Sustainable Development Goals > Planet
MARURI, Guayaquil / QUITO SIN MINERÍA / 2024
Awards:
Overview
Credits
Why is this work relevant for Sustainable Development Goals?
The campaign led to a referendum that stopped mining companies from exploiting the Andean Chocó. To defend the Andean Chocó is to defend life. The non-incursion of mining companies into the sector means ensuring clean water for more than 900,000 people in the city of Quito.
Please provide any cultural context that would help the Jury understand any cultural, national or regional nuances applicable to this work.
The government, as always, needs a lot of money. That is why they created a close relationship with mining companies, where business comes first. This relationship leaves the government with a lot of profit and society with an environmental disaster.
At the end of the mine's life, a total of 491 million cubic meters of contaminated sludge and 438 million tons of solid waste will accumulate in clean water. Affecting more than 900,000 citizens of Quito that everyday drink clean water from the Andean Chocó.
How does this campaign fit into the overall brand objectives? How is this part of the brand's wider commitment towards the UNs Sustainable Development Goals?
Quito sin Minería´s objective is to defend the Andean Chocó and preserve its natural resources, including the pure water that flows in its rivers.
The campaign meet Goal #6 of the SDGs: Clean water and sanitation.
We ensure availability and sustainable management of clean water from the Andean Chocó for almost 900,000 citizens of Quito.
Background
Brand values:
The Andean Chocó region in Ecuador, a UNESCO natural sanctuary, contains clean water that benefits 900,000 citizens of Quito every day. Quito sin Minería is committed to preserve this region and all of its resources in benefit of the people and planet.
Brief:
Develop a campaign strategy to halt mining operations in the Andean Chocó region.
Objective:
Stop new mining concession and preserve the natural biosphere, animal species, plant species, clean water and assure decent and sustainable work within the community.
Describe the cultural / social / political climate and the significance of the work within this context
Media regulations/restrictions:
N/A
Civil liberties issues:
N/A
People:
The citizens of Quito were poorly informed about the issue and were the ones who had to vote.
Environment:
The Andean Chocó is one of the last forests in Quito and has been declared by UNESCO as biosphere reserve. Its rivers provide clean water to Quito. This forest removes at least 266,000 tons of carbon from the atmosphere annually, which helps reduce global warming.
Economic:
The government grants concessions to mining companies to exploit the Andean Chocó and thus have economic returns, regardless of the irreversible environmental disaster they would generate.
Peace & Justice:
Mining companies and communities in the Andean Chocó have clashed in the past.
Inclusivity & Partnership:
Quito sin Minería is a group of organizations, collectives and people from the populations of the northwest of Quito that are not part of any political party.
Describe the creative idea
Use one of the legal weapons (article 104) of the Ecuadorian Constitution as our own weapon and create a boomerang effect to hit back mining companies and government.
Describe the strategy
Data gathering:
A total of 491 million cubic meters of contaminated sludge and 438 million tons of solid waste will accumulate in clean water. Affecting more than 900,000 citizens of Quito that everyday drink clean water from the Andean Chocó.
Target audience:
Citizens of Quito. People that live in the biggest city of Ecuador and, its majority, never visited and didn't care about the Andean Chocó.
Approach:
Government and mining companies created Article 104 thinking citizens would never use it against them. They thought activating it would be too big of a task because people just wouldn't care. We decided to use it.
Article 104 says:
"Citizens may request the convening of a popular consultation on any matter.”
To make people care, through the eyes of the Spectacled Bear we made the citizens of Quito experience the horror they live each time a mining company enters their habitat.
Describe the execution
Implementation:
Legal advocacy, grassroots mobilization, strategic communications, and strategic partnerships to maximize our impact and achieve protect the Andean Chocó region from mining exploitation.
First we collected 380,000 signatures to make the referendum official.
We used film, digital, influencer, guerrilla marketing, events, radio, activations to make them care about the Andean Chocó.
Timeline:
From May 2023 to August 2023.
Placement:
· Physical locations such as community centers, town halls, and public spaces, as well as digital platforms including social media, websites, and online platforms.
· Newspapers, radio, and television were utilized as free press to reach a diverse audience and generate media coverage of the campaign.
Scale:
Campaign was targeted to 3.5 million citizens of Quito
Describe the results/impact
Contribution to the advancement of the selected Sustainable Development Goal:
Rivers in the Andean Chocó will never be polluted again. We ensure clean water for 900,000 people, forever. That's Goal #6 at its finest.
Business impact / sales / donations:
N/A
Scalability:
This idea and strategy can be applied to any project that aims to destroy the environment.
Behaviour change/action:
Citizens of Quito have become activists, vigilant of their forests and natural reserves. Ecuador's citizens now know that the law gives them the power to decide.
Legislation change/regulations:
Winning the referendum meant the creation of a law that stops mining activities forever. Never again can a mining concession be granted in the Andean Chocó.
Awareness/attitude shift:
Thanks to the campaign, the citizens of Quito have become activists, vigilant of their forests and natural reserves. Ecuador's citizens now know that the law gives them the power to decide.
Describe the long-term expectations/outcome for this work
How will this work drive progress for individuals, organizations or wider society?
The communities of the Andean Chocó will generate new options for sustainable work and organic food production such as coffee, cacao and sugar cane. Tourism will generate jobs 12 times more than mining. There will no longer be work under inhumane conditions.
How do you plan to scale this idea?
Same creative and strategic mechanism will be used to defend future projects that aim to depredate the environment.
What's next for this idea?
Continue turning more citizens of Quito into environmental activists and to spread this spirit to all of Ecuador. For now, Boomerang 104 will fight other mining projects in the south of the country in the near future.
Were the carbon emissions of this piece of work measured? For additional context, what consideration was given to the sustainable development, production and running of the work?
There were no carbon emissions for this work.
The entire campaign was carried out with zero emissions and pollution. They were organic, human actions that respected the water and the communities of the Andean Chocó.
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