Jay Naidoo writes about site visit to Cabo Pulmo

After threats to the natural environment in Cabo Pulmo from commercial fishing and the proposed construction of a resort by Spanish developers, local community members and NGOs were able to stop the destruction of their ocean resources by advocating for a marine preserve. This impressive example of local activism has not only moved Overbrook, it has also inspired Jay Naidoo to write an article about the preserve and the groups that advocated for it. Jay Naidoo has been involved with social justice movements both in his current position as the Chair of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and previously as the head of COSATU (Coalition of South African Trade Unions) in the years leading up to the release of Nelson Mandela and the end of apartheid. Mr. Naidoo, along with Overbrook Board Member Vincent McGee, visited this marine preserve as part of a group organized by Martin Goebel of Sustainable Northwest, and heard the local community advocates’ story of this remarkable campaign to protect this area.

This important narrative demonstrated a community successfully determining the type of development they wanted for themselves, particularly important given the existence of many such communities around the world without the experience of being heard. And, as a result, they have been able to preserve their local environment and ecosystems that are important to them, including recent outcomes like the return of coral and fish in great numbers. Despite initial challenges such as poor cooperation among NGOs, opposition from commercial interests and differing local visions for the marine area, this movement was able to succeed in creating the largest preserve in Mexico even in the face of powerful economic interests promoting the development projects. Reflecting on this visit, Mr. Naidoo draws upon his experience in South Africa when he argues that meaningful environmental or social changes that will positively affect lower income or marginalized communities must come from the grassroots rather than democratic laws or governments. He writes:

As the small community of Cabo Pulmo and others across the world know, there are very few in power that can be trusted to carry the interests of the people, especially the poor. And that is the lesson of modern democracy… A new apartheid has reared its head, violently, and we need to unite our communities in a shared solidarity of networks that recognise our interconnectedness to fight back. We need to link the community of Cabo Pulmo to those in Lake Turkana, in Kenya, where the fish are dying because of the impact of climate change. We need to connect the shack dwellers of Mexico City to those of Diepsloot outside Johannesburg and Mumbai in India.

I encourage you to read the article, which is published at the Daily Maverick and is accessible by click here. Mr. Naidoo does a terrific job explaining this case study and how the success in the Cabo Pulmo conservation efforts can help others to become active agents in local decisions regarding development, social structures and conservation. In the past, Overbrook has supported Pronatura Noroeste A.C. for its work to help conservation in Cabo Pulmo, in large part because our Board and Staff recognized the importance of supporting community and NGO partnerships that have the power to work together to achieve such marine conservation victories. As Mr. Naidoo suggests, Overbrook staff hopes that successful local models can be replicated across the world.

Overbrook Environment Grantee Releases How-To Video

If you already miss Easter eggs, check out a great new video from Overbrook Environment grantee ioby (In Our Backyards) showcasing how to raise chickens in an urban environment. In the video, Bee Ayers of BK Farmyards talks about the basics of urban chickening in both private and communal urban environments. This is the first how-to video from ioby - a great start to what will no doubt be a fun series. Thanks to organizations like ioby, we are reminded that the environment is not just the rainforests or glaciers of the world, but our own backyards.

An Overbrook-Funded Event on Public Financing in New York State at the Brennan Center

Last fall, The Overbrook Foundation’s Board voted to award a grant to the Brennan Center for Justice to underwrite three events focusing on the issue of money in politics in 2011 and 2012. As a part of this series, the Brennan Center held a panel event on March 29^th to examine “The Benefits of Public Financing for New York State”. Speakers at the event included Professor Michael Malbin, Executive Director of the Campaign Finance Institute; Dr. Hazel N. Dukes, President of the NAACP New York State Conference; Lisa Genn, attorney in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center; Michael J. Petro, Executive Vice President of the Committee for Economic Development, and Professor Zephyr Teachout of the Fordham University School of Law. The diverse backgrounds and organizational affiliation of these panelists allowed for an interesting discussion on how adopting public financing could create a more vibrant democracy for the benefit of a diverse array of communities ranging from businesses to minority communities to individual constituents. To view a video recording of the panel and a summary of the speakers’ comments, please click here.

At the beginning of the presentation, Professor Malbin explained the advantages, drawbacks, and impact of New York City’s current matching fund system, as well as how it could model for a new public financing system in New York State. In this system, contributions to candidates who opt into the public financing are matched 6:1 with public funds. Dr. Dukes presented a civil rights-based argument for public financing. She contended that a more racially and socio-economically diverse donor base can emerge under a public financing system because candidates will benefit from donations from their constituents as their gifts will be matched. Under the current system, elected officials often have to look outside of their districts or direct constituencies to have a competitive campaign if their constituents tend to belong to a lower socio-economic class. A changing donor base may change the messaging and positions of the candidates to better reflect their communities’ wishes. The speakers also argued that public financing would enhance diversity in the political process and create a more energized democracy. Studies have shown that those who have contributed to candidates often become active in many arenas of politics. From a business perspective, Mr. Petro explained that some business leaders and his organization of business leaders support public financing systems due to the belief that more competition in the public sphere, as in the private sphere, is better for the country and our government’s public policy decisions.

While many Americans have expressed frustration with money in politics and the associated implications of corruption, they are also cynical about the system ever being fixed. Several panelists agreed that other campaign finance reform efforts around the country are now looking to New York State as a potential model for policies that could be implemented elsewhere, if New York’s system proves successful. As a result, the Brennan Center and several of the organizations represented by these speakers take part in campaigns to promote this critical policy change.

Additionally, panelists drew a connection between the reform/adoption of public financing systems and the influx of money from outside groups (ie: Super PACs) in recent campaigns. They recognized that public financing alone will not prevent outside spending. However, the messaging used and the audiences targeted in campaigns would theoretically change to allow for stronger, more engaged constituents’ voices that could better offset SuperPAC messaging during the election than the current level of influence of non-wealthy individuals.

To learn more about this event, please click here for a summary or links to video recordings of the panel. Our staff has found this presentation to be quite relevant in light of the current campaign cycle and the importance of money in politics to the American political process. The Foundation is pleased to support these quality discussions of pressing issues for our democracy and we hope you have time to hear these arguments as well.