Early January 2010 Klimaforum09 started to address various stakeholders connected to COP16 in Mexico. At the time Cancun, as a location for the upcoming summit, was only a rumour.
The idea was to let the positive reputation of Klimaforum09 spread as much as possible, in order for the UNFCCC to actively and further recognize the need for civil society in the COP-process. Given the important role Klimaforum09 played for UNFCCC in the last days of COP15, we contemplated that we would be heard. It was never the intention with this approach to direct Mexican civil society and claim that we knew how things were done properly - neither was suggesting a possible Klimaforum10 in Mexico.
Klimaforum09 only thought of the need for an open and free forum, where grassroots and civil society could come, discuss, connect and find relevant information.
In spring 2010 Klimaforum09 met with the Mexican Ambassador to Denmark, Martha Bárcena Coqui. At the time she had just returned from Mexico City after talks with the government. “I don’t understand NGOs. Their agenda is too far away from the political reality and I think they are all wasting our time” stated the Ambassador. Despite the attitude, links were established in the Mexican government and the experiences of Klimaforum09 founds it way to the implicated state departments.
A few months passed and Ambassador Luis Alfonso De Alba visited Copenhagen and asked Klimaforum09 directly for consultation. He wished to know more about civil society activities! At the time the Mexican government had come up with the idea of Villa Climatico as a government managed NGO initiative. It was obvious that Klimaforum09 had been the role model, but that the Mexican government had landed far off the idea. A discussion on how the Villa Climatico was controlled and financed started.
During the meeting De Alba stated that the Mexican initiative Klimaforum10 was too radical and that the government could not support such an idea; which then turned into a discussion of the importance of listening to one’s opponents. Diplomatically speaking, there is always something to be learned on the other side! Klimaforum09 believed that De Alba gained a new perspective on civil society after the meeting, as new connections within the Mexican government were established (eg. Director General Miguel Díaz Reynoso).
Throughout the year Klimaforum09 have received emails from people all over the world, who wishes to know what was going on in Cancun. We knew that several independent initiatives were in the making and that conflict existed between them, but couldn’t work out exactly what was happening “on the ground”. In October 2010 Klimaforum09 went to Mexico City to talk to the different initiatives. The Mexican government and Klimaforum10 were the only ones who were positive toward Klimaforum09s proposal to meet. ESMEX/Dialogo Climatico wrote that they had nothing to say besides the information on their web-site and La Via Campesina never answered the request.
The meeting with both the government and Klimaforum10 were most positive.
Three days after Klimaforum09 returned from Mexico the Mexican government decided to give Klimaforum10 US$120.000 (without any conditions), to execute their green plans (see klimaforum10.org). It is Klimaforum09s understanding that the Mexican government also wishes to provide financial aid to other civil society projects. Klimaforum09 have fully supported this approach, and have at the same time suggested that the different civil society initiatives were united with a joint programme.
After the visit to Mexico Klimaforum10 has asked Klimaforum09 for assistance to execute the idea of the open forum. Because of this request and the short time available (less than 3 weeks) Klimaforum09 has decided to send one person to assist Klimaforum10 from Copenhagen until the alternative summit begins, and have that same person join the initiative in Cancun when it all begins on the 26. Nov.
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