SA SAVE CO VE COCKPIT CKPIT CO COUNTR UNTRY Y [2 [2.0] .0] Jamaica ca Civil l Soci ciety ty Foru rum m (JCSF SF) ) & Caribbea bbean n Vul ulne nerabl rable e Comm mmuni niti ties es Coalition lition Lun unch.L ch.Learn.Lo rn.Lobb bby. Octobe ober 19, 2017 Suz uzanne anne Stanl nley, , Deputy uty CEO, , Ja Jamaica ca Environ onme ment nt Trus ust
A BIT OF COCKPIT COUNTRY HISTORY… • Located in West Central Jamaica • Forest reserve was declared on December 1 st , 1950. The law that governs forest reserves is the Forest Act of 1996. • In August 2006, Alcoa announced that the GOJ would be renewing a special exclusive prospecting license to exclusively prospect for bauxite within Photo credit: Jeremy Francis Western Jamaica, including much of Cockpit Country. • In November 2006, the Minister of Agriculture, the late Roger Clarke granted the renewal of Alcoa’s license as well as one license to prospect for limestone in the Cockpit Country.
TH THE E COC OCKP KPIT IT COU OUNTR NTRY Y STAKEHOLDERS AKEHOLDERS GROUP OUP WAS AS BOR ORN • Formed in 2006 • Includes scientists, NGOs, CBOs, residents, and other stakeholders • Proposed a boundary for the area, in November 2006, which covers 1099 sq km spread across six parishes: St James, Trelawny, St Ann, St Elizabeth, Manchester, and the northern tip of Clarendon.
WH WHAT T TH THE E FU FUSS? S? • Immediate threat from bauxite mining and limestone quarrying • Mining would dredge the cockpit bottoms for bauxite • Quarrying would remove deposits of limestone • Negative impacts to • Forests • Water Supply • Biodiversity • Local livelihoods Bauxite Mining in Cockpit Country
SA SAVE VE COC OCKPI KPIT T COUN OUNTR TRY Y 1.0 .0 (20 2006 06 – 20 2016) 6) • Started with the release of the CCSG boundary in November 2006. • The CCSG also started a petition in December 2006 entitled Save Cockpit Country which attracted 2000 signatures. • The petition was delivered to then Prime Minister Most. Hon. Portia Simpson Miller in January 2007 • Two films by Esther Figueroa: • Cockpit Country: Voices from Jamaica’s Heart (JET) (2007) • Cockpit Country is our Home (WRC) (2012)
SA SAVE VE COC OCKPI KPIT T COUN OUNTR TRY Y 1.0 .0 (20 2006 06 – 20 2016) 6) The UWI Boundar dary y St Study dy • Commissioned by GOJ in 2007 • Completed in 2008 • Released in 2013 with extensive public “The Government of Jamaica should not consultation autho horise ise any form m of mining ng and qua quarrying ing activity ivity within in the Cockpi kpit t Count ntry...the the Cockpit Country deserves […} legal protection.” ~ ~ Webber, D. and Noel, C. (2013) Technical Report on Public Consultations on defining the boundaries of the Cockpit Country UWI Centre of Environmental Management Kingston Public Consultation Meeting June 2013 Panel L-R: Prof Webber, Prof Mitchell, M. Schwartz
SA SAVE VE COC OCKPI KPIT T COU OUNTR NTRY Y 1.0 .0 (20 2006 06 – 20 2016) 6) • Noranda granted a special exclusive prospecting license in June 2014 • Evidence of work within the borders of the CCSG boundary had begun by early 2015 • A November 17, 2016 Gleaner article quoted Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Andrew Holness saying that a decision had been made about the boundary and was being finalized. He was unable to provide a timeline.
SA SAVE VE COC OCKPI KPIT T COU OUNTR NTRY Y 1.0 .0 (20 2006 06 – 20 2016) 6) • Continued to advocate for the CCSG boundary to be declared • Identified as one of the top 5 priority areas by representatives of the environmental conservation community to the recently re-elected Prime Minister Most. Hon. Andrew Holness in 2016 • Developed relationships with GOJ “sources”
…A.K.A. 2017
SA SAVE VE COC OCKPI KPIT T COU OUNTR NTRY Y 2. 2.0 • Get the issue back in the media (article on August 3) • Revive the Cockpit Country Stakeholders Group list (August 9) • Develop and circulate talking points (August 10) • Confirm the list of rivers, streams, springs, etc rising in or fed by underground water supply from Cockpit Country (requested August 17 from WRA, received September 6)
SA SAVE VE COC OCKPI KPIT T COU OUNTR NTRY Y 2. 2.0 The Pet etition ition • On August 14 Diana sends an email out asking: “I was wondering if we should use the new Jamaica House portal for the petition? The requirements are (a) at least 30,000 signatures…and (b) that the people signing must be Jamaican citizens.” • Mixed responses, but never-the-less JET decides to “give it a try” • Suggested wording circulated to CCSG (August 17) • Petition launched on August 21
SA SAVE VE COC OCKPI KPIT T COU OUNTR NTRY Y 2. 2.0 The Pet etition ition Aug ugus ust 22 • Daily monitoring by JET begins • Number of signatures reduced to 15,000 and date extended to September 30 • Press Release • Call for images from CCSG • Call for stakeholders (non-JET) willing to speak to the press • Engagement of the Maroon communities in Cockpit Country
SA SAVE VE COC OCKPI KPIT T COU OUNTR NTRY Y 2. 2.0 August Aug ust 2017 • Revamped the logo and ordered t- shirts • Created hard copy version of the petition Media • Nationwide courtyard discussion (outside broadcast) (August 30) • 5 radio interviews • 3 newspaper articles
SA SAVEC VECOCKPIT OCKPITCOUNTR COUNTRY.OR .ORG
SA SAVE VE COC OCKPI KPIT T COU OUNTR NTRY Y 2. 2.0 st – 16 Sept ptembe ber r 1 st 16 th, th, 2017 • Ongoing promotion through social media and WhatsApp • Fifteen census workers trained by JET with the help of the CVC to collect signatures on the hard copy petitions • Received talking points, and five things to know about Cockpit Country handouts • T-shirts • International Coastal Cleanup Day, September 16: hard copy signatures collected by cleanup coordinators across the island
SA SAVE VE COC OCKPI KPIT T COU OUNTR NTRY Y DAY Y FR FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER TEMBER 22, , 2017 • Started with IRIE FM who were joined by ZIP103FM, Nationwide90FM, Love101FM • News specials • Interviews • Shout outs from musicians and celebrities voicing their support • Outside Broadcast in Brown’s Town on IRIE • Pushing the petition (hard copies at their offices) • September 19 Press Release • Petition numbers soared – from 7,000 to 13,000 signatures
At approximat ximately ely 3:30pm pm on Thursda day, Septemb ember er 21, 1, 2017, the OPM pet etiti tion n portal went offline ne • JET was accused on air by the Jamaica House Communication Director of organizing automatic signing and coercing people to sign • Refuted in a press release sent out by JET on 22 September 2017: • JET has run an organized, legitimate campaign • Since launching the Save Cockpit Country petition on the OPM site, there have been several problems reported to us • Despite the problems JET asked supporters to exercise patience and keep trying to add their names to the online petition. • JET has no interest in an illegitimate process The OPM portal was brought ght back ck online e at approxi xima mately ely 9:00am am on Friday, Septemb ember er 22.
15 15,0 ,000 00 SI SIGNA GNATURES!!! TURES!!!
Th The e final final co count unt • Septemb mber er 25: : Prime Minister congratulated JET and other Jamaicans on social media for achieving the target and promised a response in 30 days • Septemb mber er 28: : Hard copy petition deadline was (15,141 hard copy signatures) • Septemb mber er 29: : Press Release - 34,000 Jamaicans to Prime Minister Holness – Save Cockpit Country! • Septemb mber er 30: : Online petition closed with 20,858 signatures
SA SAVE VE COC OCKPI KPIT T COU OUNTR NTRY Y 2. 2.0 Spr preadi ding ng the message ge Tradi diti tion onal al Media ia • Print: August (3); September (8) • Radio: August (5); September (13) • Television: September (3) Soci cial al Medi dia a • #savecockpitcountry estimated social media reach 235,847 • 35 Facebook posts (2 boosted) • Petition: $60 for 15 days, >75,000 people reached, >4,800 post engagements • Slideshow: $30 for 7 days, >85,000 people reached, >28,000 post engagements • 19 Instagram posts
SA SAVE VE COC OCKPI KPIT T COU OUNTR NTRY Y 2. 2.0 Spr preadi ding ng the message ge • Whatsapp • JET did not originate the WhatsApp messages which incorrectly mentioned “the Chinese” as the threat to Cockpit Country • Reached many people • Should be considered as a priority tool for sending advocacy messages • Celebrity Support • Bounty Killer • Beenie Man • Queen Ifrica • Third World • Protoje
SAVE SA VE COC OCKPI KPIT T COU OUNTR NTRY Y 2. 2.0 Lessons • You need partners with a vested interest for support • Esther Figueroa • Susan Koenig & Mike Schwartz (WRC) • Carol Narcisse • Rodje Malcolm (CVCC) • Laura Facey Cooper • Everyone who sent photos: Ted, Emma, Wendy, Nicole… • CCSG, the list goes on… • You need key “sources” of information • You don’t need a lot of money • You need buy in of news media & you must be willing to speak when they call • Get local celebrities and personalities on board to spread the message • Use multiple communication channels
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