This International Women’s Day we remembered Berta Cáceres, Indigenous leader and environmental defender from the Lenca people of Honduras. Berta’s murder on March 2nd 2016 was directly associated with her campaign in the defence of the Gualcarque river, the site of a proposed dam in Lenca territory.
In her first public event as Zennström Professor Stefania held a conversation with Berta’s daughter, Bertha Zuñiga, in order to understand how her work lives on and the continued struggle for justice in the region. We were very grateful to Bertha for taking the time to speak to us so openly.
Many thanks also go to Grettel Navas, Azucena Moran and Katia Lara for their support with this event.
Watch the video from the webinar. The video is a mixture of Spanish and English.
You can also read the English and Spanish transcripts here. Thank you to María Florencia Langa for transcription and translation.
This tragedy of Berta’s murder is not in isolation. In 2019 alone, it is estimated that over 200 environmental defenders were killed as a consequence of their commitment to protect the environment and indigenous lands. Indigenous leaders and Indigenous women leaders in particular have been at the forefront of this struggle. How can we make sense of the violence against these earth defenders in a time when their work is all the more relevant to climate and ecological politics? What can we learn, from their stories, about the post-carbon transition?
The following materials are also recommended to learn more about environmental defenders and their critical leadership.
https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/…/case-history-berta…
https://www.globalwitness.org/…/environmental-activists/
https://www.versobooks.com/…/3180-who-killed-berta-caceres
You can also follow the conversation and demand for justice at #JusticeForBerta and #5AñosJuntoABerta.