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Friends of the Earth International opposes the continuation of GATS negotiations, asserting that the agreement grants transnational corporations excessive rights at the expense of national environmental and social policies. The document highlights how GATS limits the right of governments to legislate, particularly regarding essential public services and natural resource management. It specifically warns that expanding GATS into energy, water, and tourism sectors could lead to irreversible ecological damage and the forced privatization of basic human needs. The organization demands the exclusion of public services and extractive industries from GATS disciplines and the implementation of strong environmental exemptions.

The document argues that the combined influence of International Financial Institutions (IFIs), Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), and the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) creates a mechanism that forces developing nations toward the privatization of water services. It asserts that while privatization is presented as a universal solution for water scarcity, it often fails the poor and marginalized, as seen in South Africa and Bolivia. The text emphasizes that access to water is a fundamental human right, and that international legal frameworks can 'trap' governments by making liberalization irreversible and exposing them to costly international arbitration (such as through ICSID) if they attempt to re-regulate or reverse privatization to protect public health and human rights.

This document is a petition submitted on August 29, 2002, to an ICSID arbitral tribunal by a group of Bolivian civil society organizations, individuals, and Friends of the Earth-Netherlands. The petitioners seek standing to intervene as parties or amici curiae in an arbitration between Aguas del Tunari, S.A. and the Republic of Bolivia. The dispute concerns a 40-year water concession in Cochabamba that was terminated following widespread public protests over rate increases. The petitioners argue that the tribunal's decision will directly impact water access and public finances in Bolivia and that the process must be transparent to be legitimate.

The document examines how the transfer of power to municipal governments in lowland Bolivia has affected forest management and the livelihoods of local users. While decentralization has increased the bargaining power of marginalized groups like indigenous people and small-scale timber producers, it has also created bureaucratic hurdles and reinforced the influence of local elites. The author argues that the success of these reforms is constrained by macroeconomic policies, high transaction costs for land titling, and the influence of national political parties on local governance.

The document analyzes the global debate over water privatization, contrasting the view of water as an economic good promoted by international financial institutions with the view of water as a human right. It details the role of the World Bank and IMF in pushing privatization through loan conditionalities and provides case studies of both failed privatization (Cochabamba, Bolivia) and successful participatory public management (Porto Alegre, Brazil).

The document is a training guide designed for Aymara leaders in four Bolivian municipalities to overcome 'colonial fear' and silence by exercising the right to communication. It frames communication not as a professional right to media, but as a fundamental human right that enables the exercise of other social rights, specifically health, education, housing, and employment. The manual provides a theoretical basis on human rights, gender perspectives (including community feminism), and practical technical instructions for producing popular radio content, such as news reports, interviews, and sociodramas, to influence public agendas and improve living conditions.