1st Sept: Hear our voice!1 September 2002
Hello. I'm completely shattered, and a wee bit drunk. I've just taken time out from a party we are holding for the local communities we have been working with on our Hear our voice art project.
A triumph of artWe are celebrating. After a VERY late night and a VERY early start, we completed the installation this morning. Hooray!
The final installation
[click for larger image]
[click for larger image]
A huge giant made from industrial waste now towers above 6000 little papier mache figures, symbolising the dominance of big multinational companies over people.
At the same time, a soundscape played messages from people around the world. I know I'm biased, but it looked and sounded phenomenal.
Amazingly, it all went without a hitch. Well almost. A local community choir had agreed to sing for us, but despite the fact that we spent days arranging their accreditation, the UN would not let them in to the conference area. This only served to spell out the importance of our message even more strongly. They were finally allowed in (under police escort).
The choir finally gets to sing
Asneth Teffo, spoke on behalf of the local communities "to thank Friends of the Earth for giving us the opportunity to make the voices of the voiceless heard". She went on to say that:
Friends of the Earth is a big family and it is now a bigger family which includes the impoverished people of South Africa
I felt extremely proud to be part of it all. It would have been impossible to do this project without them.
A failure of diplomacy
Close up of the giant
[click for larger image]
[click for larger image]
But the US has once again temporarily scuppered any similar success inside the Summit.
It was looking good this morning, because governments had agreed to further discussions about binding rules to control big companies - exactly what we are asking for.
A call was made to President Bush, who hasn't bothered coming to the Summit, to get him to sign up too. He wouldn't!
Anyway, I've got a party to go to....
Thanks to all of you who contributed messages and noises to the action.
Love Sarah
Sarah Donnelly, our Policy and Campaigns Co-ordination Assistant is sending daily updates direct from the Earth Summit.
© Friends of the Earth
