Root Force
Encyclopedia
Root Force is a biocentric
, decentralized, international direct-action
campaign devoted to "[dismantling] the system that is killing and enslaving [the] planet and its people." The campaign seeks to interfere with the expansion of global trade
infrastructure
in Latin America
by targeting the corporations involved in specific infrastructure projects. Its slogan is "Demolishing Colonialism
At Its Foundations."
Root Force was launched in 2006 and is focused on stopping the construction of La Parota dam in Guerrero
, Mexico
and the Anillo Periférico
highway in San Salvador, El Salvador.
and anti-globalization movement
s. According to campaign literature, ills such as environmental destruction, war, and genocide
against indigenous peoples
are caused by a global system and cannot be eliminated without eliminating that system. As examples of the names given to this system, Root Force cites "'neoliberalism
,' 'capitalism
,' 'the state
' or 'civilization
.'"
The campaign strategy is founded on the premise that the US
economy depends upon imports from Latin America to continue functioning, and that these imports depend upon "transportation, energy, and communications infrastructure.". For this reason, Root Force opposes infrastructure expansion projects such as the Plan Puebla Panama
and the Initiative for the Integration of South American Infrastructure. More specifically, Root Force encourages direct action
against companies involved in specific infrastructure projects, with the goal of forcing those companies to end their involvement. A list of targeted companies is published on the campaign web site.
Root Force compares this strategy to that used by the anti-vivisection
movement, the anti-apartheid movement and ACT UP. Like other segments of the anti-globalization
movement, it also directs criticism and encourages action against international financial institutions, including the Inter-American Development Bank
and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration.
The specific projects opposed by Root Force are the La Parota dam in Guerrero
, Mexico
and the Anillo Periférico
highway in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Journal. In October 2006, a "Root Force Road Show" traveled the eastern US to publicize the campaign. As of February 2007, plans were underway for a western road show.
In January 2007, Root Force, along with Rising Tide North America
, Arizona Earth First!
and a Florida group called Justicia Global, called for boycotts and protests of CompUSA
, Kmart
and Sears
due to links between those companies and plans for La Parota dam.
Biocentrism (ethics)
Biocentrism , in a political and ecological sense, is an ethical point of view which extends inherent value to non-human species, ecosystems, and processes in nature - regardless of their sentience...
, decentralized, international direct-action
Direct action
Direct action is activity undertaken by individuals, groups, or governments to achieve political, economic, or social goals outside of normal social/political channels. This can include nonviolent and violent activities which target persons, groups, or property deemed offensive to the direct action...
campaign devoted to "[dismantling] the system that is killing and enslaving [the] planet and its people." The campaign seeks to interfere with the expansion of global trade
International trade
International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories. In most countries, such trade represents a significant share of gross domestic product...
infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
by targeting the corporations involved in specific infrastructure projects. Its slogan is "Demolishing Colonialism
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
At Its Foundations."
Root Force was launched in 2006 and is focused on stopping the construction of La Parota dam in Guerrero
Guerrero
Guerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and the Anillo Periférico
Anillo Periférico
The Anillo Periférico is the name given to the outer beltway of Mexico City. The beltway gained major media attention when the Mexico City mayor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, started a project to turn a southern section of the ring into a two-story highway...
highway in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Campaign Philosophy and Strategy
The Root Force campaign incorporates analysis characteristic of the Latin American solidarity, radical environmentalRadical environmentalism
Radical environmentalism, is a grassroots branch of the larger environmental movement that emerged out of an ecocentrism-based frustration with the co-option of mainstream environmentalism...
and anti-globalization movement
Anti-globalization movement
The anti-globalization movement, or counter-globalisation movement, is critical of the globalization of corporate capitalism. The movement is also commonly referred to as the global justice movement, alter-globalization movement, anti-globalist movement, anti-corporate globalization movement, or...
s. According to campaign literature, ills such as environmental destruction, war, and genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
against indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
are caused by a global system and cannot be eliminated without eliminating that system. As examples of the names given to this system, Root Force cites "'neoliberalism
Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism is a market-driven approach to economic and social policy based on neoclassical theories of economics that emphasizes the efficiency of private enterprise, liberalized trade and relatively open markets, and therefore seeks to maximize the role of the private sector in determining the...
,' 'capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
,' 'the state
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
' or 'civilization
Civilization
Civilization is a sometimes controversial term that has been used in several related ways. Primarily, the term has been used to refer to the material and instrumental side of human cultures that are complex in terms of technology, science, and division of labor. Such civilizations are generally...
.'"
The campaign strategy is founded on the premise that the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
economy depends upon imports from Latin America to continue functioning, and that these imports depend upon "transportation, energy, and communications infrastructure.". For this reason, Root Force opposes infrastructure expansion projects such as the Plan Puebla Panama
Plan Puebla Panama
The Puebla-Panama Plan is a multi-billion dollar development plan formally initiated in 2001, which is intended to "promote the regional integration and development" of the nine southern states of Mexico with all of Central America and Colombia...
and the Initiative for the Integration of South American Infrastructure. More specifically, Root Force encourages direct action
Direct action
Direct action is activity undertaken by individuals, groups, or governments to achieve political, economic, or social goals outside of normal social/political channels. This can include nonviolent and violent activities which target persons, groups, or property deemed offensive to the direct action...
against companies involved in specific infrastructure projects, with the goal of forcing those companies to end their involvement. A list of targeted companies is published on the campaign web site.
Root Force compares this strategy to that used by the anti-vivisection
Vivisection
Vivisection is defined as surgery conducted for experimental purposes on a living organism, typically animals with a central nervous system, to view living internal structure...
movement, the anti-apartheid movement and ACT UP. Like other segments of the anti-globalization
Anti-globalization
Criticism of globalization is skepticism of the claimed benefits of the globalization of capitalism. Many of these views are held by the anti-globalization movement however other groups also are critical of the policies of globalization....
movement, it also directs criticism and encourages action against international financial institutions, including the Inter-American Development Bank
Inter-American Development Bank
The Inter-American Development Bank is the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean...
and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration.
The specific projects opposed by Root Force are the La Parota dam in Guerrero
Guerrero
Guerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and the Anillo Periférico
Anillo Periférico
The Anillo Periférico is the name given to the outer beltway of Mexico City. The beltway gained major media attention when the Mexico City mayor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, started a project to turn a southern section of the ring into a two-story highway...
highway in San Salvador, El Salvador.
History
An eight-page spread about Root Force was published in the September-October 2006 issue of the Earth First!Earth First!
Earth First! is a radical environmental advocacy group that emerged in the Southwestern United States in 1979. It was co-founded on April 4th, 1980 by Dave Foreman, Mike Roselle, Howie Wolke, and less directly, Bart Koehler and Ron Kezar....
Journal. In October 2006, a "Root Force Road Show" traveled the eastern US to publicize the campaign. As of February 2007, plans were underway for a western road show.
In January 2007, Root Force, along with Rising Tide North America
Rising Tide North America
Rising Tide North America is a grassroots network of groups and individuals in North America who take action against the root causes of climate change and work towards a just transition to a non-carbon society. Rising Tide North America is part of an international network dedicated to building a...
, Arizona Earth First!
Earth First!
Earth First! is a radical environmental advocacy group that emerged in the Southwestern United States in 1979. It was co-founded on April 4th, 1980 by Dave Foreman, Mike Roselle, Howie Wolke, and less directly, Bart Koehler and Ron Kezar....
and a Florida group called Justicia Global, called for boycotts and protests of CompUSA
CompUSA
CompUSA is a retailer and reseller of consumer electronics, technology products and computer services. Its headquarters are in Miami, Florida.Until its reorganization, CompUSA, Inc. was a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Commercial Corp S.A.B...
, Kmart
Kmart
Kmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
and Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
due to links between those companies and plans for La Parota dam.