crisis and disaster capitalism in our region.
Bernard Lodge Farmers Group
WAVE (Progressive Reform Movement)
Tèt Kole
Global Challenges Research Fund
Open Society Foundations
All Rights Reserved – strongercaribbeantogether.org 2022
All Rights Reserved – strongercaribbeantogether.org 2022
In the tumultuous aftermath of disasters, it is easy to feel isolated and alone, but you are not.
We, a network of Caribbean-wide community organizers who stand in solidarity with those affected the twin threats of the climate crises and disaster capitalism, a phenomenon that exacerbates the suffering of vulnerable communities.
We want you to know that your stories matter. We are here to listen, to support, and to amplify your voices.
We believe that together, we can challenge the forces of disaster capitalism and advocate for more sustainable, inclusive and equitable decision-making.
Join us in solidarity. Share your experiences and let’s build strong communities that thrive together.
As the wider world braces for the climate change, Caribbean communities are already struggling with its effects. Small local communities, small scale farmers and coastal communities are disproportionately affected. Political decisions, power dynamics and laws often compound the catastrophes and silence bottom up solutions.
There are ways in which you can help.