Pavel Antonov, Bulletin editor, compares Latin America and CEE Photo: SYLVIA MAGYAR The jungle has no chance to grow in this market in Pisac, Peru Latin America and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)share similar concerns: They are both regions in transition with developing economies and democracies, and both have a history of exploitation of their natural resources. Countries in both regions also have a strong dependence on foreign investment and a heavy presence of multinational companies, which push into local markets and seem to circumvent domestic legislation. Despite their common situations, CEE and Latin America have engaged in only limited cooperation in the quest for sustainable development. People from this part of the world prefer to believe that they have more in common with Western Europe than Latin America. And environmentalists in Latin America may also miss the connection. "At the Bali meeting, I had the feeling that southern NGOs from Africa and Latin America simply did not care to hear what we had to say," said Eva Csobod of the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe, who participated in the Bali preparatory meeting for Johannesburg. A closer look at the situation in CEE, and particularly South Eastern Europe, reveals many similarities to Latin America. The exposure to unrestricted expansion of multinational capital, ignorance of environmental and civil concerns experienced in South America are definitely developments that CEE could learn from - and try to avoid if possible. Bridges between the two regions are being built on the civil society level. Since 1996, a joint initiative called "Spinning the Web" has sought to expand the delivery of sustainable development information on the Internet and to find innovative ways to use technology to help decision makers on environmental sustainability. The network includes organisations from Hungary, India, Costa Rica, Senegal, Argentina, Canada and Sweden. The Nonprofit Enteprise and Self-sustainability Team (NESsT) is a group based in Budapest and Santiago, Chile, which seeks to help non governmental organisations become more financially independent. Civil society organizations from the two regions work together in other groups like the World Social Forum and the virtual Association for Progressive Communications. Some common approaches The regions also share common approaches on policy matters. After a broad consultation between governments and civil society organisations, the Inter American Strategy for the Promotion of Public Participation in Decision-Making for Sustainable Development was issued in 2001. The document, prepared by the Organisation of American States, sets a framework very similar to the spirit of the 1998 "Aarhus" Convention. The CEE countries are leaders in implementation and ratification of the American Strategy. "The difference in this case is that, unlike Aarhus, which is a legally binding document, the American Sustainable Development Strategy contains mostly recommendations on a political level," said Magdolna Toth Nagy, head of the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe 's Public Participation Programme. Perhaps one reason why the region's activists have not worked more closely is a difference in the history of their civil society. The civil society and protest movements in Latin America commonly have an explicit left-wing ideological basis. But in CEE, people are still very suspicious of the use of terms like "equity," "solidarity," "oppression," "class struggle" - which remind them of totalitarian propaganda before 1989. "I would separate the words equity and solidarity from exploitation and class struggle," said Magela Sigillito, an Uruguay based civil activist. "The last ones are related to Marxism and might sound negative to some people here also. The words equity and solidarity (and social justice) are not corrupted here." Despite the different nuances in their political language, the struggle that environmental activists face in both regions are similar: Both regions boast beautiful, well preserved natural treasures that are threatened by development. When the world gathers in Johannesburg to address the issue of sustainable development, regions like CEE and Latin America can benefit from recognising their common situations and giving a louder voice to two groups of countries with similar environmental needs.

Latin America and CEE boast beautiful, well-preserved natural treasures that are threatened by development. Top Top