Administrative processes are advancing and it is expected that in May 2017 work will begin for the construction of the Villa Carlos Paz Environmental Center with financing from the Inter-American Development Bank.
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic.”
The IDB’s Integrated Urban Solid Waste Management Program (GIRSU) finances works for the integral management of solid urban waste and the recovery of degraded areas due to the poor disposal of such wastes. The total cost of the program is US $ 150 million and contains two subprograms: on the one hand, GIRSU in national parks and adjacent municipalities and, on the other hand, GIRSU in other tourist municipalities.
Within the second group is the Villa Carlos Paz Environmental Center. The center was designed to receive the urban solid waste from five neighboring municipalities that agreed with the municipal administration of Carlos Paz their joint treatment. The project was developed by TecnoMak S.A. Contracted by the Executing Unit of International Loans under the Ministry of Tourism of the Nation.
TecnoMak S.A. Studied three alternatives for possible locations of the new MSW treatment center. Finally, it was decided to locate it in the building of the current open-air garbage dump bordering the La Calera Natural Reserve.
The project has three groups of works:
Works Group 1: Sanitary Landfill for the disposal of MSW generated in the localities of the Municipality of Villa Carlos Paz and communes of the area of influence of the project; With a useful life of 20 years and an average daily income of 163 Tn / day.
Works Group 2: Separation and Treatment Plant and related logistical and administrative support works.
Works Group 3: Closing and Closing of the Landfill to Open Sky currently existing.
On April 7, 2016, the environmental public hearing was held in which the authorities participated and eleven people registered with it.
The mayor Esteban Avilés explained:
“We are working on a regional project that will give us a definitive solution to the open dump (…), with this public hearing would be closed the administrative situation and then move to the instance of decrees that have to do with the Secretariat of Environment Of the province, and the Ministry of Tourism of the Nation by Gustavo Santos”
Regarding the deadlines stated that “we believe that we will be fairly quick compared to other projects approved at the national level” but did not rule out before the end of the year.
Several objections were raised by María Luz Cammisa (Secretary of the Norman Morandini, Director of the Human Rights Observatory of the Senate of the Nation), related to the relevance of the hearing as “it arrives with a work that is tendered and has been up to Pre-awarded (…) We are here in some way to validate what has already been decided by us” It was also stressed the jurisdictional limitation, since the affected lands are outside the ejido of Carlos Paz:
“It is for us a priority issue that I raised to the governor Juan Schiaretti because we can not advance in a planning with the intermediate institutions of the city always being conditioned to that the province resolves this administrative situation.I see that it is a governor that has this type De la Sota really had no interest for anything, “declared the Intendente and later be endorsed by his collaborators: It is a theme of substance for the Carlospacenses; But that does not determine the continuity of the project.”
More controversial was the mention of Cammisa regarding the deadline stipulated by the Technical Commission for the use of the module:
“…it must have a maximum of six years, and that after the same period, a site outside the San Roque basin (…) should be used to specify the integration of a Comprehensive Waste Management Program in the metropolitan area of Córdoba (CORMECOR) “(…) We do not know if the municipality itself will have a solution for its waste beyond six years. That is to say that the projected environmental center will last less years than the time taken to plan it”
Those who responded to this were the architect Liliana Bina and the secretary of Urban Environmental Development, Horacio Pedrone. They mentioned in this respect that the Interdisciplinary Technical Commission suggested this term in view of the CORMECOR project, of which the city would participate if it materialized. However, “this plant would continue to function exactly the same, but instead of throwing the surplus into the sanitary burial, we would do it in a transfer iron to Cordoba.” Meanwhile, Villa Carlos Paz as the member communes will have buried for that date some 475 thousand tons of garbage.
On the other hand, Pedrone said “to say that the municipalities and communes that have signed intermunicipal agreements with us and that they will not be able to throw the garbage more is absolutely false … The project has been thought from the first minute with the participation Of the eight municipalities and municipalities bordering Villa Carlos Paz and have always treated the subject of garbage together” said in a framework of participation in which were present the community leaders Andrea Jordán (Cuesta Blanca), Adolfo Parizzia (Estancia Vieja) and representatives of Icho Cruz and Cabalango.
Other approaches were related to the territorial organization of the native forest:
“… there is no mention in the environmental impact study of the negative impacts of the reserve. It is an area bordering a protected area, and a project that seeks to be authorized by means of exceptions provided for in the Forests Law (…) The opinion of the Technical Commission itself warns against the location of the project that it would be inadvisable to concentrate in this area more potentially impacting installations against the environment, since it is in the vicinity of the natural area (…) and in areas with drainage at Lake San Roque.”
This point was also raised by environmentalist Juan Carlos Paesani, who for health reasons was not present but made read his statement: “Will it be understood that this reservoir gives drinking to almost two million people in the city of Córdoba? Continue to ignore elementary principles.”
More confrontational was the speech of the President of the Council of Representatives, Walter Gispert, who retorted the remarks when pointing out that:
“Apart from saying, we have to do, our government has spoken to everyone … Beyond the technical issues, the material and environmental debt that the city has and the effort made by all public and private institutions to Solve the problem, for our future, I ask you to approve the project.”
He also suggested that “the Chicana” comes from a member who shares his same political space, Norma Morandini, “whom I spoke to personally to raise the situation, but he never came to Carlos Paz, and she was a legislator for Córdoba.”
In August, the national public bidding process was carried out and in November the tenders for the international public tender were opened. The works will start in May 2017. The current landfill will be replaced by a landfill that will house a waste separation plant and a recycling plant. 222 million will be financed by the Inter-American Development Bank and it is estimated that the work will require around eight months and that by mid-2018 this new plant would be put into operation.
From FUNDEPS we follow these processes to ensure that they respect human rights and the environment. The location of the Villa Carlos Paz Environmental Center next to the La Calera Defense Nature Reserve, and meters away from San Roque Lake on land that may have a higher propensity to seep or leach into the water, is questionable. In this context of possible environmental and social impacts, the municipal and provincial governments must ensure the highest levels of transparency and access to information. From FUNDEPS we will monitor compliance with provincial and national regulations on these issues as well as compliance with the corresponding operational policies of the IDB.
More information
Contact
Gonzalo Roza, gon.roza@fundeps.org
We reject pressures on artists and demand open and technical discussion about our forests
In recent weeks there have been repeated pressures to advance against the few remaining native forests in the province of Cordoba. We defend freedom of political and artistic expression and we demand a participatory and technical discussion that assures an adequate protection of our forests.
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”
By the end of 2016, and thanks to the mobilization of communities and civil society organizations, it was possible to extend the treatment of a forest law project that was intended to be approved without adequate discussion. That project would have meant a clear weakening of the protection to native forests in our province.
From FUNDEPS, we developed a document with numerous legal and environmental critiques of the bill. The criticisms marked the clear weakening of the environmental protection of the forests as well as the existence of a process non-transparent and non-participatory. Both points violate the National Law of Minimum Budgets for the Protection of Native Forests
Some of these criticisms had already been raised in a joint document between the Environmental Forum, FUNDEPS and other institutions that rose to the government in response to the position of CARTEZ entitled “Producing conserving and conserving produce”. Neither CARTEZ nor legislators who presented the project responded to the technical questions that were posed to that position.
Instead of taking advantage of the extension of the discussion period to generate a participatory space or to respond to the legal and technical questions that were made to the project, from the agricultural sector is pressed to get a rapid approval of the bill. It is accused of setting positions without scientific basis when from that sector could never answer the questions that were sent. Likewise, artists such as José Luis Serrano and Raly Barrionuevo are especially under pressure to mobilize against the few remaining native forests in our province. In a statement, CARTEZ strongly criticized Doña Jovita and Raly Barrionuevo for accusing them of “generating confusion” and defending “extreme ideologies”. As a reply, José Luis Serrano challenged the ruralist entity to answer with “scientific arguments” the doubts raised by the Environmental Forum.
In that line and in a surprising twist, journalist Andrés Carpio de Cadena 3 intimately informs José Luis Serrano for his comments regarding the journalist’s description of the March 28 march. The journalist made a strongly negative description of the march describing it in a number much lower than the estimates of the organizers. He also suggested that those who marched did not know well why they did so to the extent that there was already a decision to postpone the treatment of the bill. It seems that in the journalist’s position, the defense of native forests and the visibility of a popular demand are not enough reasons to publicly manifest in a peaceful way.
In that context, the artist José Luis Serrano personifying his character “Doña Jovita” marks his surprise for the inaccurate description of the demonstration against the forest law project. It does so through his character, in an artistic expression and criticism of an inadequate description of a popular mobilization.
We defend the right to free expression and artistic expression with connections to rights and social demands. We are opposed to pressures against public demonstrations. We also strongly reject the use of legal mechanisms to limit the critical positions of public figures.
Contact
Juan Carballo, Director Ejecutivo
juanmcarballo@fundeps.org
Advances and challenges at the Villa Carlos Paz Environmental Center Project
Administrative processes are advancing and it is expected that in May 2017 work will begin for the construction of the Villa Carlos Paz Environmental Center with financing from the Inter-American Development Bank.
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic.”
The IDB’s Integrated Urban Solid Waste Management Program (GIRSU) finances works for the integral management of solid urban waste and the recovery of degraded areas due to the poor disposal of such wastes. The total cost of the program is US $ 150 million and contains two subprograms: on the one hand, GIRSU in national parks and adjacent municipalities and, on the other hand, GIRSU in other tourist municipalities.
Within the second group is the Villa Carlos Paz Environmental Center. The center was designed to receive the urban solid waste from five neighboring municipalities that agreed with the municipal administration of Carlos Paz their joint treatment. The project was developed by TecnoMak S.A. Contracted by the Executing Unit of International Loans under the Ministry of Tourism of the Nation.
TecnoMak S.A. Studied three alternatives for possible locations of the new MSW treatment center. Finally, it was decided to locate it in the building of the current open-air garbage dump bordering the La Calera Natural Reserve.
The project has three groups of works:
Works Group 1: Sanitary Landfill for the disposal of MSW generated in the localities of the Municipality of Villa Carlos Paz and communes of the area of influence of the project; With a useful life of 20 years and an average daily income of 163 Tn / day.
Works Group 2: Separation and Treatment Plant and related logistical and administrative support works.
Works Group 3: Closing and Closing of the Landfill to Open Sky currently existing.
On April 7, 2016, the environmental public hearing was held in which the authorities participated and eleven people registered with it.
The mayor Esteban Avilés explained:
“We are working on a regional project that will give us a definitive solution to the open dump (…), with this public hearing would be closed the administrative situation and then move to the instance of decrees that have to do with the Secretariat of Environment Of the province, and the Ministry of Tourism of the Nation by Gustavo Santos”
Regarding the deadlines stated that “we believe that we will be fairly quick compared to other projects approved at the national level” but did not rule out before the end of the year.
Several objections were raised by María Luz Cammisa (Secretary of the Norman Morandini, Director of the Human Rights Observatory of the Senate of the Nation), related to the relevance of the hearing as “it arrives with a work that is tendered and has been up to Pre-awarded (…) We are here in some way to validate what has already been decided by us” It was also stressed the jurisdictional limitation, since the affected lands are outside the ejido of Carlos Paz:
“It is for us a priority issue that I raised to the governor Juan Schiaretti because we can not advance in a planning with the intermediate institutions of the city always being conditioned to that the province resolves this administrative situation.I see that it is a governor that has this type De la Sota really had no interest for anything, “declared the Intendente and later be endorsed by his collaborators: It is a theme of substance for the Carlospacenses; But that does not determine the continuity of the project.”
More controversial was the mention of Cammisa regarding the deadline stipulated by the Technical Commission for the use of the module:
“…it must have a maximum of six years, and that after the same period, a site outside the San Roque basin (…) should be used to specify the integration of a Comprehensive Waste Management Program in the metropolitan area of Córdoba (CORMECOR) “(…) We do not know if the municipality itself will have a solution for its waste beyond six years. That is to say that the projected environmental center will last less years than the time taken to plan it”
Those who responded to this were the architect Liliana Bina and the secretary of Urban Environmental Development, Horacio Pedrone. They mentioned in this respect that the Interdisciplinary Technical Commission suggested this term in view of the CORMECOR project, of which the city would participate if it materialized. However, “this plant would continue to function exactly the same, but instead of throwing the surplus into the sanitary burial, we would do it in a transfer iron to Cordoba.” Meanwhile, Villa Carlos Paz as the member communes will have buried for that date some 475 thousand tons of garbage.
On the other hand, Pedrone said “to say that the municipalities and communes that have signed intermunicipal agreements with us and that they will not be able to throw the garbage more is absolutely false … The project has been thought from the first minute with the participation Of the eight municipalities and municipalities bordering Villa Carlos Paz and have always treated the subject of garbage together” said in a framework of participation in which were present the community leaders Andrea Jordán (Cuesta Blanca), Adolfo Parizzia (Estancia Vieja) and representatives of Icho Cruz and Cabalango.
Other approaches were related to the territorial organization of the native forest:
“… there is no mention in the environmental impact study of the negative impacts of the reserve. It is an area bordering a protected area, and a project that seeks to be authorized by means of exceptions provided for in the Forests Law (…) The opinion of the Technical Commission itself warns against the location of the project that it would be inadvisable to concentrate in this area more potentially impacting installations against the environment, since it is in the vicinity of the natural area (…) and in areas with drainage at Lake San Roque.”
This point was also raised by environmentalist Juan Carlos Paesani, who for health reasons was not present but made read his statement: “Will it be understood that this reservoir gives drinking to almost two million people in the city of Córdoba? Continue to ignore elementary principles.”
More confrontational was the speech of the President of the Council of Representatives, Walter Gispert, who retorted the remarks when pointing out that:
“Apart from saying, we have to do, our government has spoken to everyone … Beyond the technical issues, the material and environmental debt that the city has and the effort made by all public and private institutions to Solve the problem, for our future, I ask you to approve the project.”
He also suggested that “the Chicana” comes from a member who shares his same political space, Norma Morandini, “whom I spoke to personally to raise the situation, but he never came to Carlos Paz, and she was a legislator for Córdoba.”
In August, the national public bidding process was carried out and in November the tenders for the international public tender were opened. The works will start in May 2017. The current landfill will be replaced by a landfill that will house a waste separation plant and a recycling plant. 222 million will be financed by the Inter-American Development Bank and it is estimated that the work will require around eight months and that by mid-2018 this new plant would be put into operation.
From FUNDEPS we follow these processes to ensure that they respect human rights and the environment. The location of the Villa Carlos Paz Environmental Center next to the La Calera Defense Nature Reserve, and meters away from San Roque Lake on land that may have a higher propensity to seep or leach into the water, is questionable. In this context of possible environmental and social impacts, the municipal and provincial governments must ensure the highest levels of transparency and access to information. From FUNDEPS we will monitor compliance with provincial and national regulations on these issues as well as compliance with the corresponding operational policies of the IDB.
More information
Contact
Gonzalo Roza, gon.roza@fundeps.org
The “Majul 910” program and its jokes about sexual abuse
En el programa “Majul 910” que se emite por Radio La Red, en el día martes 18 de octubre, un día antes de la marcha y paro realizados en toda Argentina tras el femicidio de Lucía Pérez, y bajo el lema #MiércolesNegro, un humorista realizó una cadena de chistes atravesados por un estereotipo de belleza que resultan ofensivos y opresivos para las mujeres.
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”
After comments like “(…) look Majul, my wife is so ugly that she had to make a representation of Beauty and the Beast and Bella made a guy,” he concluded: “My wife is so ugly that they grabbed her Some rapists and, in the dark, dressed, “he quipped as journalists celebrated the commentary, and the art of radio along with jocular sounds and background reporters.
This treatment of information violates the provisions of Law 26.485 on Comprehensive Protection to Prevent, Punish and Eradicate Violence against Women and Law 26.522 on Audiovisual Communication Services, which stipulates that programming must avoid elements that promote acts Discriminatory and violent towards women. It should be remembered that according to the Argentine Criminal Code, the act of sexually violating a person is typified in article 119 and constitutes a crime proper.
This type of content diffused in the media constitute forms of mistreatment and symbolic violence, in which imaginary and reproducing cultural mandates are forms of oppression and domination towards women.
For this reason, it has filed a complaint with the Public Defender’s Office for Audiovisual Communication Services and ENACOM (eg AFSCA), which are bound by the rights of the audiences.
The joker, allegedly innocent, satirizes a crime against sexual integrity based on non-compliance with a mandate: beauty. It is unacceptable to reproduce these words in any medium of communication, especially in this tragic social context towards women, evidenced by the acts of violence and femicides seen in recent years.
We continue to demand that the media commit themselves to promoting and respecting equality, avoiding content that reproduces forms of media violence against women, while respecting their integrity and their rights. These sayings are extremely dangerous and their mere existence is unacceptable. Violence towards women is, above all, a human rights issue, where the media have a huge task to do.
Lastly, there is concern about the lack of formal pronouncement by the Office of the Public Defender and of ENACOM, after more than two months of the corresponding complaints. From FUNDEPS we continue with the monitoring of the open processes, in order to continue with the monitoring of the functioning of these bodies.
More information
Contact
Emilia Pioletti – emiliapioletti@fundeps.org
Carolina Tamagnini – carotamagnini@fundeps.org
The work of trunk gas pipelines in Cordoba has Chinese funding
The largest infrastructure project in the province of Cordoba has Chinese funding. Two Chinese banks: ICBC and Bank of China will finance 80% of the 8,400 million pesos of the trunk gas pipeline work in the province.
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic.”
The map of the ten trunk duct systems had been divided into three groups. The first one assigned to the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. The second to the construction company China Communications Construction Company and the Argentine construction company Iecsa S.A. And the third to the construction company China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau and the Argentine company Electroingeniería S.A.
One of the formalities that the province had to fulfill was to have the guarantees of the national government to access external financing and, at the same time, guarantee that debt with funds from the federal co-participation.
The works began on August 14 of this year by the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht. This was the only company awarded that presented own financing for the work and does not depend on loans from Chinese banks.
In the month of October, the province placed a debt for 150 million dollars to 10 years of term.
And now in December the Chinese investments were confirmed. The gas pipelines in the provincial interior that will be financed by loans from the two Chinese banks were awarded to the transitory union of companies that formed the Cordobesa Electroingeniería, the China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau and the port of Iecsa, in partnership with the Asian China Communications Construction Company (CCCC). In charge of the negotiation with the Chinese banks is the Minister of Investment and Financing Ricardo Sosa.
From FUNDEPS we are monitoring this project, we have met with officials of the Córdoba Agency for Investment and Financing (ACIF), and we have submitted requests for information to provincial and national ministries. The terms of the legislation that regulates access to knowledge of State acts have expired and there is still no response from the corresponding units.
The questions generated by a work of this magnitude are several. No details have been given of the agreements reached with Chinese banks, it has not been established how this project will effectively reach each of the municipalities involved, nor are the environmental impact reports known. From FUNDEPS, it will be sought that these infrastructure projects do not negatively impact the living conditions of the communities or the environment.
More information
Gas pipelines: Schiaretti reviewed with Prat Gay the progress of contracts with Chinese companies
Gas pipelines: the Nation signs guarantees for Chinese credits
Contact
Gonzalo Roza / Coordinator of the Global Governance Area
gon.roza@fundeps.org
Discrimination: the failures of virtual “denunciations” before the INADI
On the site Infobae, it was published with a note titled “Reversed roles: did the woman become more masculine in relationships?“, Which repeatedly incurs stereotypical and discriminatory comments and symbolic violence towards women. From this, a consultation was made with INADI, which did not have concrete results.
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic.”
The news in question is developed from an interview with a psychologist who, while highlighting the advances of women in the professional field, understands that these are spaces reserved for men, usurped by women, placing them in related tasks Home and care. According to the psychologist and writer Beatriz Goldberg, today’s woman is dislocating the man from her place. He has difficulty in finding the right role.’Women can and should have activities in all areas, But from the role of woman.If you ‘masculinize’, you lose your intuitive and intellectual capacity. ”
It is worrying to continue to think that the labor and professional fields, as well as the tasks of providing economic resources in the home, are exclusively male, and to the “masculinized” women, when they are part of these spaces or they appropriate those tasks.
Likewise, repeated references are made to the importance of not losing typically “feminine” characteristics, such as sensitivity or intuition. Likewise, denigrating comments are made, such as the reference to women as household appliances: “It is multiprocessor, it does everything, it is multiple”.
These types of opinions and comments reproduce sociocultural patterns of behavior that stereotype, discriminate and subordinate women, demanding that they be reserved for certain spaces and meet certain characteristics to be considered as such. In addition, being a person placed in a space of authority for their professional qualifications, it is understood that the psychologist is a referent on gender issues and therefore, their sayings have more influence on the reader.
The acts described have their roots in social conditions of inequality suffered by women, rooted in society, with a strong symbolic content that reinforces such conditions.
Phrases enunciated by the interviewee as “the role of women in society is to be a woman” promotes the idea that men and women have roles determined only by being one or the other. In addition, the lack of reflection on the struggles of women’s movements, which after decades of activism achieved progressive equality before the law between men and women, made visible the barriers they have to accessing jobs or participation in professional life.
The complaint process
From the facts, it was decided to make a presentation in front of INADI, since this is a fact of discrimination against women, occurred in a digital medium. We use the process of consultation for discrimination, the most accessible on the body’s website. From telephone communications, we followed up on our claim, which was derived to the Platform by a free Internet of discrimination. Subsequently, it was presented to the medium producing the discriminatory content, as a concern but without any obligation, so the note was not modified or withdrawn from the website. Against this, INADI took no action in the matter and the case remained in mere consultation. The virtual mechanism, then, proves not to be effective, since the claims do not acquire character of denunciation.
In order for INADI to make its effective pronouncement, the complaints must be presented as complaints, which must be made personally in front of a delegation of INADI. It should be recalled that the Argentine State is obliged to carry out measures against discrimination against women, not only by local legislation, but also by the human rights treaties ratified by our country and constitutional hierarchy, such as the Convention On Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention of Belem do Pará.
More information
Contact
Carolina Tamagnini – carotamagnini@fundeps.org
Massive rejection of the reform of the Forest Law
Demonstrators warned that the proposed changes respond to “economic interests over the preservation of the environment”
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic.”
Members of various environmental, social, scientific and political organizations yesterday carried out a massive mobilization in the streets of our city to raise their rejection of the project of the ruling party that promotes modifications in the Law of Territorial Ordering of Native Forest. As it is known, the legislative treatment of the initiative of the Union coalition for Cordoba was postponed for February 2017 with the aim of seeking greater consensus. The march of the day began at the intersection of Cañada and Colón and then went to the Plazoleta del Fundador, near the Legislature, where a musical festival “For life and in defense of the native mountain” took place.
One of the artists who spearheaded this activity was the actor José Luis Serrano, creator of the character Doña Jovita, who for some weeks has been at the forefront of questioning the project. Meanwhile, the Coordinator in Defense of the Native Forest denounced that the changes promoted by the Province respond “to economic interests over the preservation of the environment”. In addition, he warned that “currently only 3 percent of the native forest remains, which puts at risk the lives of people who are affected by floods caused by the disruption caused by the dismantle.” For its part, the Foundation for the Development of Sustainable Policies (Fundeps) prepared a document objecting to the Native Forest Bill, in its understanding that it is not “normatively adapted to the minimum environmental protection budgets enshrined in our National Constitution and The environmental laws that refer to this matter, both procedural and substantive aspects.”
From Fundeps criticized that in the proposal oficialista:
… the conservation of the native forest existing in the province according to the map of law 9.814 is not guaranteed; No technical and scientific basis is taken into account; No legal minimum parameters are observed, which weakens the protection mechanisms of the native forest; And a real and effective access to the right to citizen participation in the process of updating the Territorial Ordering of Native Forests is not assured.
Likewise, it was indicated that:
… the restrictive definition of native forests given by the project excludes fachinales, arbustales and bush; Mining, chemical dismantling and through the use of fire, and rolling, are allowed in high forest conservation categories; And does not incorporate all the layers of infractions in the OTBN map.
Source: Hoy Día Córdoba
Critical Observations on the Native Forest Bill
We present to the Legislature critical comments on the native forest law project in the province of Córdoba, with a lot of irregularities in the participation process and several questionable points in the wording of its text, which would imply a decline in the protection of native forests.
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”
In 2007, the National State passed National Law No. 26,331 of Minimum Budgets for Environmental Protection of Native Forests, as a base legislation, with equal protection for all inhabitants of the country. According to the constitutional mandate, the provinces are responsible for legislating either by equalizing or maximizing protection and include matters that they make to the specific or specific matters of each of them. Likewise, it establishes the national legislation and its Regulatory Decree No. 91/2009, each province must carry out its Natural Forest Management and update it every five years, through a participatory process and according to criteria of environmental sustainability established in its Articles and Annex .
The province of Cordoba sanctioned the Provincial Law of Territorial Ordering of Native Forests No. 9814 on August 5, 2010, in a process in which the participatory instance guaranteed by the national law was not respected. That legislation established a deadline for updating it that expired on August 5, 2015.
In apparent compliance with these regulations, at the end of September 2016, the provincial government decided to open a “dialogue table” in order to complete with the corresponding updating of the territorial planning of the native forests of Cordoba, seeking to overcome the irregularities of the process Made five years ago. However, the violation of the necessary conditions for the development of a sustainable participatory process was noticed. These shortcomings do not comply with the “Methodological guidelines for the updating of territorial regulations of native forests” approved by Resolution N 236 of COFEMA.
Recently, in the month of December 2016, the bill on the territorial organization of native forests was presented to the Legislature. That proposal is disconnected from the dialogue table insofar as it does not reflect the debates, contributions and discussions that were generated in the same.
From FUNDEPS we have prepared a document, “Draft Law on the Regulation of Native Forests and Regulation of Exotic Forests of the Province of Córdoba (Expte. 20811 / L / 16)“, as it does not conform to the minimum environmental protection budgets enshrined in our National Constitution and in the laws Environmental aspects that refer to this matter, both procedural aspects and substantive aspects.
We synthesize the main recommendations to the bill:
• Need to conserve the native forest existing in the province of Córdoba according to the map of law 9814 and only exceptionally allow the changes of land zoning, according to resolution 236/12 of COFEMA.
• Must observe the minimum legal parameters at the time of updating the OTBN, especially a real and effective access to the right to citizen participation.
• Extension of the restrictive definition of native forests.
• Reconsideration of the Ministry of Science and Technology as enforcement authority.
• Duty to expressly prohibit mining activity in high conservation categories.
• Duty to explicitly prohibit chemical dismantling and rolling practice in more conservative categories.
• Updating the OTBN map with technical – legal fundamentals.
• Limitation to sowing with exotic postures and reconsideration of environmental damage remediation with implanted species.
For these reasons we urge to generate an open and participatory process for the discussion on the updating of the forest law of the province of Córdoba and we suggest to adapt the project with the highest environmental legislation and to ensure at least the same level of environmental protection to our Native forests
Contact
Male Martínez, malemartinez@fundeps.org
The province of Cordoba in decline: implementation of electronic voting
On December 21, a draft law presented by the executive seeking the implementation of electronic voting was approved in the legislature of Córdoba. It is important to point out the dangers of such a system for our democracy.
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic.”
On December 21, the Cordovan legislature approved a controversial bill that calls for reform of the provincial voting system. Although at the national level this initiative seems to be ruled out, the provincial executive presented a project that was approved without difficulties.
Much has been debated in recent weeks, and we believe it is very important to join the voices that express the dangers of an electronic voting system in. At present, this system is in decline worldwide due to the shortcomings that it implies in the matter of control. The voting process is too central to our way of life to rely on uncontrollable mechanisms.
The approved project does not specify technical issues about the system beyond the implementation of the single electronic ballot; And recognizes the limitations of this system by prohibiting the use of electronic devices within a radius of 300 meters to control. In addition, computer experts have repeatedly expressed the dangers and shortcomings of electronic voting: no one can know for sure what the computer does, it is insecure, it does not guarantee the secrecy of the vote, it is more expensive, it erodes confidence in the Electoral system, limits the right to control elections and limits the capacity to be fiscal (not any citizen can do it).
It is noteworthy that in the province we already have a single paper ticket system that has been recognized as one of the best alternatives for the electoral system; In addition, it is used in the world, in countries like South Korea, Japan, Germany, Australia and Holland among many others. This system avoids the theft of ballots and is transparent to the elector. The change to an electronic system then implies a clear setback.
In this context, there is concern about the speed and lack of discussion in the treatment of a subject of key importance, as well as the lack of answers to the technical and legal objections that have been presented to this proposal.
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Contact
Agustina Palencia, agustinapalencia@fundeps.org
The United Nations CEDAW Committee listened to civil society organizations
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is a body of independent United Nations experts that oversees the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic.”
All States parties are required to submit periodic reports to the Committee to account for compliance with international obligations undertaken with the signature of CEDAW. According to their experience and work, the organizations in each country can present a “shadow report” to give an account of the reality of women in the State, so that the Committee has the necessary tools for the elaboration of the Recommendations you have to make.
Following the completion of Argentina’s review process, the CEDAW Committee, at its 65th meeting, issued its “Concluding Observations“, reflecting the work of civil society organizations expressed through the shadow reports presented to the Committee . FUNDEPS participated in three reports, whose contributions were considered in order to achieve progress in the effective guarantee for the exercise of the human rights of Argentine women.
Media and symbolic violence
In conjunction with the Civil Association Communicating Equality, we developed a special document for the Committee based on our report “Gender Violence and Public Communication Policies“. In consideration of our observations, the CEDAW Committee recommended to our country, in paragraphs 18 and 19, “Stereotypes and harmful practices”:
“(A) Intensify its efforts to dispel the sexist attitudes and stereotypes of the state public authorities in the three branches of government;
B) Adopt a comprehensive strategy aimed at women, men and girls to overcome the culture of machismo and discriminatory stereotypes about the roles and responsibilities of women and men in the family and in society. Ensure that this strategy also addresses intersectoral forms of discrimination against women as defined in the Committee’s General Recommendation No. 28 (2010) on “Fundamental obligations of States Parties under article 2 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women” Forms of discrimination against women “, paragraph 18;
C) Strengthen cooperation with civil society organizations in the fight against discriminatory stereotypes through awareness campaigns such as the “#Ni Una Menos” campaign; Y
D) To amend Act No. 26.522 (2009) on audiovisual media services, in order to provide the Public Defender with the power to sanction violations of provisions to regulate gender stereotypes and sexism in the media”
Women’s Health: Tobacco Use
Our work teams also participated in and supported the elaboration of the report presented by the Inter-American Heart Foundation, FEIM and other organizations, on public policies on tobacco control that currently allow the development of industry strategies aimed especially at women. With regard to what was requested in the “shadow report”, the Committee expressed concern about “high tobacco consumption among girls compared to children”. As a result, he recommended to Argentina in paragraph 35:
“(G) Ratify the Framework Convention of the World Health Organization for Tobacco Control, reduce high tobacco use among adolescents, particularly girls, and address the health consequences.”
Rural and indigenous women
In connection with the report by the Plural Foundation, in a coalition with Fundapaz, Redes Chaco and others, on the access to natural resources by rural women and peasants in the Gran Chaco Americano, which was endorsed by FUNDEPS, the Committee took several points And made several recommendations to Argentina in its sections 38 to 41 on rural and indigenous women, of which we can highlight:
“(A) Design specific programs aimed at ensuring sustainable development and combating the poverty situations faced by rural women, through the allocation of specific resources, employment opportunities, social protection measures and specific programs for women’s education Rural (…)
C) Adopt policies to prevent forced eviction and prevent violence, stigmatization and attacks against rural women in the context of large-scale economic development projects; Y
(D) Ensure that rural women are represented in decision-making processes at all levels of the agricultural sector, including those on disaster risk reduction, post-disaster management and climate change ( …)
A) Take measures to formally recognize land tenure and ownership of indigenous women and promote dialogue at the community level to eliminate discriminatory norms and customs that limit indigenous women’s property rights over land;
C) Ensure that indigenous women have adequate access to safe and affordable water for personal and domestic uses, as well as for irrigation;
D) To examine the current negligent handling of complaints about harmful pesticides, fertilizers and the use of agrochemicals submitted by indigenous women to the Ministry of Health, and to ensure that such cases are resolved in a timely and appropriate manner in accordance with the general recommendations Of the Committee. Recommendation No. 34 (2015) on the rights of rural women; y
E) Establish a mandatory and effective mechanism for consultation and benefit-sharing to obtain the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous women in relation to the use of their natural resources and land. ” From the recommendations made by the Committee, it is only to be expected that the Argentine State will take the necessary measures to guarantee the human rights of women and their effective fulfillment, something in which we will be working together with other organizations of civil society.”
Clarification: The translation of the fragments of the “Final Observations” is of own authorship.
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Contact
Virginia Pedraza, vir.pedraza@fundeps.org
Accompaniment to indigenous communities in Rurrenabaque, Bolivia
Part of the Global Governance area team traveled the first days of December to the city of Rurrenabaque in Bolivia. Meetings and tours were held in the area where infrastructure projects are being carried out by the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank in the area.
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic.”
The municipality of Rurrenabaque (located in the Department of Beni, Bolivia) is an important tourist center and small-scale agricultural production area, whose population, due to the need to export its products, has been forced to generate pressure on forests Natural. Rurrenabaque is adjacent to the National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area Madidi and the Biosphere Reserve and Community Land Pilón Lajas, where several indigenous communities live.
This region is characterized by its abundant richness and cultural and biological diversity that has led to the establishment of reserves and national parks, but which is also considered by many actors as an unexploited economic opportunity. This has led to the recent promotion of a series of infrastructure works (mainly the construction of important roads) in the vicinity of the protected areas of Madidi and Pilón Lajas, which represents a risk of negative environmental and social impacts Both for biodiversity and ecosystems and for the indigenous communities involved. Among these projects, the one financed by the Inter-American Development Bank is the improvement of the Santa Bárbara-Rurrenabaque highway.
On the other hand, the project financed by the World Bank consists of the Ixiamas – San Buenaventura highway located within the Northern Corridor area of influence and is part of the Alternative Route to reach Cobija from the north of La Paz.
The Ixiamas-San Buenaventura highway within the regional context of the Corredor Norte highway megaproject represents one of the largest works in the Northwest region of Bolivia. The North Corridor is a road project of 1664 km of length linking in its extreme points to the cities of La Paz, Guayaramerin and Cobija. Its area of influence extends over 234,000 km², approximately 26% of the territory of Bolivia, comprising 3 departments and 39 municipal jurisdictions.
The environmental and social impacts and threats to communities living in the area are increasingly serious. The situation in the area is complex and these roads coexist with other projects (financed mainly by Chinese funds) that represent even greater problems and challenges for indigenous communities in the area. From FUNDEPS, we will be collaborating with communities in the area to evaluate options to complain to mechanisms of accountability of international financial institutions. It will be sought that these projects do not negatively impact the environment and the living conditions of the communities.
Contact
Gonzalo Roza, gon.roza@fundeps.org
Backwardness in gender policies
In the last decade, progress was made in the regulation and implementation of public policies on gender and communication. However, in the last year far from further progress these measures are in a serious state of uncertainty, with clear weakening.
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic.”
From the shadow report presented by the Foundation for the Development of Sustainable Policies (FUNDEPS) and the Civil Association Communication for Equality, the actions implemented to fight violence against women in the media were presented, based on the obligation Assumed Argentina to modify the sociocultural patterns that perpetuate discrimination against women.
After a long walk, starting in 2009, a new normative framework came into force that protects women from media and symbolic violence in the media. To this, the public policies generated by the Public Defender’s Office and the AFSCA, among other spaces, were added to combat these forms of inequality. This meant a clear breakthrough in the State’s role of guaranteeing rights, although it was still perfect in both standard and implementation.
However, in December 2015, as one of the first measures of the national government under management, the Executive Branch amended the Law on Audiovisual Communication Services (LSCA) and its implementing authority, pillars of the normative framework in communication and gender. Furthermore, the perspectives of the 17 Convergence Principles announced by the National Communications Entity (ENACOM and ex-AFSCA) with a view to drafting a new project to regulate communications and the National Plan of Action for Prevention, Assistance and Eradication of Violence against Women 2017-2019, are not very encouraging.
This is compounded by the uncertainty that exists over the continuity of the Public Defender’s Office, a body created for the protection of audiences by the Audiovisual Communication Services Act and recently recognized by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, since it is not foreseen Another similar in projections of the new legislation announced. In addition, the period of the current defender Cynthia Ottaviano ended on November 14 and has not been announced its renewal or any new designation.
In order to achieve a more just and equitable society, it is essential to ensure that content and media programming stop promoting a culture of discrimination and violence.
*Coordinator of the Human Rights Area-Gender and Sexual Diversity Axis of the Foundation for the Development of Sustainable Policies (FUNDEPS).
Source: “Backwardness in gender policies”, Página 12
From the PSol they demand a project of “Law of Forests” participatory
As part of the public hearing on the regulation of the Forests Law, held this Tuesday in the provincial legislature, the Solidarity Party of Cordoba issued a statement rejecting the draft of the Union for Cordoba (UPC) and demanding “the possibility of discussing A participatory Forest Law project, in open forums that ensure that all voices are heard”.
“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic.”
Communiqué: From Solidarity Party Córdoba we have been collecting the concern of the neighbors and neighbors of the whole province before this attempt of the Government of the Province to approve a New Law of Forests, between roosters and midnight, behind the backs of the society. Our party does not endorse the voracious commercialization of the forests and their ecosystems that the pro-government project seeks to enable.
We live in a province that has already devoured 96% of its forests. We can not afford to compromise even further the future generations of Cordovan people in return for the profit of a very few, who curiously are the mentors and facilitators of this project. It is not possible to compensate for a rise in the rural property tax with laws that allow the exploitation of previously restricted areas. We ask our government not to pay political agreements with our forests and the biodiversity that lives in them.
We oppose the abolition of the arrest warrant for ginning. Reducing fines to forest looters by 33% also does not seem an option, when the current penalties are already in many cases assumed by the speculators who choose to commit a crime and charge the fine as a cost to their business project.
We warn the legislators that our province has already shown symptoms of the environmental disaster to which we are advancing on public policies that only contemplate the profits of large agricultural producers and real estate speculation: desertification and its land storms (we should say of Soil), the water crisis in some regions or the terrible floods that have claimed lives in others. All these phenomena that besides the environmental impact, have had a deep social effect that strikes, above all, the most unprotected.
We therefore call for the possibility of discussing a participatory Forest Law project in open forums to ensure that all voices are heard. We accompany the demands of the Peasant Movement of Cordoba in this regard. We endorse the criticism made to the CARTEZ project by the Córdoba Environmental Forum, the DiverSus Research Diversity and Sustainability Center, the Multidisciplinary Plant Biology Institute (CONICET-UNC), the IDEA Civil Association, the Institute of Diversity and Animal Ecology (CONICET And the Center for Ecology and Renewable Natural Resources (FCEFyN, UNC) and the Foundation for the Development of Sustainable Policies (FUNDEPS).
Source: Diario Tortuga