Legal Victory in Colombia

December 19, 2011

For almost a year, the Colombian waste pickerswere fighting a $1.7 billion dollars public bidthat would have taken the role of recycling fromthe recyclers and handed it over to privatecompanies for a ten-year period.

On December 19, 2011, the court canceled thepublic bidding process. Justice Juan Carlos Henaosaid that the constitutional rights of waste pickershad not been respected. Silvio Ruiz Grisales, theInternational Secretariat of Red Lacre, said thatthe waste pickers and allies were crying withhappiness when the court canceled the biddingprocess.

Adriana Ruiz-Restrepo, an attorney who hasbeen working with the waste pickers for a decade,said: “This is the biggest sanction ever declaredand a major triumph for those of us whopropound for the legal empowerment of thepoverty trapped for advancing inclusivedevelopment. We are very appreciative of allthe voices of support that we received when wewere rejecting undue pressure of the WasteAgency of the municipality on the ConstitutionalCourt.” See articles in El Tiempo(http://bit.ly/HRsPGe) and in Noticias Caracol(http://bit.ly/zylFTQ) on the victory.

Public Hearing for the NationalPolicy Implementation Plan

Brasília, BrazilNov. 30 – Dec. 1, 2012

Brazil’s National Solid Waste Law was ratified inAugust of 2010. The plan claims to establish aseries of measures, including the end of openlandfills, the implementation of recycling collectionand the inclusion of waste pickers in solid wastemanagement.

The public hearing is part of a publicconsultation process that began in Septemberof 2011. The aim of the this process was toreceive and incorporate suggestions andcontributions from civil society to the developmentof the national plan. Six hundred people fromall sectors, including 100 waste pickers/catadoresfrom MNCR coming from different states, satdown to collectively discuss the guidelines,strategies and goals for waste management inBrazil. Among the topics were how to betterreduce, reuse and recycle and incorporate wastepickers — in a professional way — in thisprocess.

One of the biggest concerns for the wastepickers was Article 9, a problematic text thatopens the door to the incineration industry. Asa result of the participation of civil society inthese public hearings, the possibility forincineration companies to operate is now moredifficult. Read article by Magdalena Donoso, theLatin American Coordinator for GAIA in theonline newsletter: http://bit.ly/IS5J2i

LAW Global Project Pilot

As part of the global program defined in theSteering Committee Meeting in March, we areimplementing a pilot project that compileslegislation in several countries in Asia, Africa andLatin America that tackles solid wastemanagement systems and the inclusion of wastepickers. The final results of the project, to beavailable in the coming months, will include acomparative analytic matrix. Check globalrec.orgfor updates.

News &Initiatives2011 highlights

Communication Strategy for theGlobal Alliance of Waste Pickers

At a steering committee meeting held in Bangkoklast March, the Global Alliance of Waste Pickersdecided that in order to really do justice to theglobal movement of waste pickers, it would needits own communications strategy, independentof that which their allies have been providing.So in October, a communications officer and aweb designer began working for the GlobalAlliance. So far, the communications and webteam has helped cover major events such asCOP17. The current pre-website – globalrec.org– will be expanded in the next months to becomea real website with many features and a wealthof information. It will also be much moreaccessible to waste pickers and organizationswho want to contribute and connect with wastepickers across the globe.

Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/GlobalRecand on Twitter at @global_rec.

Also insideMEETINGS & EVENTS p.2

PUBLICATIONS p.5

2012 ONGOING EVENTS p.7

From: Global Alliance of Waste Pickers <info@globalrec.org>Date: Wed, Mar 21, 2012 at 9:12 PMSubject: [GlobalRec] Newsletter: The Global Alliance of Waste PickersTo: You

Hello everyone,

The Global Alliance of Waste Pickers is happy to share with you itsfirst global newsletter. We hope that it can be one more way to connectwaste pickers across continents with the issues that affect them globallyand locally as well as report back to all of you on the differentactivities we have participated in as well as the many events to come.The newsletter has been translated into four languages (Spanish,Portuguese, French and English). We hope to make it available in otherlanguages as waste pickers are becoming organized in many other partsof the world.

The next newsletter will be published on a quarterly basis. We lookforward to your help spreading the word. Feel free to send the subscriptionlink to the online newsletter (http://bit.ly/HRqaw0) to others or visitthe newsletter archive on our website (http://bit.ly/IEnaUt). For allother information, visit www.globalrec.org.

In solidarity,Deia, Demetria, Exequiel, Lucia & PabloGlobal Alliance Communication Team

Interim Steering Committeeof Waste PickersMarch 2-4, 2011Bangkok, Thailand

Following a workshop on membership-based oganizations (MBOs)organized by WIEGO, waste picker representatives from the LatinAmerican Network (Brazil and Chile), the Alliance of Indian WastePickers, as well as representatives from Africa (Senegal, South Africaand Kenya), and Asia (India and Cambodia) participated in a two-daymeeting where the Global Alliance planned its program for the year.That included participation in COP17 in Durban as part of climatechange strategy and a strong alliance with GAIA. It also included acompilation on recycling policies around the world, a communicationstrategy for the Global Alliance of Waste Pickers (including its website)a global strategic workshop, among other activities to be developedin each region. For more information, contact: coordina@globalrec.org

Meetingsand events

April 20122 gobalrec.org

BangkokInterim Steering Committeeof Waste Pickers

ParisWaste & Citizenship Festival/Déchets et citoyenneté

MumbaiDumpsite Workers’ Workshop

Buenos AiresInternational Solid Waste ManagementAssociation (ISWA) Workshop on Informal Sector

JohannesburgWaste and Climate Change Workshop

New YorkClinton Global InitiativeInformal Recycling Sector Meeting

DurbanCOP17. U.N. Climate Change Conference-General meeting-South African Waste Pickers’

Meetings and events

Waste & CitizenshipFestival/Déchets et citoyennetéMay 20-25, 2011Paris, France

A global delegation of waste pickers participated in the second editionof this festival. Waste pickers from SWaCH cooperative in Pune, India,shared their organizing experiences with local biffins (waste pickersin Paris) and women waste pickers from the Latin American Network(Colombia, Chile and Brazil). In a public meeting , the waste pickerscalled for respect and to be included in waste management systems,as well as an end to the incineration of recyclable materials. Déchetset citoyenneté: http://www.dechets-citoyennete.org/. (Organized byFrance Liberté Foundation, Environnement et Développement du TiersMonde (ENDA), and the municipal government. Supported by WIEGO,France Liberté, and other local partners).

Dumpsite Workers’ WorkshopJune 1-3, 2011Mumbai, India

Waste pickers who work at dumpsites and landfills all around Indiacame together to discuss their working conditions and the threats theycurrently face in their own cities. It was the first workshop designedspecifically for dumpsite and landfill workers. One waste picker fromDakar, Senegal, and one from South Africa, accompanied by theinternational coordinator of the Global Alliance, attended. The wastepickers shared their experiences and discussed the problems they facein their cities, including the closure of dumps where they make theirliving and the threats they face when waste final disposal processesget privatized. For more information contact: asia@globalrec.org.

Waste and Climate ChangeWorkshopSeptember 7-8, 2011Johannesburg, South Africa

Fifty-three waste pickers from eight provinces in South Africa, membersof the Alliance of Indian Waste Pickers and waste pickers from Kenya,Senegal, and Latin America came together to discuss strategies as theyprepared for COP17, the UN Climate Change Conference held in Durbanin December 2011. Waste pickers learned about key concepts such asclimate change and greenhouse gases. They learned about theenvironmental impact of recycling vs. ‘waste to energy,’ incineration,landfill gas extraction, and privatization. They discussed the impact ofClean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects on the ground. Theyalso learned about the ins and outs of the national waste policy andhow to discuss these concepts with their local governments. The GlobalAlliance for Incinerator Alternatives facilitated workshops together withthe support of the WIEGO African coordinator.

April 2012 gobalrec.org 3Meetings and events

International Solid WasteManagement Association (ISWA)Workshop on Informal SectorJune 20-23, 2011Buenos Aires, Argentina

For the first time in 40 years, the International Solid Waste ManagementAssociation organized an event focusing on the integration of theinformal sector into the solid waste management system. Waste pickersfrom Argentina and the international coordinator for the Global Allianceparticipated in the event, providing input, sharing experiences andmaking the audience aware of how waste pickers’ livelihoods arethreatened sometimes even by decisions made by the Solid WasteManagement Association.See online newsletter for Lucia Fernandez’ PDF presentation:http://bit.ly/IS5J2iISWMA Website: http://www.beacon2011.com.ar/

Clinton Global Initiative – InformalRecycling Sector MeetingSeptember 19-21, 2011New York City, United States

As part of one of the Clinton Global Initiative commitments, the informalsector presented at an event held at the Harvard Club in New YorkCity. The aim was for waste pickers to get their voices heard amongimportant players which are not necessarily aware of their demands.Colombian waste picker and leader Nohra Padilla presented,“Organizacion de los Recicladores, Una Alternativa Social, Tecnica,Economica y Ambiental Reconocido en un Sistema Organizado, Parael Manejo Integral de los Residuos Solidos.”

Allies from GAIA and WIEGO presented in the plenary session. LuciaFernandez, presented “Moving Towards Waste Pickers’ Inclusion andDecentralization of Solid Waste Management, A Re-thinking Approachfor Closing Landfills.” See presentations in the online newsletter:http://bit.ly/IS5J2i

April 20124 gobalrec.org Meetings and events

South African Waste Pickers’Meeting during COP17Dec. 1, 2011Durban, South Africa

South African waste pickers met during COP17 in a closed meeting todiscuss the constitution of the South African Waste Pickers’ Associationand the Code of Conduct for waste pickers on landfill sites and instreets. The South African Waste Pickers’ Association was launched inFebruary 2010 and it has drawn up draft principles of the organization.Members continued to discuss this draft in the December meeting.(Organized and supported by groundWORK, GAIA, and WIEGO).

COP17 – U.N. ClimateChange ConferenceNov. 28 – Dec. 9, 2011Durban, South Africa

COP17 was especially important for the Global Alliance of WastePickers. Because the climate conference was held in Durban, SouthAfrica, a huge number of members of the newly formed South AfricanWaste Pickers’ Association were able to attend and make their demandsheard in their own country. The 60 or so South African waste pickerswere also able to hold meetings and network amongst each other,strengthening their relationships and their association. In addition tothe strong presence of South African representatives, waste pickersfrom associations in Costa Rica, Brazil, India, and Senegal participatedin the conference as well as the side events, and engaged in solidaritymeetings with the South Africans.One of the highlights of attending the conference was the Global Dayof Action March on Dec.3. The South African Waste Pickers’ Associationwas there in full force, along with waste pickers from around the world— all marching and singing South African struggle songs together,demanding climate justice.

On Dec. 5, the Global Alliance held a protest inside of the conferenceheadquarters, making their demands visible and generating a lot ofmedia attention. Waste pickers were featured in dozens of mediaoutlets, including The Mercury, Democracy Now!, IPS, Sowetan Live,and The Citizen. They also spoke to a BBC reporter on the UnitedNation’s Climate Change Studio.

On Dec. 5, the Global Alliance held a press conference inside theconference headquarters. They called for a Green Climate Fund withdirect community access and an end to CDM “waste-to-energy”projects. Representatives from three continents highlighted the factthat waste pickers are the most effective way to reduce greenhousegas emissions in the waste sector. They spoke against disposaltechnologies that undermine their livelihoods, such as incinerators andwaste-to-energy projects. See press releases and media coverage atglobalrec.org.

These are just a few highlights of COP17 activities. For the full report,videos and slideshows, visit globalrec.org. See GAIA’s report on COP17online: http://bit.ly/HRn9IT(Organized and supported by GAIA, WIEGO, and groundWORK)

General meeting duringCOP17Dec. 2, 2011Durban, South Africa

On December 2, the meeting opened up to include delegates fromwaste pickers across the globe. Waste pickers from Costa Rica, Brazil,India and Senegal were present. Delegates exchanged ideas andlearned from each other as they joined in solidarity.

'Waste Picking inAfrica' Newsletterlaunched inSeptember 2011This extensive print newsletter featured articleson exchanges between Indian and African wastepickers, a section on the issues to be discussedat COP17, a list of organizing tips, an articleabout the history and formation of the the SouthAfrican RRR network, a piece about CDMincineration and landfill gas systems, a reviewof gains from a conference in Senegal, and anevents calendar. See the online versions in Frenchand English on globalrec.org.

RedLacre electronic newsletterlaunched in September 2011Included in the first electronic newsletter were articles by Marlen Chacón, of Programa EscazuRecicla in Costa Rica, who discussed the realities of working as a recicladora in Costa Rica and theimportance of uniting as a Latin American and global network of waste pickers. Also included wasa call for participation in the Global Day of Action against incineration, a gallery of photos, and anannouncement of grants won by a number of Latin American waste picker associations. Visitredrecicladores.net to sign up for the newsletter.

Launch of the Network of Latin American Waste Pickers/La Red Latinoamericana website:redrecicladores.net

The Latin American Network, Red Lacre, is an organization that represents and involves labormovements that unite waste pickers throughout Latin America. Red Lacre’s mission is to improveworking conditions of waste pickers and to initiate dialogue between countries in order to exchangeexperiences, organize, and take action. The network represents waste pickers’ groups in 15 countries.Last year, as part of a process of decentralization that began in Peru during the 4th Conference ofWaste Pickers, the current communications team (based in Chile) decided to design and launch thenew website. The goal was to solidify the network and help develop relationships between wastepickers across Latin America.

Publications

Alliance of IndianWastepickers (AIW)2011 newslettersAugust 2011: http://bit.ly/ISdBAZNovember 2011: http://bit.ly/HGyLCx

April 2012 gobalrec.org 5Publications

those interested in learning and supporting wastepickers’ causes.

Several projects are in the works. One is exampleis an interactive map to be produced this year.It will show where waste pickers’ groups haveformed and include important details about theirassociations. With this tool, waste pickers willbe able to learn about other groups and alsocontact them. A pre-website was launched inDecember, kicking off by documenting the GlobalAlliance events and activities at COP17. Thewebsite will continue to include information frommajor events around the world that involve wastepickers. Visit www.globalrec.org.

In addition to the website, the Global Alliancehas disseminated information via Facebook andTwitter. To follow the Global Alliance on Facebook,visit www.facebook.com/GlobalRec. To followon Twitter, visit @global_rec.

Communication Strategy for theGlobal Alliance of Waste PickersAround the world, waste pickers are workingindividually and in groups. The idea behind theGlobal Alliance is to strengthen relationshipsbetween waste pickers across the world withthe idea that there are no borders for those whofight for the same cause: being recognized andproperly included in the solid waste managementsystems of their cities and and being treated asrecycling professionals. With more and morewaste pickers using the Internet, the launch ofglobalrec.org is an opportunity to connect wastepickers across continents, particularly – but notonly – those strongly organized in Latin America,Africa and Asia with the issues that affect themlocally and globally. The website will serve as ameeting place for waste pickers in these threecontinents – a multi-lingual hub forcommunicating and catching up on current issuesand events, as well as an educational space for

Publications

Harouna Niass, of Dakar, Senegal,also works with the AssociationBook Diom des Recuperateurs etRecycleurs in Mbeubeuss. Hestarted recycling when he was 25years old. He is 42.By working as a recycler with hisassociation, Harouna is able tosupport his family as the soleprovider. He says the professionalso him to make a decent living.

When he is not recycling, Harounasupports other recyclers -- whomhe calls comrades -- by organizingassemblies and helping spread themessage that recyclers deserve tobe treated like other workers.

Harouna has participated ininternational events such as theWorld Social Forum. This year, heis participating in COP17. It’simportant that people of all socialclasses support associations likeBook Diom, Harouna said. Thesocial changes that he and hiscomrades have achieved havepositively affected nearbycommunities. For example, they’vecreated a community center forhealth and education.

Harouna Niass

To contact Harouna or findout more about theassociation:harounaniasse@gmail.comand info@globalrec.org

Sushila Vittal Sabale has been awaste picker for nearly 30 years.She has a lot of experience in thefield of wastepicking (also calledrag-picking) and knows theimportance of waste management,she says. She believes that it’simportant that she, otherwastepickers, and PBVS (thewastepickers’ organization sheworks with), help reduce globalwarming.

Sushila is also involved withgardening and composting projects.

Sushila, a member of the GlobalAlliance of Wastepickers, will beat COP17 as the officialrepresentative for the Mary Robinso

Climate Justice Network.(www.mrfcj.org)

Last year, she attended COP17 asa representative of the Ragpickers’Association.

Sushila encourages her peers tojoin the association so they canreceive its benefits and upgradethemselves and their families.

Sushila Vittal Sabale

To contact Sushila or find outmore about the association:smspbvs@gmail.com andinfo@globalrec.org

April 20124 gobalrec.org

T-Shirts for COP17 Waste Pickers biograpies

globalrec.org website Email Newsletters

Mapping of Africanwaste pickersJanuary-February, 2012Cameroon, Madagascar, Mali, and Benin

Beginning in January, WIEGO made a series oftrips in the Francophone African countries ofMadagascar, Mali, Benin, and Cameroon in orderto map waste picker groups. The goal of thisambitious project was to identify and makecontact with organizations of waste pickers andorganizations working with waste pickers inFrancophone Africa and to include waste pickers’groups in the Global Alliance. Part of the mappingprocess includes the collection of data from eachwaste picker organization and support groupthat will result in the creation of a detaileddatabase. The end goal is an expanded globalnetwork of waste pickers. During the field visits,new groups of waste pickers were identified inall the countries, and good contacts have beenmade, including with a strong group of womenwaste pickers in Benin. (Organized and supportedby WIEGO’s African Program)

were to bring visibility to recyclers in CentralAmerica and the Caribbean and support theirorganizing efforts. At the conference, the LatinAmerican waste pickers drafted the “Declarationof the First Central American Waste Pickers’Conference”, (http://bit.ly/y7g4Rc) which wasdedicated to Juana Rafaela Juárez Téllez.

The conference was made possible because ofCentral American Mapping, where Red Lacremembers traveled to ten countries to meet andidentify their waste picker comrades who areworking in a region where very little informationhas been provided so far. Participating countriesincluded Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile,Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador,Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua,Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic,Uruguay and Venezuela. (Organized by the LatinAmerican Network (Red Lacre), the NicaraguanNetwork of Recyclers (RedNica), WIEGO.Supported by WIEGO, AVINA, GAIA, andSTREETNET affiliates)

Alliance of Indian WastePickers’ NationalConventionMarch 2012

Pune, IndiaThe convention aimed to explore the variousforms of Integration of waste pickers in solidwaste management within the framework ofMSW Rules 2000 and showcase the SWaCHmodel. Some topics discussed include: betterunderstanding integration/inclusion, how modelsof integration/inclusion actually function, howwaste pickers have organized to achieve thesemodels and to ensure their success, the challengesthat different models raise for waste pickerorganizations, what proportion of the city’s wasteand waste management they handle or cover,the gaps in these models both from the point ofview of the city and the waste pickers themselves,how they can be improved, technical and otherresources that may be required for that. A three-fold programme brought together 3,000 wastepickers from Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, 300wastepickers from other cities in India, as wellas waste pickers from the rest of Asia. (Organizedby the Alliance of Indian Waste Pickers, incollaboration with the Pune and PimpriChinchwad Municipal Corporation. Supportedby WIEGO)

Biogas WorkshopMarch 17-18, 2012Pune, India

There have been several innovations in biogastechnology over the years, such as the Nisarguna’sthermophilic process and Biogas refining,compression and bottling. The workshop broughttogether some of these recent innovations in theBiogas field, and served as a platform forinnovators, scientists, engineers, government,waste pickers and NGOs to get together andshare ideas and information.

The workshop invited members of the Allianceof Indian Wastepickers who are interested inexploring livelihood opportunities in the field oforganics management. The workshop helpeddrive the point that wealth is not only in drywaste but also in wet waste. Once fully realized,this can also encourage better segregation andmore skilled jobs in waste. Apart from helpingthe local environment by diverting waste awayfrom landfills this will also mitigate climate changeby reduction in methane emissions. (Organizedby the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternativesand Stree Mukti Sangathana. Supported byWIEGO’s Global Program)

Global StrategicWorkshop and theGlobal Alliance of WastePickers SteeringCommittee meetingApril 27-May 1, 2012Pune, India

Waste pickers’ organizations from Africa, LatinAmerica and Asia will discuss different modelsof inclusion in municipal solid waste managementsystems and threats they are facing. The objectiveof this event is to develop an understanding ofinclusive solid waste management models amongthe waste pickers, with a view to strengthenorganizing efforts towards achieving them incities across the world.

A comprehensive document of all the existingmodels could also emerge as a product of theworkshop which groups could use both for theirown learning, to strength their local organizingprocess as well as for advocacy purposes later.Following the workshop, KKPKP will inviteparticipants to learn from local experiences ofinclusion into the solid waste management systemof their city, organizing side visits to differentmodels while some participants will meet at theSteering Committee Meeting to discuss programsand plan for the coming years. (The workshop isbeing hosted by the KKPKP trade union of wastepickers in Pune, India, on behalf of the GlobalAlliance of Waste Pickers and with the supportof WIEGO. For more information, contactcoordina@globalrec.org)

2012 On Going EventsApril 2012

Mapping Workshop –Niger waste pickersMarch 2012Nigeria

WIEGO will train members of the Federation ofInformal Workers of Nigeria (FIWON) to identify,contact and collect information on waste pickers’organizations and support groups in Nigeria(mapping). It is part of a continued effort to mapAfrican waste picker organizations and supportorganizations with a view to integrating theminto the Global Alliance. (Organized by FIWON.Supported by WIEGO’s African Program)

1st Central AmericanConference of WastePickers & AnnualAssembly of the LatinAmerican NetworkFebruary 20-25, 2012Managua, Nicaragua

This year, Nicaragua hosted the annualcontinental summit that brought together 21countries and 160 waste pickers (recicladores).The event was a milestone celebrating the firstmeeting of the Central American and CaribbeanRecyclers and their integration into the LatinAmerican Network. It also brought CentralAmerican recyclers together, allowing them tobuild a network of support and share theirexperiences with regional allies to help themstrengthen their organizations. The objectives

2012 On Going Events gobalrec.org 7

Global Alliance of Waste Pickers globalrec.org

Facebook.com/GlobalRecTwitter: @global_rec

Our members collect, sort and processrecyclable materials from our cities. Thiscreates jobs for millions of workersworldwide and contributes to the

conservation of natural resources and energy.Waste pickers offer real solutions for climatechange mitigation and inclusive solid wastemanagement.

The Global Alliance of WastePickers is a networking processamong thousands of wastepicker organizations withgroups in more than 28countries covering mainly LatinAmerica, Asia and Africa.

Latinamerican Wastepickers Networklatinoamerica@globalrec.org

Alliance of Indian Wastepickersasia@globalrec.org

African Waste Picker Coordinatorafrica@globalrec.org

Global Waste Picker Coordinatorcoordina@globalrec.org

Communication and Press contactinfo@globalrec.org