'‘’We need a change. We want a real change, a structural change… We can't put up with this system anymore, the farmers can’t bear it, the workers can’t tolerate it, the communities , and the people can no longerput up with it, and nor can Mother Earth...” Pope Francis

We, the delegates of the grassroots movements, assembled at the WMCW’s Regional Seminar, running from 24th to 31st July 2016, with the theme ‘For a Fair, Friendly and Sustainable Society’, that consists of workers, with or without employment, coming from El Salvador, Guatemala, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, Martinica, Quebec-Canada, Haiti, Brazil and the Dominican Republic, countries with complex societies and communities, welcome like brothers all workers who, like us, are searching to build an equal, friendly and sustainable society.

At this seminar, we have learned more about the different realities of our people and addressed the constant violations of human, economic, social and cultural rights, as well as the destruction of Mother Nature. The different states have signed agreements, declarations and resolutions, in which they promise each other that they will enforce these fundamental rights, however, unfortunately,this seems to remain unfulfilled. We have also acknowledged that these states, with their executive, legislative and judicial powers, and with their partiesconstantly engaging in corrupt practices with state organisations, are causing the rights of the people, especially the most vulnerable, to be constantly violated. These violations result, among other things, in the complete or partial absence of employment opportunities, poverty wages, exclusive and precarious healthcare systems; a situation which continues to increase the influx of migration which in turn escalates poverty and vulnerability, condeming these men, women and children to a miserable and sub-human quality of life. We also witness increasing and continuous instances of domestic violence, growing alcohol and drug consumption, among other issues. These reflections force us to observe, understand, and act supportively, therefore: We, soldiers of the World Movement of Christian Workers, in light of the Evangelical, the social teaching of the Church, the reflections and guidance of pope Francis, which nourish and enlighten us in our search to form a society whose centreforce is the people and the stewardship of our mother earth, wish to make it known that:

A) We have visited Loma Miranda and are aware of the importance and vitality of the water for the people of that region, which is located between the provinces of Vega and monseñor Nouel. We want to highlight the importance of their right to water, acknowledged in articles 11 and 12 of the United Nations’ International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which cites: “these rights are inherent, universal and inalienable under International Law”.

B) We join the people who form the Committee for Communities United by Water and Life (comité de comunidades unidas por el agua y la vida) in demanding that the Dominican State implements the constitutional tribunal’s decision underthe Sentence TC / 0166 / 13, which calls for the ´company, Falconbridge Dominicana S.A. (Xstrata Nickel Falcondo), to suspend its workin Loma Miranda, due to its treatment of natural reserves which has a negative impacton the environment, which is a fundamental law of those consideredthe most sacred, in order to guarantee all the legal and logistical mechanisms which help facilitate the preservation of this unique and marvelous place. We insist on the need to continue defending this area and on the need to fight against the construction of a strip mine by the Canadian mining company Falcondo- Trata nickel or Fan-Cambridge, since these practices will harm the wildlife and environment in a place where the land is ultimately there to serve the Dominican people.

C) It saddens and angers us to see asituation of continued outrage, lack of recognition and discrimination which Haitian emigrants, men and women alike, continue to experience, documented or undocumented, especially considering that their workforce generates an important percentage of the agricultural sector and other areas of the Dominican economy. We also demand that the Dominican government take all possible measures to enforce the rights of the Haitian workers, a demand which is based on the international conventions and on human dignity.

D) We supportively campaign for and welcomethe liberation of the Guatemalan leaders who were charged for incitement and kidnapping in their ongoing fight to prevent the installation of the Santa Cruz Hydroelectric plant in Huehuetenango. We also demand the liberation of other leaders who remain detained in the San Pablo district.

E) In the case of Mexico, we support the demands of the education workers in the province of Ayotzinapa, reflected in the strike of the past few days, who were opposed to the reform of neo-liberal public education which affects the workers by seeking to introduce a model of ‘market values’ and in turn deprive it of all its humanist vision. We raise our voices alongside the anguished voices of the families of the 43 teachers who disappeared in the Iguala region, between 26th and 27th September 2014. And we also raise our voices with those of Amnesty International who declared that “these disappearances are a crime of the State”, so that the facts can be clarified and the criminals punished. We also demand that the persecution of students and workers in the education sector is put to an end.

F) We join the public uproar following the sanctification of monseñor Arnulfo Romero, who found the strength and conviction to continue proclaiming the good news of a different world and the hope for the living Christ to walk with each one of us.

G) We express our solidarity with men and women who have fallen in the fight, with martyrs for defending the people and their territory, as is the case with Berta Cáceres Flórez, a recognised environmentalist and a defender of the Lenca community on the Gualcarque River in Peru, who was assassinated in her house last March, for taking a stand against the construction of the AguaZarca Hydroelectric plant, just like Lesbia Urquia Urquia, who was assassinated in June this year for defending the territorial rights against foreign businesses in that neighbouring country.

H) We encourage the members of our different teams of the WMCW to continue in this joint task of encouraging young people in this fight, since they are already the future of our movements and who, despite the continuous distractions of a consumerist world, are coming nearer and beginning to walk with us; with the aim of transforming our society and in turn showing the world that the younger generation is capable of making it an equal, friendly and sustainable place. As Christian soldiers in the Movements of our region, we raise our prophetic voices in denouncing the injustices and declaring the good news that another society is possible, embodying our society in concrete actions, so that every male and female raises their voice with the civil and ecclesiastic authorities, to demand respect of laws andagreements, Mother Earth, and most importantly the lives of all people.

Santiago, Dominican Republic 30th July, 2016