In June 2012 the UN Conference on Sustainable Development brought together governments, corporations, and a subset of NGOs, in Rio de Janeiro – the site of the histroci Earth Summit in 1992. The official proceedings focused on economic growth under a banner of the “Green Economy.” Meanwhile, thousands of civil society groups – including International Rivers – representing the global majority living with the economic and environmental consequences of a failing global economic program, met to advance grassroots sustainable development solutions within the parallel People’s Summit forum
The Alternative People’s Summit was held from June 15-22 2012. Events included a gathering of activists from the Amazon and other regions on debunking the myth of dams as clean energy, a workshop on strengthening the campaigns against the Belo Monte Dam and other destructive projects, and a series of street protests.