Global: People’s summit alive with the sound of voices

The People’s Summit has brought together civil society organisations from all over the world, and is seeking an alternative to the 'green economy' that will be defined by heads of state and government at the climax of the Rio+20 conference on 20-22 June. 'Native peoples know perfectly well what sustainable development involves. Our harmonious coexistence with nature is a living portrayal of our way of life, which neither destroys nor degrades,' said Sonia Guajajara, a coordinator of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB). Miguel Palacín, a Quechua Indian from Peru and head of the Andean Coordinator of Indigenous Organisations (CAOI), said the green economy 'exists to legitimate and continue to rely on the capitalist system that has put us where we are today'.