The Waste Commons: Waste Pickers’ Struggle for a Just Transition

WIEGO, The International Alliance of Waste Pickers, Bokk Diom Waste Pickers Association, and Alchemy Films invite you to a sneak preview and panel discussion of the documentary film “The Waste Commons“.

In a new documentary film, “The Waste Commons” explores the impending closure of Senegal’s Mbeubeuss dumpsite and the struggle of more than 2,000 informal waste pickers for recognition. It follows leaders within the waste picker community, as they battle to defend their right to work and right to waste.

The themes of the film are at the heart of larger national and international debates of how to transition to a green economy AND leave no workers behind.

As governments, waste picker leaders, environmentalists, and the private sector gear up for the final round of negotiations towards a global plastics treaty to regulate production, consumption, and plastic waste happening this month, this panel and film preview will explore:

• The challenges faced by the Bokk Diom waste pickers association in trying to secure a just transition out of the dumpsite;
• How Bokk Diom has strengthened its ability to envision and advocate for a just transition;
• The linkages between the fight for a just transition in Dakar and the INC5 negotiations to regulate plastic pollution and the impacts Bokk Diom hopes this documentary will have in that regard.

Attendees will receive a 24-hour link to a sneak preview of the film, which has not yet been publicly released.

Speakers

• Adja Mame Seyni Paye Diop, First Vice President of Bokk Diom
• Harouna Niass, President of Bokk Diom
• Maguette Diop, Project Officer, Technical Support to Waste Pickers, Dakar Focal Cities, WIEGO
• Ndèye Marie Rose Mendy, General Secretary of the Cooperative of Bokk Diom
• Rosalind Fredericks, Associate Professor, New York University, and Director/Producer of The Waste Commons

With moderation by Adama Soumaré, Dakar Focal Cities Coordinator, WIEGO.