Popular assemblies abound in the Southern Cone and Argentina. Among them, the assemblies with environmental vocation have begun taking up a more important place within the range of existing social mobilizations. Most of these assemblies support horizontal dialogs, the inclusion of the various components of community and initiative-taking in the fade of socio-environmental injustices and injuries. Video exploration of the Rio de la Plata Delta Assembly with Liliana Leiva - apiarist activist.

• Video transcription : Liliana Leiva - Delta and Río de La Plata Assembly - Building Environmental Assemblies

We are organized as an assembly, through which we meet on Sunday mornings at Tigre’s river station, and through which we develop and analyze all the actions that we can carry out to defend our Delta, which is a very significant moor for us. We all share the idea that this assembly be organized horizontally, since there are no leaders. We are all equally important, we all have the vote – if we have to vote. However, we try to make decisions by general consent as far as possible. We all express our opinions and bring our ideas and put them forward to carry out the actions. And the good part, when it comes to these assembly groups, is their diversity. This provides us with a wealth of viewpoints from each participant and working toward the same aim.

The people who take part in the Delta and Río de La Plata Assembly, as a Movement for the defense of the Pacha, can be defined as middle-class, lower middle-class, some higher middle-class as well as more unprotected sectors, people with little resources. I touch upon wealth a lot in our assembly. We have comrades from different political experiences, from center-right to extreme left. And we can nonetheless connect and work together and respect one another. Separating in committees helps. Why? Because some feel more identified with education, with culture, and they prepare activities to bring to schools, and they talk to the kids. While others are more interested in legislation, and so they take part in the legal and technical committee, where they write out letters to the various public offices.

Our assembly got together with and remains attached to other watersheds’ assemblies and organizations, as we – let’s say – have a very close relationship with all the issues connected with rivers, the delta, water, since we are in the Tigre’s Delta. We are joined together within a space called “Inter-Watersheds Space”, which works as an assembly as well. We usually meet and define actions to be followed jointly… Well, we are building things little by little and we are getting to know one another, but we have managed to articulate several important activities.