Business & Human Rights in Vancouver

Amnesty criticizes UN Framework on CSR

2011-01-20T15:52:00.000-08:00

I've been following the debate between John Ruggie, the UN Special Representative for Business and Human Rights, and Amnesty International regarding the proposed principles for a UN framework on corporate social responsibility. Below is a letter Ruggie submitted to the Financial Times, followed by a response from Amnesty.

Sir, Hugh Williamson reports that Amnesty International and some other pressure groups fear that adoption of a proposed set of guiding principles for implementing the United Nations “protect, respect and remedy” framework in the area of business and human rights “risks undermining efforts to strengthen corporate responsibility”, and that “the current draft should not be adopted by the Human Rights Council” (“Amnesty criticises UN framework for multinationals”, January 17). This is bizarre on several counts.
First, these same organisations keep telling the world that there are currently no global standards in the area of business and human rights, causing both governments and business enterprises to fall far short of desired practices. In contrast, the UN framework and guiding principles elevate standards of conduct significantly.
Second, these same organisations use the UN framework constantly as a basis for criticising the performance of companies, governments and international agencies – so how inadequate and unacceptable could its implementation possibly be?
Third, Amnesty and the others would have a lot to answer for if they actually were to oppose Human Rights Council endorsement of this hard-won initiative. In 2004, they heavily promoted a scheme for regulating companies that had no champions among governments and triggered the vehement and unified opposition of the business community. What was the result?
Victims of corporate-related human rights harm, for whom these organisations claim to speak, got nothing. Now, seven years later, we have a proposal on the table that enjoys broad support from governments, business associations, individual companies, as well as a wide array of civil society and workers’ organisations.
Do Amnesty and the others really urge its defeat – delivering “nothing” to victims yet again? How much longer will they ask victims to wait in the name of some abstract and elusive global regulatory regime when practical results are achievable now?
John Ruggie,
UN Special Representative for Business and Human Rights,
Cambridge, MA, US

Here's the response from Amnesty:

Sir, John Ruggie’s letter (January 19) in response to Hugh Williamson’s article “Amnesty criticises UN framework for multinationals” (January 17) is surprising on several counts.
At Amnesty International our researchers regularly investigate human rights abuses committed by corporations. We work with victims – from the Niger Delta to India, Netherlands to Papua New Guinea. We campaign for their rights and work with them to seek reparations. We do not believe the draft guiding principles effectively protect victims’ rights or ensure their access to reparations.
Let’s be frank – the real opposition to effective guiding principles does not come from Amnesty International but from business interests. The draft guiding principles enjoy broad support from business, precisely because they require little meaningful action by business.
Prof Ruggie has acknowledged that governments often fail to regulate companies effectively, and that companies working in many countries evade accountability and proper sanctions when they commit human rights abuses. The fundamental challenge was how to address these problems. His draft guiding principles fail to meet this challenge. Amnesty International believes they must be strengthened.
We have offered constructive advice, based on years of investigative experience, to help the process. We will continue to do so.
Widney Brown,
Senior Director for International Law and Policy,
Amnesty International

DRC article in The Guardian

2010-06-12T22:28:00.001-07:00

I came across an article about the DRC today in The Guardian. Very interesting article by the way, written by a woman battling cancer, and her determination to heal herself mentally and physcially at least partly by advocating for people living in the DRC. Anyway, I came across a comment that i just had to respond to, stating that there is no corporate complicity in the atrocities committed there. I've pasted below my response.

I'm glad I stumbled across this thread. As a volunteer with Amnesty International's Business & Human Rights Campaign, I can assure you that there is a ton of evidence of corporate complicity in human rights in the atrocities in the DRC over the last several years. Here are just a few reports I found after searching for an hour.
http://www.cpt.org/work/africa_great_lakes/corporate_complicity
http://www.globalwitness.org/media_library_detail.php/937/en/dr_congo_ex_rebels_take_over_mineral_trade_extortion_racket
http://www.globalwitness.org/media_library_detail.php/928/en/metals_in_mobile_phones_financing_brutal_war_in_congo%20
http://www.international-alert.org/pdf/Natural_Resources_Jan_10.pdf
http://allafrica.com/download/resource/main/main/idatcs/00011978:17c4c25efdfdc56890bdb2c7b581aefb.pdf
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2008/11/25/briefing-un-security-council-situation-democratic-republic-congo
Western governments are complicit as well, because they have the ability to legislate mandatory standards that would hold to account companies from their country, but they by and large have been hesitant to do so.

Introducing CSR Tube

2010-05-04T15:21:00.001-07:00

You've heard of You Tube. Well, here's CSR Tube. From their 'About' page:

CSRtube is the first global media platform dedicated to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) issues. CSRtube is an initiative of the Dutch MVO Platform (CSR Platform) and lokaalmondiaal. To inspire and discuss.

The aim of CSRtube is to increase the impact of the work of civil society organizations, research institutions, governments, and companies dealing with CSR issues. CSRtube intends to contribute to the debate around CSR, and to inform people about its developments. Citizens and civil society organizations from all over the world are invited to upload and share their video material on CSRtube. Get inspired by initiatives that promote CSR. Learn to make videos and be able to contribute with your CSR initiatives. Tell your story to a wider audience, share it, and contribute to changing the world. See it, film it, share it.

assorted links related to Bill C-300

2010-01-25T17:56:00.000-08:00

Here are a few links I've gathered over the last couple of weeks.

Canadian Lawyer's Magazine supports Bill C-300

Toronto Star on the Canadian government's weak CSR plan, which critics refer to as 'insufficient.'

Vancouver Sun covers the debate on Bill C-300.

Embassy: Tanzanian foreign minister wants Bill C-300 adopted.

Peace, Earth, Justice News examines Bill C-300 and how it relates to what's going on in the ground in other countries.

Similarly, Toward Freedom describes our 'Long Road to Mining Reform.'

Georgia Straight article on Bill C-300

2009-12-11T17:38:00.000-08:00

From the Straight:

Simon Child has never been to Africa, but that hasn't stopped the Grade 11 student at Semiahmoo secondary school from trying to improve the human-rights situation on the continent. Child, director of outreach and advocacy with the nonprofit Africa Canada Accountability Coalition, says one way to accomplish this is to force Canadian corporations to act more responsibly in Africa. In a phone interview with theGeorgia Straight, Child said this is particularly true in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo where several Canadian mining companies operate.
Human-rights groups have tried to draw attention to massive human-rights violations of women in two eastern provinces of the DRC, where warring government and rebel forces have been involved in mass rape. Child pointed out that minerals from the DRC are key components of cellphones, iPods, and other electronic gadgets used by youths, and that the Congolese people will benefit if those resources are mined in the most ethical manner possible. “The first step to doing that is getting our government to make sure they're keeping an eye on these mining companies working in a place that has been called the rape capital of the world,” he said.
This is one reason why ACAC and other human-rights groups are strongly supporting Bill C-300, a private member's bill introduced by Liberal MP John McKay. The bill has passed second reading and is now being studied by the Commons foreign affairs and international development committee. If it becomes law, mining and oil-and-gas companies will be required to act in a manner that is consistent with international human-rights standards to qualify for assistance from Export Development Canada, which is a Crown corporation. In addition, the bill would prohibit the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board from investing in mining and oil-and-gas companies that don't respect human rights.
“Mining companies do not like having this reputation of being human-rights abusers,” Child said. “So if we get this bill, we can know who is doing good and who is doing bad. We could clear the air.”
Alex Neve, secretary general of Amnesty International's Canadian office, told theStraight in a recent interview that governments and companies have long maintained that voluntary standards are the best way to deal with corporate human-rights violations in other countries. “We've always said that voluntary isn't enough,” he said.
Neve noted that in 2006, the federal government launched a consultation process involving industry officials, academics, and human-rights organizations to address corporate conduct abroad. He said that it produced a “remarkable consensus report”, which proposed several steps to enhance human rights. He said the groups waited two years for the government's response, which he described as a “profound disappointment”.
“We need to get some clear human-rights standards developed,” Neve added. “We need to have a meaningful complaint process that would oversee this, and we need to have some real sanctions to ensure that when companies are acting out and not complying with these human-rights standards, there are sanctions—whether that is losing certain forms of government financial assistance or other measures.”
Pierre Gratton, president and CEO of the Mining Association of B.C., told the Straightin a phone interview that his industry supports the creation of an ombudsman's office to review corporations' human-rights records. However, he said that an ombudsman should also have authority to investigate nongovernmental organizations. He added that the consensus report proposed an ombudsman's office to provide more discreet oversight than what McKay's bill calls for. “The ombuds' function was to provide a mechanism into looking into matters and attempting to provide solutions,” Gratton said, adding that punitive actions should only be considered as a last resort.

Toronto Star editorial on Bill C-300

2009-11-24T10:44:00.000-08:00

The Toronto Star has come out in support of Bill C-300:

Canada's mining, oil and gas firms think of themselves as good offshore citizens. Certainly, they are a rich source of overseas jobs, wages, royalties and social benefits. Barrick Gold Corp., for example, ploughed $8 billion back into host communities in 2008, employing 19,000 people at mines in Canada, the United States and a half-dozen other countries. It built roads, schools, clinics and more.
But Canadian firms in Mexico, El Salvador, Ecuador, Congo, India, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea have come under fire since 2000 for violent clashes with anti-mining activists, for allegedly damaging the environment, for uprooting small-scale farmers and for other shortcomings, as the Star's Brett Popplewell has reported.
This is notoriety the industry doesn't need.
In Ottawa today, the Commons foreign affairs committee will meet to consider a private member's bill introduced by Toronto Liberal MP John McKay that would have Ottawa tighten scrutiny of mining companies' offshore operations.
McKay's bill would put offshore firms on notice by empowering Ottawa to set corporate social responsibility standards and to create a complaints mechanism. A study group commissioned by the previous Liberal government went further and urged the naming of an ombudsman to police the sector. These are ideas Parliament has good reason to examine.
The industry opposes stricter oversight, warning that it may create friction with host governments, generate "legal uncertainty," put our firms at a disadvantage, and deter investment. That argues for commonsense in drafting standards and weighing performance.
But companies that behave as good corporate citizens should have little to fear from McKay's bill, or from an ombudsman. Getting an official Ottawa stamp of approval would certify that a firm is doing its best to manage inevitable social and environmental risks. That would enhance its stature abroad, and put critics on the defensive. It's hard to see how that would be bad for business.

AI Film Festival - Vancouver

2009-11-11T18:23:00.000-08:00

The Amnesty International Film Festival in Vancouver starts with a gala tomorrow night, featuring The Yes Men Fix the World, where a group of men dress up in suits to parody certain corporate executives with no sense of social responsibility. Please find the entire festival schedule here.

Graham Allen: Bill offers Canada chance to deal with concerns raised by mining abroad

2009-11-11T18:15:00.001-08:00

Here's an article in the Georgia Straight by fellow Vancouver AI BHR volunteer Graham Allen:

The Canadian government, in a March 2009 report, acknowledged it has a problem: “Within the wider community, increasing concerns have been raised about the human rights impacts of the activities of Canadian extractive companies with respect to their operations abroad.”
Liberal MP John McKay, on the day which his private member’s bill, Bill C-300, passed second reading, was more specific: “There are examples of Canadian corporations behaving badly in places like the Philippines and Guyana and as many as 30 other countries.”
If this is all true, what is Canada doing about it?
In a nutshell, the Canadian government started off well, then dropped the ball, and now has one good chance of doing the right thing.
Starting off well?
The governmental activity of recent years started with the June 2005 report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade entitled Mining in Developing Countries – Corporate Social Responsibility. This was followed by the momentous convening of four National Roundtables on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), “organized by a Steering Committee of Government of Canada officials working closely with an Advisory Group comprising persons drawn from industry, labour, the socially responsible investment community, civil society and academia”. This remarkable process culminated in the Advisory Group Report of March 29, 2007. Its central recommendation concerned the development of a Canadian CSR Framework:
Advisory Group members urge the Government of Canada, in cooperation with key stakeholders, to adopt a set of CSR Standards that Canadian extractive sector companies operating abroad are expected to meet and that is reinforced through appropriate reporting, compliance and other mechanisms.
There followed a series of recommendations, within six major components, in support of this objective. It was a golden moment for those concerned about Canada’s reputation in the developing world.
Dropping the ball?
In its March 2009 paper entitled Building the Canadian Advantage: A Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy for the Canadian International Extractive Sector, Canada laid out its response to the national roundtables. It sought to promote what it called “widely-recognized international CSR performance guidelines with Canadian extractive companies operating abroad”. And it proposed setting up two new institutions: an Office of the Extractive Sector CSR Counsellor and a CSR Centre of Excellence “to encourage the Canadian international extractive sector to implement these voluntary performance guidelines by developing and disseminating high-quality CSR information, training and tools”. It was the word “voluntary” that was the problem.
In comparing Canada’s CSR strategy with the six components of the Advisory Group Report, professor Richard Janda of the faculty of law at McGill University found it to be “partially consistent” with three components and “not consistent” with three others—a disappointing outcome.
Again, McKay was more specific in his criticism of Canada’s response; he complained that the CSR counsellor is appointed by government, not independently, and could only investigate incidents with the approval of all parties, an obvious flaw. Moreover, voluntary guidelines had not proven to be adequate in the past. He was reported as saying: “Let’s be clear here. Canada has a choice. It can legislate a response, which would put Canada at the head of the class. Or it’s more business as usual, see no evil and hear no evil.”
Doing the right thing?
Bill C-300, mentioned above, explains its purpose in the following summary:
The purpose of this enactment is to promote environmental best practices and to ensure the protection and promotion of international human rights standards in respect of the mining, oil or gas activities of Canadian corporations in developing countries. It also gives the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of International Trade the responsibility to issue guidelines that articulate corporate accountability standards for mining, oil or gas activities...
Despite the significant limitation of a private member’s bill, that it cannot provide for the expenditure of public funds, Bill C-300, in Janda’s analysis, was “consistent” with two of the Advisory Group Report’s components, “partially consistent” with two others, and “not consistent” with two, thus being closer overall to the national roundtables. Professor Janda hence spoke favourably about Bill C-300, but concluded:
Indeed, if Bill C-300 were adopted, the CSR Counsellor’s role could be expanded and altered to fulfill functions under the legislation. Bill C-300 would then provide a legislative footing for that role.
Bill C-300 is presently at the committee stage before facing its third reading. If the government could be persuaded to support this bill—instead of claiming that its own CSR strategy is sufficient—Canada would be well-served. As said by Liberal MPMichael Savage in the House debate on Bill C-300:
As an international player, I am afraid we are not the gold standard anymore, but we can do better. We should do better. We should live up to the expectations that the people in this country have for us, and we should go beyond them.
If you are interested in supporting Bill C-300, you can take action via Amnesty International Canada’s Web site.h

AI Press Release: Cote d'Ivoire: Authorities must ensure toxic waste compensation reaches victims

2009-11-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

From Amnesty International:

Amnesty International today urged the authorities in Côte d’Ivoire to ensure that $45 million compensation paid by the oil trading company Trafigura to victims of one of the worst toxic dumping scandals in recent years reaches the people to whom it is owed.
The compensation was agreed in the context of a court action brought by some 30,000 people against Trafigura in the High Court of England and Wales.

The organization has also written to UK Justice Secretary Jack Straw, urgently asking him to contact his counterpart in the Côte d’Ivoire and press for swift action to prevent a potentially massive fraud being perpetrated.

The call came as thousands of the victims of the illegal dumping of toxic waste in Abidjan, the capital of Côte d’Ivoire, wait anxiously to receive their money.

“There is a real risk that the victims of this waste dumping will never see the compensation they have been waiting so long to receive,” said Widney Brown, Senior Director at Amnesty International.

“The governments of Côte d’Ivoire and the UK must do everything in their power to ensure that this money is paid to the claimants listed in the court order – and prevent its misappropriation by corrupt figures.”

The $45 million compensation has been frozen in the bank account of the law firm representing the victims in the court case against Trafigura, the company accused of dumping the waste.

The freezing order was made after a man claiming his organization – the National Coordination of Toxic Waste Victims of Côte d’Ivoire (CNVDT-CI) – represents the “real victims” said the money should be transferred into that organization’s bank account instead. This claim appears entirely false and has been refuted by the victim’s UK lawyers, as well as in a petition that is before the Ivorian courts by the other representatives of claimants in the UK court case.

The CNVDT-CI appears nowhere in any court documents related to the case or the settlement.

On 23 September, the High Court of England and Wales approved a settlement agreement between the victims of the toxic waste dumping, UK law firm Leigh Day & Co, and Trafigura. The agreement was that $45 million would be distributed by Leigh Day to the nearly 30,000 victims who had agreed to the deal, with each receiving about $1,600. The funds were transferred to an account in Côte d’Ivoire set up by Leigh Day for distribution to the victims.

On 22 October, Claude Gohourou, who claims his organization represents the victims, applied to a court in Abidjan to have the funds in the Leigh Day account frozen, which the court agreed to. Soon after, on 27 October, he applied for the money to be transferred to an account held by his own association.

Tomorrow, the Abidjan court is due to rule on his application.

“If the court in Côte d’Ivoire transfers the money into Mr Gohourou’s account, there is a very good chance that it will never be seen again,” said Widney Brown.

“We need an urgent intervention to prevent the victims of this tragic case from a double disaster. To have fought for three years for some measure of compensation for the terrible events of 2006, and then to see it stolen would be a travesty.”

Note to editors:
In August 2006, toxic waste was brought to Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire on board the ship Probo Koala, which had been chartered by Trafigura. This waste was then dumped in various locations around the city, causing a human rights tragedy. More than 100,000 people sought medical attention for a range of health problems and there were 15 reported deaths.

***************************

For further information, please contact:
Beth Berton-Hunter, Media Relations
416-363-9933, ext. 332

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No More Rape in the Congo

2009-10-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

From the Africa-Canada Accountability Coalition:

The Africa-Canada Accountability Coalition announces the launch of a new campaign NO MORE RAPE.

The eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the worst place in the world to be a woman or a girl. Over the last decade, a complex and ongoing series of conflicts, described as the world’s “deadliest crisis since World War II,” has unleashed unprecedented violence on the bodies of women and girls in this region. The brutality is extreme: three-month-old babies to eighty-year-old women have been raped. Women and girls are raped with such frequency that the Congolese invented a new word to describe the phenomenon: révioler, to re-rape.

This campaign is an urgent call out to Canadians: ABSOLUTELY NO MORE RAPE in the Congo. It features a new report on how Canada must respond, a video call for action, and a website with all the tools you need to stop the on-going crisis. Our corporations, our government and we ourselves have a specific, long-standing and often exploitative relationship with the DRC. We can do better – it is time we started.

JOIN US at our launch at 7pm on October 14, at the multi-purpose room of the Liu Institute of Global Issues at UBC (6476 NW Marine Drive Vancouver, V6T 1Z2), to learn more about how you can get involved and to see a moving film about a Congolese rape survivor "Lumo". We will also share an initiative to pass Bill C-300, aimed at promoting socially responsible policies among Canadian mining, oil and gas companies in the DR Congo and other developing countries.

Visit our website at www.acacdrcongo.org or reach us atcontact@acacdrcongo.org.

Business Ethics Mappng Workshop

2009-10-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

From the Canadian Business Ethics Research Network:

CBERN Pacific Region Hub: Business Ethics Mapping Project & Workshop, Vancouver, BC
Friday, November 20, 2009
Mapping the Business Ethics research interested parties and their areas of interest in British Columbia and the Yukon in natural resources and other sectors.
Date: November 20, 2009
Location: The Atrium, BCIT Downtown Campus, 555 Seymour St., Vancouver, BC
Information: pacific@cbern.ca
OBJECTIVE: Mapping the Business Ethics research interested parties and their areas of interest in British Columbia and the Yukon in natural resources and other sectors.
This 4-month project aims to identify, characterize and link with the research groups who are actively engaged or interested in supporting research related to Business Ethics, (Corporate Social Responsibility) in B.C. and the Yukon. This will be useful not only to identify group/(individual) activity and interests in natural resources development ethics (mining, fisheries, forestry, agriculture, energy sectors) but also in other domains. These groups are at the scale of individuals, organizations or established networks/centers, Corporations or their representative Associations, as well as government, aboriginal, academic and NGO organizations.
Characterization of groups includes:
contact details;
terms of reference;
areas of interest,
scope and details of research activity;
interest in collaboration;
synergies.
One of the project deliverables will be a database representing the aggregated results of the survey. It will form the basis for future communications planning and partnerships for collaborative research. The information will be integrated with CBERN’s database.
The results of the survey will be discussed at a workshop at the Atrium, BCIT downtown campus, 555 Seymour Street, Vancouver, November 20, 2009. This workshop is conveniently scheduled after a one-day MSBC meeting on mining and sustainability at the same location and the CIM Annual Student Dinner (November 19, 2009).
Anyone interested in attending the CBERN workshop please send an email with “Workshop” in the subject line to pacific@cbern.ca.

Make your voice heard on Bill C-300

2009-10-01T16:14:00.000-07:00

From Fiona at Amnesty. Here's more info on Bill C-300:

Support Bill C-300

Amnesty International is deeply concerned about human rights violations committed directly or indirectly by Canadian mining, oil and gas companies in developing countries.

To ensure that Canadian companies respect human rights in developing countries, we need mandatory human rights standards and stronger regulations to hold transnational companies accountable. The status quo won't do.

This fall, the Canadian Government is considering adopting a bill on corporate accountability (Bill C-300).

Amnesty International supports this bill. But to ensure that the bill passes into law, we need everyone who cares about human rights to express their support.
Take Action!

Between now and October 16th we urge you to phone, email, fax or write to the members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, to express your support for the bill. Please contact as many of the following committee members as you are able:

Bob Rae (Liberal MP)
514 Parliament St
Toronto, ON
M4X 1P4
(Tel) 416-954-2222
(Fax) 416-954-9649
raeb@parl.gc.ca

Glen Douglas Pearson (Liberal MP)
768 Maitland St,
London,ON
N5Y 2W3
(Tel) 519-663-9777
(Fax) 519-663-2238
pearsg@parl.gc.ca

Bernard Patry (Liberal MP)
3883 Saint-Jean Blvd, Suite 303,
Dollards-des-Ormeaux, QC
H9G 3B9
(Tel) 514-624-5725
(Fax) 514-624-5728
patryb@parl.gc.ca

Paul Dewar (NDP MP)
1306 Wellington St, Suite 304
Ottawa, ON
K1Y 3B2
(Tel) 613-946-8682
(Fax) 613-946-8680
dewarp@parl.gc.ca

Lois Brown (Conservative MP)
206-16600 Bayview Ave,
Newmarket, ON
L3X 1Z9
(Tel) 905-953-7515
(Fax) 905-953-7527
brown.l@parl.gc.ca

Jim Abbott (Conservative MP)
125D Slater Rd,
Cranbrook, BC
V1C 4M4
(Tel) 250-417-2250
(Fax) 250-417-2253
abbotj@parl.gc.ca

James Lunney (Conservative MP)
6894 Island Hwy N, Suite 6,
Nanaimo, BC
V9V 1P6
(Tel) 250-390-7550
(Fax) 250-390-7551
lunnej@parl.gc.ca

Deepak Obhrai (Conservative MP)
Suite 225, 525-28th St SE,
Calgary,AB
T2A 6W9
(Tel) 403-207-3030
(Fax) 403-207-3035
obhrad@parl.gc.ca

Peter Goldring (Conservative MP)
9111-118 Ave NW,
Edmonton, AB
T5B 0T9
(Tel) 780-495-3261
(Fax) 780-495-5142
goldrp@parl.gc.ca

Kevin Sorenson (Conservative MP)
4945-50th Street,
Canmore, AB,
T4V 1P9
(Tel) 780-608-4600
(Fax) 780-608-4603
sorenk@parl.gc.ca

Francine Lalonde (Bloc Quebecois MP)
11975 Victoria St, Suite 101,
Montreal, QC,
H1B 2R2
(Tel) 514-645-0101
(Fax) 514-645-0032
lalonf@parl.gc.ca

Johanne Deschamps (Bloc Quebecois MP)
45 St. Antoine St,
Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts,QC
J8C 2C4
(Tel) 819-326-5098
(Fax) 819-326-8262
deschjoh@parl.gc.ca

Vancouver event - Canada as Global Citizen: Is Bill C-300 the Answer

2009-09-01T15:56:00.000-07:00

Amnesty International - Business & Human Rights Presents:
Canada as Global Citizen:
Is Bill C-300 the Answer?
Tuesday September 8th, 2009 / 6pm
SFU Harbour Centre – 7000 Earl & Jennie Lohn Policy Room
In our rapidly globalizing world, Canadians are increasingly concerned with corporate, social and environmental responsibility, and demand that the activities of corporations operating abroad do not violate basic human rights.
Liberal M.P. John McKay will speak about Bill C-300, an Act designed to hold Canadian companies accountable for their activities in resource extractive industries (Mining, Oil or Gas) in Developing Countries. This evening event will allow expert panelists to discuss the issues in-depth and take questions that test the strength, breadth and effectiveness of the Act.
Learn about what YOU can do today to ensure that Canadian companies receiving support from the Government of Canada (Canadian Pension Plan / Export Development Canada) respect and promote international environmental best practices and human rights standards.
Presentations and Panel Experts representing:
John McKay - Liberal MP, author of Bill C-300
Fiona Koza - Amnesty International Canada
Jennifer Coulson – Northwest & Ethical Funds, Shareholder Action Program
Graham Allen – Lawyer, EDC Policy Analyst
Date: Tuesday September 8th, 2009
Time: 6pm to 8pm
Location: SFU Harbour Centre – 7000 Earl & Jennie Lohn Policy Room
Address: 515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver BC
Cost: By donation
RSVP with any questions to karr.stephen@gmail.com

NDP resolution on extractive industries.

2009-08-15T14:15:00.001-07:00

This is unofficial, but I have it from a good source (Liz Blackwood, the co-chair of this group) that the NDP has unanimously passed a resolution at their convention for regulating the overseas operations of Canadian extractive industries. If anybody's wondering, this is good.

Pictures from the protest of Goldcorp's support for the military coup in Honduras

2009-07-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

I took these pictures today at a protest of Goldcorp's support of the military coup in Honduras, in front of their head office at 666 Burrard. For more info, check out Rights Action. For broader human rights documentation on Honduras, also see amnesty.org or hrw.org.

Protest the Honduran military coup at Goldcorp's Vancouver office

2009-07-17T16:31:00.000-07:00

No to the Coup!

The Canadian government must demand the return of President Zelaya and refuse to recognize the military regime! Canadian mining companies out of Honduras! Reparations for the communities in the Siria Valley!

Protest Picket at Goldcorp's head office:
666 Burrard Street
Thursday July 23 - 12pm
Bring your banners!

Join us in our continued efforts to denounce the coup!

Since the June 28 removal of the president of Honduras, grassroots solidarity organizations throughout the world have protested the overthrow of Honduran democracy. Meanwhile, the Canadian government and mining companies are complicit in the military coup in Honduras because of their continued silence and at times direct participation in supporting the defacto regime lead by Roberto Micheletti.

Goldcorp, a Vancouver based mining giant, operated the controversial cyanide leaching, open pit "San Martin" gold mine in the department of Francisco Morazón in Honduras until 2008. Today, many residents of the Siria Valley, where the mine is located, are sick and unable to work because of illnesses linked to Goldcorp's operations. The company still has a skeleton crew of employees in the country, who according to community members were bussed to pro-coup rallies sponsored by the corporate backed "Movement for Peace and Democracy."

It's a lie that Goldcorp doesn't get involved in politics: in Guatemala, they launched a constitutional challenge against Indigenous People who organized to say NO to the company's Marlin mine, and in Argentina, Goldcorp has supported legal actions against tax increases.

The coup in Honduras suits the interests of Canadian mining companies. Michelletti's military regime promises more profits for the corporate sector, and lower wages and less rights for workers.

<http://www.mediacoop.ca/group/1670>

Goldcorp supports military coup in Honduras

2009-07-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

Here's an update from Rights Action about Goldcorp's support of the military coup in Honduras. The whole alert follows:

July 8, 2009

GOLDCORP INC. (ENTREMARES) BUSES WORKERS TO PRO-COUP MARCHES

FOR INFORMATION FROM HONDURAS, CONTACT: Grahame Russell (Rights Action co-director):info@rightsaction.org, [504] 9630-9507 & 9507-3835

Yesterday, tens of thousands of pro-democracy Hondurans again marched pacifically, demanding the return of President Zelaya and an end to this illegal regime. Amongst other destinations, the march passed by COHEP (Honduran Council of Private Enterprise) to denounce the role of the elite business sector in the coup.

OF NOTE: the march was led by Honduran First Lady Xiomara Castro de Zelaya, who came out of hiding for the first time since soldiers burst into the presidential home, on the morning of June 28, fired off bullets, and forced President Zelaya out of the house and country, at gun-point, in his pijamas.

OF NOTE: the U.S. government, yesterday, formally ended the diplomatic recognition and privileges of Honduran ambassador to the United States, Roberto Flores Bermudez. After the military coup of June 28, Bermudez defended the coup regime. The U.S. government has said they will only recognize an Ambassador named by President Zelaya.

TODAY: more pro-democracy marches are planned.
* * * * * * *
GOLDCORP WORKERS BUSSED TO PRO-COUP MARCHES
Since the June 28 coup, the private sector - grouped in an umbrella group the "Movement of Peace and Democracy" - has been organizing pro-coup marches. Some Hondurans have recently given public information that buses are coming into poorer neighborhoods and that Movement organizers are paying people between 100 and 200 lempiras ($5 - $10) to participate in the pro-coup rallies.
Since 2003, Rights Action has been involved in work to document and denounce the environmental and health harms and human rights violations being caused by Goldcorp Inc' open pit, cyanide leeching "San Martin" mine, in the Siria Valley, department of Francisco Morazan, an hour and a half north of Tegucigalpa.
From our partner group, the Committee for the Defense of the Environment in the Siria Valley, Rights Action has learned that Entremares employees (Entremares being Goldcorp’s wholly owned subsidiary) from the “San Martin” mine have been taken, on a number of occasions since the June 28 coup, to participate in pro-coup regime marches in Tegucigalpa organized by the “Movement for Peace and Democracy”. Goldcorp (Entremares) pays for the transportation and at least one meal for the workers to attend.
More information to come ...
* * * * * * *
WHAT TO DO
In addition to the “demand” list, below, Canadians should denounce Goldcorp’s actual support of the illegal military coup to their members of parliament and media.
FUNDS ARE NEEDED FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE IN HONDURAS
Rights Action staff in Honduras are providing emergency relief funds, every day, to community development, campesino, indigenous and human rights organizations for: food and shelter, transportation and communication costs, urgent action outreach and human rights accompaniment work.
Make tax deductible donations to Rights Action and mail to:
UNITED STATES: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
CANADA: 552-351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8
CREDIT-CARD DONATIONS:http://rightsaction.org/contributions.htm
AMERICANS AND CANADIANS SHOULD CONTACT YOUR OWN MEDIA, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, SENATORS & MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, TO DEMAND:

unequivocal denunciation of the military coup

no recognition of this military coup and the ‘de facto’ government of Roberto Michelletti and the unconditional return of the constitutional government

increasing economic and military sanctions against the coup regime

respect for safety and human rights of all Hondurans

the application of international and national justice the coup plotters, and

reparations for the illegal actions and rights violations committed during this illegal coup

Pictures from the tragic events in Hnduras.

2009-07-06T19:28:00.000-07:00

Please see photojournalist James Rodriguez's photo essay an the tragic events that occurred in Honduras yesterday when President Zelaya tried to land.

Amnesty: Oil industry has brought poverty and pollution to Niger Delta

2009-07-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

Amnesty International has recently released a report documenting environmental damage and poverty brought to Nigeria by the oil industry. They also document how the government is not holding these companies to account.

Watch Blood Dimaond movie Sunday night.

2009-07-04T18:23:00.000-07:00

If you are concerned about human rights, and haven't yet seen the 2006 movie Blood Diamond with Leonardo Dicaprio. CBC is showing it tomorrow (Sunday) at 9:00 PM. Set in Sierra Leone, it does a pretty good job of examining the ethical issue of diamonds that are extracted to fund conflicts, especially in Africa, while remaining entertaining and action-packed.

Petition to Obama: Call for reinstatement Honduran president Zelaya

2009-06-28T21:13:00.000-07:00

Please sign this petition calling for the reinstatement of Honduran president Manuel Zaleya. The European Union and other Latin American leaders have all called for a reinstatement, but Obama's statement fell short of such a call.

Al Jazeera: military coup in Honduras.

2009-06-28T21:02:00.000-07:00

From the Al Jazeera, here's their report of the miltary coup in Honduras:

Manuel Zelaya, the president of Honduras, has called for "peaceful resistance" after the country's military forced him to leave the country.
After arriving in Costa Rica on Sunday, Zelaya said that he had been a "victim of kidnapping" when Honduran soldiers raided his home earlier in the day.
The military made its move after Zelaya vowed to go ahead with a referendum on constitutional changes, which the Central American nation's supreme court and attorney-general had declared illegal.

"They came to my house in the early hours of the morning and firing guns they broke the doors with bayonets and threatened to shout me," Zelaya told Venezuela's Telesur television station.
"I don't think that the whole army supported this interruption of the democratic system by capturing a president elected by the people.

"I think that this has been a plot by an elite whose only wish is to keep the country isolated and in total poverty."
New president

Congress named Roberto Micheletti, the current speaker, as the country's new president.
Earlier, Zelaya's supporters gathered outside the presidential palace, shouting insults at the soldiers inside and setting fires in the street, after news of his arrest emerged.
"They kidnapped him like cowards," Melissa Gaitan, an employee of the official government television station, said, referring to Zelaya.

"We have to rally the people to defend our president."
Al Jazeera's Mariana Sanchez, reporting from Tegucigalpa, said that people had set up barricades around the building.
"A lot of people are wielding sticks and steel batons and they are very angry. At one point they tried to push their way into the gates of the palace, but the army inside resisted," she said.
"There are some people among the protesters who are trying to calm people down.

"They have come with loudspeakers and they are telling people that they are too few to go into the presidential palace."
Many union, labour and farm movements support the non-binding referendum, which Zelaya says is aimed at improving the lives for the nearly three-quarters of Hondurans who live in poverty.
Protest warning

Oscar Hendrix, a youth movement leader in the northwestern city of San Pedro Sula, said that the military had burned the ballot papers that had been distributed in defiance of the supreme court ruling.
"This is inconceivable. This is one of the fundamental rights of the people," he told Al Jazeera.
Hendrix said that there would be protests against the military's actions.
"We are analysing right now whether we are going to do something here or whether we are all going to mobilise to the capital city," he said. "We will stand up for our rights."
The referendum, which was due to take place on Sunday, would have asked Hondurans whether they approved of holding a poll on constitutional change alongside general elections in November.
Court statement

The supreme court, which last week ruled that the vote could not go ahead because the constitution bars changes to some of its clauses, such as the ban on a president serving more than one term, said it ordered the military to remove Zelaya.
"Today's events originate from a court order by a competent judge," it said in a statement.
"The armed forces ... acted to defend the state of law and have been forced to apply legal dispositions against those who have expressed themselves publicly and acted against the dispositions of the basic law."
Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Washington-based Centre for Economic and Policy Research, said that it seemed the military, with the backing of the court, had used the referendum as a "pretext" to overthrow the government.
"This was a fight over a non-binding referendum, nothing more than a poll of public opinion, so no one can really make the argument that there was some kind of irreparable harm that would take place if the president got his way," Weisbrot said.

Zelaya was elected for a non-renewable four-year term in 2006 as a member of one of Honduras's established conservative political parties.

However, since taking power Zelaya has moved to the left, aligning himself with Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's president.
Colin Harding, an expert in Latin American politics, told Al Jazeera that Zelaya had apparently overestimated his own power in pushing for the referendum.
"He has no support in within his own party, he is opposed by congress, he is opposed by the judiciary and the military, who are not the power they used to be but have lined up against Zelaya ostensibily in defence of legality," he said.

Chavez has threatened military action in Honduras if Patricia Rodas, Venezuela's ambassador in Tegucigalpa, is harmed. He said that she had been abducted by soldiers and beaten earlier in the day.

"This military junta that is now there would be entering a de facto state of war," he said.

HRW: Diamonds in the Rough.

2009-06-28T14:44:00.000-07:00

Human Rights Watch reports on human rights abuses in the diamond fields of Zimbabwe. Here's the summary from the full report:

Zimbabwe's armed forces, under the control of President Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), are engaging in forced labor of children and adults and are torturing and beating local villagers on the diamond fields of Marange district. The military seized control of these diamond fields in eastern Zimbabwe after killing more than 200 people in Chiadzwa, a previously peaceful but impoverished part of Marange, in late October 2008. With the complicity of ZANU-PF, Marange has become a zone of lawlessness and impunity, a microcosm of the chaos and desperation that currently pervade Zimbabwe.
The military's violent takeover of the Marange diamond fields in October 2008 occurred one month after ZANU-PF agreed to share power with the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the opposition party that won the March 2008 elections. The contested vote precipitated a political crisis and period of rampant human rights abuses by ZANU-PF against members of the opposition.[1] The seizure of the diamond fields took place amidst a major economic crisis in Zimbabwe, caused largely by the failed policies of ZANU-PF, which resulted in astronomical inflation, rampant unemployment, the unchecked spread of disease, and massive food insecurity.
In this context, army brigades have been rotated into Marange to ensure that key front-line units have an opportunity to benefit from the diamond trade. Soldiers have bullied and threatened miners and other civilians into forming syndicates so that the soldiers can control diamond mining and trade in Marange. The enrichment of soldiers serves to mollify a constituency whose loyalty to ZANU-PF, in the context of ongoing political strife, is essential. The deployment of the military in Marange also ensures access to mining revenue by senior members of ZANU-PF and the army. Human Rights Watch believes that money from illegal diamond trading is likely to be a significant source of revenue for senior figures in ZANU-PF, which has either failed to or decided not to effectively regulate the diamond fields while exploiting the absence of clear legal ownership of the gemstones.
Diamonds were discovered in Marange in June 2006, and ZANU-PF effectively encouraged a diamond rush by declaring the fields open to anyone to mine. By November 2006, however, a nationwide police operation was launched to clamp down on illegal mining across the country, including in Marange. Police assumed control of the diamond fields; but, rather than halt illegal mining and trade, they exacerbated and exploited the lawlessness on the fields. Police officers were responsible for serious abuses-including killings, torture, beatings, and harassment-often by so-called "reaction teams" deployed to drive out illegal miners. Miners described colleagues being buried alive. A police officer working with a reaction team told Human Rights Watch of orders from senior officers to "shoot on sight" miners found in the fields. Villagers described arbitrary arrests, beatings, and harassment that by May 2008 had swamped a local prison with 1,600 prisoners, 1,300 more than its capacity.
With policing disintegrating into anarchy, the army operation called Operation Hakudzokwi (No Return), which started on October 27, 2008, appears to have been designed both to restore a degree of order and to allow key army units access to riches at a time when inflation in Zimbabwe was astronomically high and the country teetered on the verge of bankruptcy. Military operations over a three-week period involved indiscriminate fire against miners at work and people in their villages. Between November 1 and November 12, 107 bodies, many with visible bullet wounds, were brought from Marange to the morgue at Mutare Hospital. Overcrowded, the hospital eventually had to turn away trucks carrying more bodies. One man described to Human Rights Watch the extrajudicial execution of his brother on November 14-shot in the back of the head by soldiers who had accused him of being an illegal miner. Scores of miners and diamond traders were tortured and beaten, and at least 80 villagers from Muchena were beaten by soldiers demanding to know the identities and whereabouts of local illegal miners.
With control established, the army rapidly turned to forming syndicates, often using forced labor, including of children. A miner described to Human Rights Watch how his syndicate was cheated by the soldiers who formed it-when the men decided to abandon work, soldiers shot them, leading to the death of one man and the maiming of another. Children describe being made to carry diamond ore, working up to 11 hours per day with no reward. One local lawyer has estimated that up to 300 children continue to work for soldiers in the diamond fields.
While Zimbabwe's new power-sharing government, formed in February 2009, now lobbies the world for development aid, millions of dollars in potential government revenue are being siphoned off through illegal diamond mining, smuggling of gemstones outside the country, and corruption. The new government could generate significant amounts of revenue from the diamonds, perhaps as much as US$200 million per month, if Marange and other mining centers were managed in a transparent and accountable manner. This revenue could fund a significant portion of the new government's economic recovery program, which would benefit ordinary villagers like the residents of Marange.
Human Rights Watch calls on the power-sharing government of Zimbabwe to remove the military from Marange, restore security responsibilities to the police, and ensure that the police abide by internationally recognized standards of law enforcement and the use of lethal force. The power-sharing government should appoint a local police oversight committee consisting of all relevant stakeholders, launch an impartial and independent investigation into the serious human rights abuses committed there, and hold accountable all those found to be responsible for abuses. Members of the army and police who have committed abuses should also face disciplinary action for their crimes. The new Zimbabwe government should strengthen resource accountability by allowing greater transparency in how mining revenues are derived, permitting public scrutiny of the allocation of that revenue, and protecting the basic civil and political, as well as economic and social, rights of its citizens.
As a formal participant in the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS)-an international scheme governing the global diamond industry-Zimbabwe has a responsibility to immediately end the smuggling, corruption, and abuses that are taking place in Marange and ensure effective internal control over its diamond industry. Members of the KPCS should demand that Zimbabwe comply with the scheme's minimum standards, which include stopping the smuggling of diamonds from Zimbabwe, bringing Marange diamond fields under effective legal control, and ensuring that all diamonds from Marange are lawfully mined, documented, and exported with relevant valid Kimberley Process (KP) certificates. The KPCS should take urgent measures to audit the Zimbabwean mining sector, ensure that individuals involved in smuggling return their ill-gotten gains, and act to prevent any further abuse in both the extraction and onward sales of Marange diamonds.
The Kimberley Process emerged out of a concern that rebel groups in West Africa in the 1990s were engaged in the mining and trade of conflict diamonds, which provided the groups with revenue and permitted them to commit abuses against civilians. Human rights concerns are implicit in the KPCS mandate, but that mandate has been too narrowly construed by its members. Human Rights Watch calls on the KPCS to broaden its remit to include serious and systematic abuses, not only by rebel groups in conflict, but also by other agencies, including governmental bodies. The abuses committed by Zimbabwe's police and army did not occur in armed conflict, but they are as serious as those the Kimberley Process was designed to address; for that reason, KPCS members should classify Marange diamonds as "conflict diamonds."
Human Rights Watch recommends that the KPCS suspend Zimbabwe from participation in the Kimberley Process on account of the horrific human rights abuses in Marange and the lack of effective official Zimbabwean oversight of its diamond industry. It should also place an immediate, temporary halt on the extraction and trade of Marange diamonds. The KPCS should bar Zimbabwe from exporting Marange diamonds and ban the importation of Marange diamonds by its members until the government of Zimbabwe has ended human rights abuses in Marange and has regulated the diamond fields in ways that stop smuggling. Regulation of the diamond fields should include settling the question of legal title and ensuring that only those properly licensed are allowed to mine diamonds.
Finally, as a member of the KPCS and as a regional political power, South Africa also has an important role to play. Its own huge diamond industry is at serious risk of being tainted if illegal diamonds from Marange are indeed being sold alongside South Africa's domestically produced diamonds. Human Rights Watch calls on South Africa, both individually and as a member of the KPCS, to prevent the entry of tainted precious stones from Zimbabwe and to encourage the transparency and accountability of Zimbabwe's diamond industry.

URGENT: Vancouver-based Canadian mining company Continental Minerals is on the verge of starting mining production in Tibet.

2009-06-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

E-mail from Students for a Free Tibet that was forwarded to me:

Join Tibetans and supporters in Vancouver, BC June 24th and say NO! to Canadian mining in Tibet.

In the past few months, Continental Minerals has received over 1,200 faxes from Canadians and faced protests in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and New York City <http://www.stopminingtibet.com/> calling on them to pull out of Tibet. Now as they hold their Annual General Meeting with shareholders and executives in Vancouver BC, join Tibetans and supporters in saying NO! to Canadian mining in Tibet.

After five years of exploratory drilling, if Continental Minerals is successful in starting production, this would mean:

1) Potentially irreversible environmental damage to Tibet's fragile ecosystem.

2) Human rights violations and forced displacement, as Tibetans have no say whether mining occurs or not.

3) A dangerous precedent for foreign mining exploitation of stolen Tibetan land. Continental would be the first producing foreign mine in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

JUNE 24: TELL CONTINENTAL MINERALS AND ITS SHAREHOLDERS TO STOP MINING TIBET!
Action: Continental Minerals' Annual General Meeting: Protest Continental Minerals‚ operations in Tibet
Time: 1pm to 4pm, Wednesday June 24
Location: Outside the AGM of Continental Minerals
Metropolitan Hotel, 645 Howe Street, Vancouver

Students for a Free Tibet (www.sftcanada.org<http://www.sftcanada.org/> ) Contact: Tsering Lama 647-637-1810
Canada Tibet Committee (www.tibet.ca <http://www.tibet.ca/> ) Contact: Mati Bernabei 778-999-4578

BACKGROUND

Under Chinese government occupation, Tibetan people have no opportunity for free, prior, and informed consent, and receive little if any benefit from these operations. All mining operations in Tibet take place in collusion with the Chinese government, and corporate taxes and fees are paid to the Chinese government. Environmental concerns are extreme. In the race to exploit Tibetan mineral resources, Tibetan people and the environment have been disregarded.

Canadian corporations are part of the problem. Corporations expect to benefit financially from these operations, as does the Chinese government, but the local Tibetan people will reap a substantial net loss to their way of life. Tibetans who dare to protest mining projects do so knowing that they risk arrest, imprisonment, torture, and death. Since March 2008, as a result of the severe and ongoing Chinese government crackdowns against protests, thousands of Tibetans have been imprisoned or disappeared. Tibet remains a conflict zone, with armed forces patrolling towns and monasteries. Foreign journalists continue to be denied access to Tibetan areas.

Despite the fact that a climate of fear and oppression persists in Tibet, seven Canadian companies are actively mining in Tibetan regions, or are poised to begin digging soon. Five of those companies have head offices in Vancouver (Continental Minerals/Hunter Dickinson, Eldorado Gold Corp, Maxy Gold Corp, Silvercorp Metals Inc. and Sterling Group Ventures Inc.).

Under Chinese government law, Canadian mining companies are under no legal obligation to take Tibetan views, rights, traditions, or long-term welfare into account. Canada Tibet Committee and Students for a Free Tibet are deeply disappointed that, rather than adhering to Canadian legal and ethical standards, and serving as a positive example of Corporate Social Responsibility, the Canadian mining companies operating in Tibet are effectively cashing in on the fact that Tibetan people are severely oppressed.

For more information on the issues, refer to:www.stopminingtibet.com <http://www.stopminingtibet.com/>

--
Tsering Lama
National Director
Students for a Free Tibet Canada
109 -358 Dufferin Street
Toronto, ON M6K 1Z8
p.647.722.2350
f.647.722.8410

Picket June 27 at MP Mario Silva's Toronto Office

2009-06-22T17:56:00.000-07:00

For those of you in the Toronto area -- message I received from the Facebook group Stop the Canada-Colombia Trade Agreement:

On Saturday, June 27th, the Colombian Action Solidarity Alliance, CASA, will be picketing outside the Toronto office of Liberal MP Mario Silva and providing information to local residents. CASA is asking Mr. Silva and the Federal Liberal Party to oppose Bill C-23 and demand that an independent comprehensive Human Rights Impact Assessment, HRIA, be performed and any concerns arising from such an assessment be satisfactorily addressed, before any further consideration of an FTA between Canada and Colombia occurs.

Location: Mario Silva’s Office - 1674 St Clair Ave W, Toronto
Time: Saturday, June 27th, 11:00 a.m.
Contact: jphpbarber@hotmail.com

Implementation of the Canada-Colombia free trade agreement, FTA, has been stalled but not defeated. Both the NDP and Bloc Parties have officially opposed the FTA while the Liberal Party appears to be undecided at this point. Key Liberal Party members such as Party Leader Michael Ignatieff and Trade Critic Scott Brison have rejected calls to oppose the FTA, while other Liberal Party members, largely due to public pressure expressed through extensive letter writing campaigns, have supported the call for an independent Human Rights Impact Assessment prior to implementation of the FTA.

Human rights violations continue to be rampant in Colombia. Almost 500 workers have been murdered since President Uribe came to power in 2002. The situation is not improving. In 2008, extrajudicial executions, forced displacement, disappearances and killings of trade unionists all increased over 2007. The Colombian state has been shown to be closely tied with these violations. The United Nations’ High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay reported in November 2008 that Colombia’s security forces are engaged in “widespread and systematic” killings of civilians that could constitute crimes against humanity. There is growing evidence of ties between paramilitary groups and the Colombian government – 20% of Congress is currently under investigation for collaboration with paramilitaries. Implementing an FTA under these conditions will only serve to provide legitimacy to the current regime of human rights violations and actually serve to worsen the situation.

For further information on Colombia and the FTA please see;
http://www.ccic.ca/e/docs/making_a_bad_situation_worse_long_version.pdfhttp://www.canadianlabour.ca/sites/clc/files/shared/tenreasonsEnfinal.pdf
http://www.killingtrain.com/node/701
http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/colombia/demobilization/index.html

Rights Action: update on Goldcorp in Guatemala.

2009-06-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

More news on Goldcorp in Guatemala from Rights Action:

Guatemala, June 12, 2009

AFTER GOLDCORP ILLEGALLY TRIED TO TAKE CONTROL OF MORE LANDS, MAYA MAM PEOPLE OF SAN MIGUEL IXTAHUACAN ARE THREATENED WITH MORE ‘CRIMINALIZATION’ AND REPRESSION

The local Maya Mam population of Sacmuj, in the village of Agel, municipality of San Miguel Ixtahuacan (SMI), are in danger of illegal entry by the Canadian mining company Goldcorp Inc, of criminalization of some community members, and of repression.
[This most recent illegal land occupation, by Goldcorp, and threat of violence, are part of a long list of health and environmental harms and violations of human and indigenous rights against the Maya Mam communities since 2005. More information: info@rightsaction.org]
Over the past few weeks, Goldcorp has been pressuring hard to buy 200 cords (cuerdas) of land belonging to 20 families in Sacmuj, part of the Agel village. (1 cuerda = 20 square meters, just less than 1 acre).

Confronted with community members who did not want to sell their property, Goldcorp again chose force, illegally bringing vehicles and exploration equipment onto community and private property of Sacmuj community members.
The illegal entry and exploration activities are extremely worrying to the Sacmuj people, not only because the company is illegally on their lands (a crime that Goldcorp has committed consistently, with impunity, since it arrived in San Marcos) but also because community members fear their natural water spring will be contaminated or dry up.
The Sacmuj people have asked, on numerous occasions, that Goldcorp take its vehicles and equipment away; the community has also presented a complaint to the Human Rights Ombudsman of Guatemala.

Wednesday, June 10: Goldcorp company workers told the Sacmuj people they would take their vehicles and equipment away on June 11. Thursday, June 11: With vehicles and equipment still there, the company signed an agreement to pull away on June 12. Friday, June 12: As the company did not comply, unknown individuals burned some exploration equipment, a “Haylux” vehicle, and blocked some electric wires.
SOLDIERS AND POLICE
Given the community resistance, Goldcorp asked for police and army presence. On June 10, 2 units of the national police, 1 unit of Goldcorp’s private security, and 4 vehicles of soldiers arrived, allegedly to protect the security of company workers.

On June 11, 6 units of the national police and 2 units of special, anti-riot troops arrived, allegedly to protect the security of Goldcorp management.
THREATS
Once again, SMI community leaders are getting threats. On June 12, Javier de Leon (a leader of ADISMI, Association of Integral Development of San Miguel Ixtahuacan), received two threatening text messages by cel phone. From number +502 5724-6953, at 11:02am, the message read: “Javier you are a piece of shit it is true that you are taking advantage of the people so wait and we will denounce you.” (“Javier eres tan pura lata berdaque te estas probechando d lajente esperate tebamosa denunsiar.”)

From number +502 4598-5000, at 10:33am, the message read: “Look you goddamn you don’t know that you are a beggar you think you are so great you don’t even come here to the protest but wait we are going to fuck you up you goddamn bastard.” (“Mira pinche no savez eres un limosnero te crees tanto porque no te pones la cara aqui en la manifestacion tu talbes pero esperate te vamos a partir la madre viejo tarugo maldito perro.”)
CRIMINALIZATION OF STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE
Similar to manipulated criminal charges brought against 7 Maya Mam men in 2007, against 8 Maya Mam women in 2008, it is rumoured that new charges have been laid against Sacmuj community members.
WE ARE WORRIED
That the Canadian Goldcorp company illegally occupies people’s land, as a common practice, with complete impunity.

That the Guatemalan government has never responded to multiple complaints made about Goldcorp’s illegally occupations of land, showing again the high level of discrimination in the application of justice.

That the Guatemalan government uses security forces (army, police) in favor of the company without the previous and objective investigation necessary to guarantee the rights of the population.

WE DEMAND

Of the government of Canada, intervene and verify the violations of the communities and families affected and consider suspending Goldcorp’s mining licence.

Of the Canada Pension Plan – and all pensions and investment funds profiting from investments in Goldcorp -, verify the violations of the communities and families affected and consider withdrawing investments from Goldcorp.

Of the United Nations High Commission of Human Rights and Inter-American Commission of Human Rights, that they verify the violations of the harmed communities and families.

Of the President of Guatemala, the Ministries of Mines and Energies and the Environment, and the Procurator of Indigenous Affairs, that they verify the violations of the communities and families affected by Goldcorp’s mine, and that they suspend Goldcorp’s mining licence for harms and violations the mine has caused, including the health and environmental harms, and the social divisions in the communities due in part of the cooptation of some community members.

San Miguel Ixtahuacán, San Marcos, Guatemala, 12 de junio 2009
COMUNIDADES AFECTADAS POR LA MINA MARLIN
PARROQUIA SAN MIGUEL
ASOCIACION ADISMI
PASTORAL JUVENIL DE SAN MIGUEL IXTAHUACAN
DERECHOS EN ACCION
* * *
WHAT TO DO
EDUCATIONAL DELEGATION TO GUATEMALA - JULY 6-14
Please join this trip that will investigate “Dam ‘Development’ Projects under-mining human rights & the environment”. Over 9 days, delegates will meet with development, enviro and human rights activists; visit Chixoy hydro-electric dam affected Mayan-Achi communities; visit Mayan Q’eqchi communities that may well be harmed by the pending Xalala hydro-electric dam; visit Mayan-Mam communities being harmed by Goldcorp Inc’s huge gold mine. Information: Karen Spring: spring.kj@gmail.com

BBC: Peru revokes land laws.

2009-06-18T19:03:00.000-07:00

Good news from Peru:

Peru's Congress has overturned two controversial land ownership laws that sparked deadly clashes between police and Amazon tribal groups.
At least 34 people were killed in the clashes earlier this month.
The laws were passed under powers Congress had granted President Alan Garcia to implement a free trade agreement with the US.
Tribal groups said they were not consulted and some of Peru's South American neighbours voiced opposition.
Ambassador recalled
Congress passed the revocation measure by 82-12 after a five-hour debate.
The Amazon tribal groups argue the decrees - passed in 2007 and 2008 - open up mineral and mining rights in a way that would threaten their way of life.
The worst of the clashes occurred when police tried to clear roadblocks set up by the groups at Bagua, 1,000km (600 miles) north of Lima.
Peru's Prime Minister Yehude Simon had earlier said the government had to know how to listen.
He said the reversal of policy would not put at risk Peru's free trade agreement with the US but has said he will step down once the dispute is settled.
The dispute led to a diplomatic row between Peru and Latin American neighbours Venezuela and Bolivia.
Peru recalled its ambassador to Peru for consultation on Tuesday after Bolivian President Evo Morales described the deaths of the indigenous protesters as a genocide caused by free trade.
Peru's Foreign Minister Jose Antonia Garcia Belaunde called Mr Morales an "enemy of Peru".

International Spotlight: Indonesia coal mines

2009-06-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

Found this from BBC on a coal mining disaster in Indonesia, as well as the lax mining standards in the country.

Greg Palast: Oil and Indians Don't Mix

2009-06-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting piece by Greg Palast on the general mistreatment of indigenous peoples by Big Oil.

There's an easy way to find oil. Go to some remote and gorgeous natural sanctuary, say Alaska or the Amazon, find some Indians, then drill down under them.

If the indigenous folk complain, well, just shoo-them away. Shoo-ing methods include: bulldozers, bullets, crooked politicians and fake land sales.

But be aware. Lately the Natives are shoo-ing back. Last week, indigenous Peruvians seized an oil pumping station, grabbed the nine policemen guarding it and, say reports, executed them. This followed the government's murder of more than a dozen rainforest residents who had protested the seizure of their property for oil drilling.

Again and again I see it in my line of work of investigating fraud. Here are a few pit-stops on the oily trail of tears:

In the 1980s, Charles Koch was found to have pilfered about $3 worth of crude from Stanlee Ann Mattingly's oil tank in Oklahoma. Here's the weird part. Koch was (and remains) the 14th richest man on the planet, worth about $14 billion. Stanlee Ann was a dirt-poor Osage Indian.

Stanlee Ann wasn't Koch's only victim. According to secret tape recordings of a former top executive of his company, Koch Industries, the billionaire demanded that oil tanker drivers secretly siphon a few bucks worth of oil from every tank attached to a stripper well on the Osage Reservation
where Koch had a contract to retrieve crude.

Koch, according to the tape, would, "giggle" with joy over the records of the theft. Koch's own younger brother Bill ratted him out, complaining that, in effect, brothers Charles and David cheated him out of his fair share of the looting which totaled over three-quarters of a billion dollars from the Native lands.

The FBI filmed the siphoning with hidden cameras, but criminal charges were quashed after quiet objections from Republican senators.

Then there are the Chugach Natives of Alaska. The Port of Valdez, Alaska, is arguably one of the most valuable pieces of real estate on Earth, the only earthquake-safe ice-free port in Alaska that could load oil from the giant North Slope field. In 1969, Exxon and British Petroleum companies took the land from the Chugach and paid them one dollar. I kid you not.

Wally Hickel, the former Governor of Alaska, dismissed my suggestion that the Chugach deserved a bit more respect (and cash) for their property. "Land ownership comes in two ways, Mr. Palast." explained the governor and pipeline magnate, "Purchase or conquest. The fact that your granddaddy chased a caribou across the land doesn't make it yours." The Chugach had lived there for 3,000 years.

No oil company would dream of digging on the Bush family properties in Midland, Texas, without paying a royalty. Or drilling near Malibu without the latest in environmental protections. But when Natives are on top of Exxon's or BP's glory hole, suddenly, the great defenders of private property rights turn quite Bolshevik: lands can be seized for The Public's Need for Oil.

Some Natives are "re-located" through legal flim-flam, some at gunpoint. The less lucky are left to wallow, literally, in the gunk left by the drilling process.

Take a look at this photo here, taken in the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador. It's from an investigation that I conducted for BBC TV, now in the film "Palast Investigates." I'm holding up a stinking, black glop of crude oil residue pulled from an abandoned Chevron-Texaco waste pit. A pipe runs from the toxic pit right into the water supply of Cofan Indians.

Chief Emergildo Criollo told me how oil company executives helicoptered into his remote village and, speaking in Spanish - which the Cofan didn't understand - "purchased" drilling rights with trinkets and cheese. The Natives had never seen cheese. ("The cheese smelled funny, so we threw it in the jungle.")

After drilling began, Criollo's son went swimming in his usual watering hole, came up vomiting blood, and died.

I asked Chevron about the wave of poisonings and deaths. According to an independent report, 1,401 deaths, mostly of children, mostly from cancers, can be traced to Chevron's toxic dumping.

Chevron's lawyer told me, "And it's the only case of cancer in the world? How many cases of children with cancer do you have in the States? ... They have to prove that it is our crude," which, he noted with glee, "is absolutely impossible."

Big Oil treats indigenous blood like a cheap gasoline additive. That's why the Peruvians are up in arms. The Cofan of Ecuador, more sophisticated, and less violent, than their brothers in Peru, have taken no hostages. Rather, they have heavily armed themselves with lawyers.

But Chevron and its Big Oil brethren remain dismissive of the law. This week, Shell Oil, to get rid of a nasty PR problem paid $15 million to the Ogoni people and the family of Ken Saro-Wiwa for the oil giant's alleged role in the killing of Wiwa and his associates, activists who had defended these Niger Delta people against drilling contamination. Shell pocketed $31 billion last year in profits and hopes the payoff will clear the way for a drilling partnership with Nigeria's government.

Congratulations, Shell. $15 million: For a license to kill and drill, that's quite a bargain.

Colombia leads world again in trade unionist murders

2009-06-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

From IPS:

GENEVA (IPS) - Colombia has long been the world leader in murders of trade unionists – a dubious distinction that it seems in no danger of losing, according to a new report by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

In 2008, 76 trade unionists were killed worldwide for defending workers' rights, according to this year's Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights Violations, which details abuses of workers rights in 143 countries.

That total is smaller than the figure for 2007, when 91 labour activists were slain around the world.

But in Colombia, 49 were murdered last year, 10 more than in 2007, "despite assurances by the administration of Colombian President Álvaro Uribe that the situation was improving," says ITUC.

"I submit that there has not been, that there is not and that there never will be real progress in this case unless and until the impunity crisis is directly, authentically and honestly resolved," said Stanley Gacek, representative of the AFL-CIO federation of labour organisations in the United States.

"That means: 1)Effective convictions of all the intellectual, as well as the material, authors of the violence; 2) Achieving the investigative prosecutorial and judicial capacity to do so; and 3) Insuring that the terms of the convictions are significant and durable," said the U.S. union leader.

Read the entire article here.

AI Canada: Take Action: Peru

2009-06-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

From Amnesty International Canada:

Peru: Indigenous protestors at risk

Posted: 10 June 2009

Nelida Calvo Nantip, representative of the Peruvian Amazon departament Regional Organization ORPIAN, cries after receiving a phone call informing her of the death of her brother in clashes with the police, during a press conference of Indigenous leaders in Lima on June 5, 2009.
JAIME RAZURI/AFP/Getty Images
Amnesty International is gravely concerned about the safety of Indigenous protestors in the wake of serious human rights violations committed during a violent police action on June 5 in Bagua, Amazonas Department.

Members of Indigenous communities began demonstrations in mid-April to protest a series of legislative decrees over the use of land and natural resources in the Amazonian jungle. Indigenous communities were not consulted on this legislation, despite the fact that Peru has ratified the International Labour Organization Convention 169, which obliges them to consult with Indigenous Peoples on any decisions or legislation which affect their interest. As a result of the protests, on 9 May the government declared a 60-day state of emergency in the area.

On 5 June, after 50 days of protests, the National Police forcibly removed Indigenous protestors who had blocked the approach road to Bagua. At least nine Indigenous people have been confirmed dead, although the real number is feared to be much higher, and 24 police officers were killed. As well, at least 169 Indigenous demonstrators and 31 police officers were injured.

According to local sources, some of the injured protestors are not receiving adequate medical care, as local health centres are not well equipped.

The office of Peru's Ombudsperson states that 79 demonstrators are in police and army custody.

TAKE ACTION:
Please send personal appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, making any of the following points in your own words:

expressing concern at the reported serious human rights violations in the operation in Bagua, Amazonas Department, which led to the deaths of at least nine Indigenous demonstrators and 24 police officers, as well as to injuries to at least 169 Indigenous demonstrators and 31 police officers;

urging the authorities to ensure that all those injured have access to medical care;

urging the authorities to publish a list of all those being detained and their places of detention;

expressing concern that President Alan Garcia has linked protestors with the armed opposition group Shining Path and accusing them of terrorism (see Background below);

urging the authorities to either charge those detained with recognisable criminal offences or to release them without charge, to allow them access to a lawyer, and to guarantee that no detainee will be subjected to any form of torture or other ill-treatment;

calling on authorities to guarantee access to the area to human rights and humanitarian organizations;

urging them to ensure that they consult and cooperate in good faith with Indigenous Peoples through their representative institutions before adopting and applying legislative or administrative measures that affect them.
WRITE TO:

Sr. Alan García Pérez
Palacio de Gobierno
Plaza Mayor S/N.
Lima 1, PERÚ
Fax: 011 51 1 311 3940
Salutation: Dear President

Sr. Yehude Simón Munaro
Av. 28 de Julio 878
Miraflores
Lima 18, PERÚ
Fax: 011 51 1 716 8680
Salutation: Dear Prime Minister

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO SEND A COPY TO:

His Excellency Jorge Juan Castañeda Méndez
Ambassador for the Republic of Peru
130 Albert Street, Suite 1901
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4
Fax: (613) 232-3062
E-mail: emperuca@bellnet.ca
FURTHER BACKGROUND:
Amnesty International has received reports of excessive use of force by police, as well as cases of police officers being abducted and killed by members of Indigenous communities.
Several leaders of the Indigenous organizations linked to the protests have been charged with sedition and conspiracy to take action against public order. Among them is Alberto Pizango Chota, President of the Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva Peruana (Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Jungle). On 6 June the authorities issued a warrant for his arrest, and added new charges, including homicide (homicidio calificado), attacks against the armed forces and illegal possession of firearms. The charges carry sentences of up to 35 years' imprisonment. Alberto Pizango is understood to have sought refuge at the Nicaraguan Embassy in Lima on 8 June.

In a speech on 8 June, President Alan Garcia linked Indigenous protesters to the armed opposition group Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) and accused them of terrorism.

The government has given no details of those injured or detained.

Alex Neve: Challenge Alviro Aribe on Human Rights

2009-06-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

Here's an op ed in the Ottawa Citizen from Amnesty International Canada secretary general Alex Neve, arguing that Colombian President Alvaro Aribe should be asked some tough questions about human rights when visiting Canada this week:

It's a story that never made the press, a story that speaks volumes about a human rights crisis ignored for far too long. It is certainly a story worth recalling as Colombian President Alvaro Uribe visits Canada this week and Canada inches closer to finalizing a free-trade deal with Colombia.

Last June, paramilitaries entered the Colombian hamlet of San José de la Turbia. They warned the community the Colombian navy was nearby and claimed they were working together. They called out the name of Tailor Ortiz. When he raised his hand, the paramilitaries said, "We're going to kill this one right away." They tied Tailor up and shot him in the head. Then the terrified onlookers were warned: "Each time, we'll come for someone else." The next day, most of the families living in San José de la Turbia fled the area.

In the first half of 2008, some 270,000 other Colombians fled their homes, a 41-per-cent increase over 2007. Indeed, the number of internally displaced in Colombia is now the second highest in the world, after Sudan, and numbers as many as four million people.

Yet the Uribe government has been aggressively promoting resource-rich Colombia as a post-conflict, investor-friendly society, claiming credit for successfully demobilizing illegal paramilitaries and making human rights violations largely a thing of the past.

This is the message that President Uribe will no doubt bring to Canada this week in an attempt to win support for the controversial free-trade agreement negotiated with the Canadian government.

But Amnesty International's carefully documented reports reveal a different reality, an ongoing human rights nightmare experienced most acutely by individuals and communities who continue to bear the brunt of a decades-long armed conflict.

Some indicators of conflict-related violence have improved, such as kidnapping and hostage-taking. Yet other indicators have deteriorated. Indeed, all parties to the conflict -- state security forces, paramilitaries and guerrilla groups -- continue to be responsible for widespread and systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.

In Colombia, such abuses are frequently committed as a means to forcibly remove civilian communities from areas of economic interest, much of which is inhabited by indigenous and Afro-descendant communities. Forced displacement has paved the way for the misappropriation of these lands, mostly by paramilitaries, but also by guerrilla groups.

It is estimated that more than four million hectares of land may have been stolen by paramilitaries in this way. These lands are often in areas with mineral, oil or agro-industrial potential. Rather than guarantee the return of stolen land, some government policies may end up legalizing ownership by paramilitary groups and their backers. Meanwhile, those who try to return to their communities or defend their land face threats, attacks and murder.

In the past five years, more than 1,000 indigenous people alone have been killed. The vast majority of these killings have not been properly investigated nor have the perpetrators ever been brought to justice. Indeed, while there has been progress in a number of high-profile investigations, impunity remains the norm in most cases of human rights abuses.

In 2008, there was also a dramatic upsurge in killings of trade unionists and threats against human rights defenders, principally by army-backed paramilitaries who continue to operate in many parts of the country.

Canadian MPs who meet with President Uribe would do well to ask why he has made repeated public statements equating the defence of labour and other human rights with subversion. For example, following the publication of an Amnesty International report on Colombia last November, the president accused us of "blindness," "fanaticism" and "dogmatism." He publicly accused the Americas director of Human Rights Watch of being a "supporter" and an "accomplice" of FARC guerrillas. Similar accusations have been levelled at Colombian trade unions and human rights organizations, equating their legitimate work with "subversion." Such accusations can and do lead to threats and attacks.

The president should also be asked about allegations he has sought to undermine recent investigations by the Supreme Court into evidence of links between legislators who support him and paramilitary groups, as well as what action he plans to take to address what the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights refers to as links between certain members of the armed forces and "new illegal armed groups."

Above all, MPs should ensure that the Canada Colombia Free Trade Agreement is subjected to a thorough, independent human rights impact assessment. Under international law, economic actors are both accountable for the human rights impacts of their activities, and responsible to ensure they promote human rights. Given the nature of widespread human rights abuses in Colombia, due diligence is needed to ensure the trade agreement does not make a bad situation worse.

Council of Canadians: Urgent Action: Oppose Free Trade Repression in Peru

2009-06-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

Below is an action alert from the Council of Canadians. Also, here is a photo essay from James Rodriguez on the bloody conflict in Peru.

Reuters reports today that, "Protesters (in Peru) said 30 of their own died and the government said 22 members of their security forces perished in two days of clashes (in the Amazon jungle) over (President Alan) Garcia's drive to bring foreign companies to the rainforest to open mines and drill for oil. The bloodshed has ...threatened to derail the government's push to further open Peru to foreign investors."

"Indigenous tribes, worried they will lose control over natural resources, have protested since April seeking to force Congress to repeal new laws that encourage foreign mining and energy companies to invest billions of dollars in the rain forest."

"Indigenous groups oppose laws passed last year as Garcia moved to bring Peru's regulatory framework into compliance with a free-trade agreement with the United States."

It should also be noted that the Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement was signed in May 2008, approved by the House of Commons this past week, is expected to be approved by the Senate shortly, and will come into effect this July.

Global Response has a sample letter you can send to the Peruvian government and various United Nations agencies at http://globalresponse.org/emailcampaigns.php?record=2318.

The letter includes a demand for the Peruvian government to respect the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. You may remember that Canada is now just one of three countries world-wide that opposes this declaration. More on that in the campaign blog at http://www.canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=296.

The Reuters news article is at http://us.mobile.reuters.com/mobile/m/AnyArticle/p.rdt?URL=http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE55463G20090607.

You can read more at http://peruanista.blogspot.com/2009/06/alert-massacre-in-peru-police-shoots-at.html.

The text of the Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement can be read at http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/peru-perou/peru-perou-table.aspx.

Reuters: Laws criticized by Peru's indigenous groups

2009-06-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

This Reuters article outlines some of the laws signed by Peruvian President Alan Garcia that are opposed by indigenous peoples in the Peruvian Amazon:

- Legislative Decree 1090, which shrinks the size of Peru's Forestry Heritage protection system, outlines a broad plan for how to regulate investment in the Amazon. Protesters say the rule frees up some 111 million acres (45 million hectares), or roughly 60 percent of Peru's jungles, for potential development. The deadly conflict between police and indigenous tribes on Friday happened one day after Congress blocked a motion to open debate on this rule.

- Legislative Decree 1064 allows companies with concessions to get changes in zoning permits directly from Peru's central government, potentially giving them a way to extract resources without having to win the approval of local communities.

- Legislative Decree 1020 encourages the private ownership of agricultural lands by offering loans to individuals with relatively large farms. Protesters fear it will lead to communal land holdings being broken up into individually owned plots and push consolidation.

- Law 29833 creates new public agencies to oversee water management and distribution. Small farmers fear the changes will drive up costs, reduce their access to water while giving more of it to corporate growers, and eventually lead to the privatization of the water agencies.

- Besides the repeal of the laws, protesters want the government to create new reserve areas for tribes living in voluntary isolation, revoke Peru's free-trade agreements with Chile and the United States, and include a clause in the constitution requiring that tribes be consulted on potential economic projects.

Cultural Survival: Emergency Action: Stop Violence Against Amazon Defenders

2009-06-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

Cultural Survival has more on the situation in Peru, in way of an action:

Since April 9th communities in the Peruvian Amazon have been protesting new laws passed by President Alan Garcia's government that usher in the Free Trade Agreement with the United States and authorize an unprecedented wave of extractive industries into the Amazon Rainforest.
Over 30,000 indigenous people have been blockading roads, rivers, and railways to demand the repeal of these new laws that allow oil, mining and logging companies to enter indigenous territories without seeking their prior consultation or consent. Peru's President Alan Garcia has said that "small groups" must not stand in the way of "development" of the Amazon.
Please add your voice in solidarity with thousands of indigenous people. Send a letter today to the Garcia Administration demanding respect for the constitutionally guaranteed rights of indigenous peoples.
On May 9th, the Peruvian government declared a state of emergency for 60 days and sent in the military and special police squads to use force to suppress the non-violent protests and protect corporate interests. There have been several incidents of unprovoked violence against indigenous demonstrators. The new forestry law (Decree 1090), which has been deemed unconstitutional, is currently being debated in the Peruvian Congress.
As one of the Earth's largest tropical rainforests, the Amazon plays a critical role in safeguarding the global climate. Its destruction releases massive amounts of global warming gases worsening climate change. Indigenous peoples are the guardians of the Amazon rainforest. They need our support. Thanks to our campaign partners Amazon Watch and Forest Peoples Programme for providing information for this action alert.
Please send your own letter to President Garcia or use the model letter below.
Address:
Excelentísimo Señor
Presidente Alan García
Despacho Presidencial
Jirón de la Unión S/N 1 cda
Lima 1
PERU

Send email to President Garcia from this website:
http://www.presidencia.gob.pe/cartas_presidente.asp
Messages are limited to 300 characters. The following message is 299 characters:
I urge you to:
1. Uphold the rights of indigenous peoples to prior consultation and consent over activities that affect them.
2. Suspend the State of Emergency, withdraw your Special Forces and decriminalize peaceful protests.
3. Dialogue with indigenous leaders to resolve this conflict.
Notes: you will be asked to give your date of birth and an ID document. You can just enter "pasaporte" for the ID. For the drop-down list of home countries, "United States" in Spanish is "Estados Unidos."
Please send copies of your letter to:
Yehude Simon Munaro, President of the Council of Ministers
(ysimon@pcm.gob.pe, Fax +51 1- 716- 87-35 )
Rafael Vásquez Rodríguez, President of Congress
(rvasquezr@congreso.gob.pe, Fax +51 1- 311- 77- 03 )
Public Ombudsman Office of Peru
(centrodeatencionvirtual@defensoria.gob.pe)
Peruvian Embassador in your country (for contact details - see http://www.embassiesabroad.com/embassies-of/Peru
UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
(indigenous@ohchr.org)
UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
(wgeid@ohchr.org)
UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom expression
(freedex@ohchr.org)
United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
(indigenous_un@un.org)
IACHR Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
(cidhoea@oas.org)
IACHR Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Expression
(cidh-expresion@oas.org)
MODEL LETTER:
Dear Mr. President Alan García,
I am writing to express my concern about recent decrees that have been passed in violation of the constitutionally guaranteed rights of indigenous peoples of Peru. I am also concerned about the Government's decision to declare a State of Emergency on Saturday, May 9. I understand through international media reports that the Peruvian Government's special forces are suppressing peaceful demonstrations in the Amazon region.
I urge your administration to show immediate restraint and refrain from using force on indigenous demonstrators.
In the context of the Free Trade Agreement with the US, your administration has attempted to roll back legal protections for indigenous peoples in order to open the Amazon rainforest to permit oil and mineral extraction by multinational corporations. These government actions violate international laws and conventions, including those ratified by Peru, that guarantee the rights of indigenous peoples.
In September 2007, the Peruvian government demonstrated true leadership in introducing and supporting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on the floor of the General Assembly. Today, your administration is acting in stark contrast to its stated commitment to this Declaration.
I respectfully urge your administration and the Peruvian Congress to:
1. Uphold the constitutionally guaranteed rights of indigenous peoples to self-determination, to their ancestral territories, and to prior consultation and consent over any policies and activities that affect them.
2. Repeal the series of contested Decrees associated with the Free Trade Agreement with the United States.
3. Suspend the State of Emergency, withdraw your Special Forces and decriminalize peaceful protests.
4. Enter into good faith meaningful process of dialogue with indigenous leaders to resolve this conflict.
Respectfully,
YOUR NAME
Special thanks to Thomas Quirynen for the photo of Awajun indigenous protesters in Bagua, northern Peru, where many were wounded and taken to hospitals on May 10 after armed police attacked their non-violent blockade of the Corral Quemado Bridge.
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Peru

2009-06-05T17:02:00.000-07:00

BBC reports violence between police and indigenous peoples in the Peruvian Amazon, as they fight to protect their land from oil and gas exploration.

On a related note, a trade agreement between Canada and Peru has been debated in our House of Commons. Here are speeches from NDP MPs Libby Davies and Bill Siksay expressing concern about the agreement. It passed 3rd reading the following day, and is apparently in the Senate now. I'm still looking for information from human rights organizations on this agreement.

Ruggie presentation to UK human rights committee

2009-06-04T10:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a presentation by UN Special Representative on Human Rights John Ruggie to the UK Parliament Joint Committee on Human Rights. They have the same debate there as we do here on voluntary vs. mandatory standards. I disagree with Ruggie on international standards, but he does criticize a country's reliance on voluntary guidelines. Here's an excerpt:

On the other side, companies advocating pure voluntarism have not explained how to reach sufficient scale to make a difference, or how to pull laggards along.

Governments advocating voluntarism often fail to provide even non-legal guidance or incentives for companies to respect human rights, thereby implying that voluntary standards have little if any practical consequence. Furthermore, they do business no great favor by failing to provide adequate assistance to companies, especially when they operate in tough environments, such as areas in conflict or otherwise weak governance zones—which is where companies have done the greatest human rights harm and run into the most trouble. In the end, policies of voluntarism are often indistinguishable from laissez-faire—that is to say, they are not policies at all.

Quite apart from legal requirements, companies have a social responsibility to respect human rights. However, relatively few companies have systems in place that enable them to demonstrate their respect for rights. What is required, therefore, is an ongoing process of human rights due diligence whereby companies become aware of, prevent, and mitigate adverse human rights impacts.

This is yet another example of why the distinction between voluntary and mandatory can be misleading: there is nothing “voluntary” about conducting due diligence for companies claiming 2
to respect rights, because there simply isn’t any other way to demonstrate it. This is not a matter of law but of logic.

We need to agree that a smart mix of measures—national and international, mandatory and voluntary—is required and get on with practical problem solving.

NY Times: Trying an Old Law

2009-06-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

NY Times has an interesting article on the ancient Alien Tort Act, which is still used in the United States to sue companies that are complicit in human rights abuses in other countries. It's inadequate, but it's what the US has, and certainly better than nothing. Amnesty USA has defended it. There's a subscription wall, but it's free.

Global Response: Protecting Your Community Against Mining Companies...

2009-06-01T19:04:00.000-07:00

From Global Response, this guide for community organizers on protecting your communities against extractive sector companies.

Vue Weekly: BILL C-300: A step forward on CSR

2009-05-29T18:44:00.000-07:00

From Edmonton's Vue Weekly, an article from Marie-Claude Poirer of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, in support of Bill C-300. Here's an excerpt:

Despite a series of consultations with industry and civil society in 2006, the Canadian government only recently responded to the National Roundtables on Corporate Social Responsibility and the Canadian Extractive Industry in Development Countries. These roundtables were tasked with identifying opportunities to address the growing number of environmental and social conflicts created by Canadian oil, gas and mineral companies operating overseas, but the Canadian government's latest CSR strategy does nothing more than endorse current CSR standards and create administrative mechanisms, rather than legal ones, within the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and at Canadian offices abroad.

With none of the original 27 recommendations from the multistakeholder roundtables being implemented, Canadians have begun sounding the alarm. Grassroots campaigns were held nationwide as sympathizers began to mobilize for the cause, and hundreds of thousands of Canadians have signed petitions calling for change.

The members of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CCODP) are among the forerunners in issuing this call. On May 12, 2009, CCODP delivered 38 boxes filled with postcards addressed to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Signed by more than 140 000 supporters, this petition called on the Canadian government to hold Canadian mining companies accountable through legal mechanisms. The total number of cards and letters they have delivered to the prime minister in the last three years is now well over half a million.

And members of the CCODP haven't stopped there. They are throwing their support behind Bill C-300, an Act on Corporate Accountability for the Activities of Mining, Oil or Gas in Developing Countries. Tabled by Liberal MP for Scarborough-Guildwood Hon. John McKay, the private member's bill imposes tighter controls on the provision of government support to the Canadian extractive companies. It limits eligibility for this support to those complying with environmental, social and human rights standards, such as services provided by Export Development Canada and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and not unlike the Norwegian Council on Ethics, the investments made by the Canada Pension Plan in Canadian mining companies.

Regrettably, Bill C-300 doesn't include provisions for an ombudsperson and independent investigation into complaints from overseas, since private member's bills cannot require the support of a budget. As an alternative, complaints would be directed to the Minister of International Trade and Foreign Affairs, and an investigation into whether or not a violation of CSR standards occurred would follow. The results of these investigations could mean bad PR for Canadian mining giants caught violating international human rights standards. While not perfect, the bill
is an important step forward on social responsibility for Canadian companies.

New AI campaign: Demand Dignity

2009-05-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

Great new anti-poverty campaign from Amnesty International:

Poverty is not inevitable. The billions of people who live in poverty are shut out, ignored and denied security by the actions and failures of the powerful. This is a human rights crisis.
2008 was marked by a global financial crisis and the numbers of people living in poverty and subjected to human rights abuse are likely to grow. Whatever plan is pursued, whatever projects are prioritized, whatever aid package is agreed, any solution to poverty without human rights at its core will fail to have a long-term impact.

Protecting the rights of those living poverty, the right to health, the right to education, the right to housing and the right to live to live without fear of persecution, repression and discrimination, is not just an option – it is an essential piece of any solution.

Global poverty – exacerbated by the financial crisis – has created a burning platform for human rights change. Amnesty International is launching a new campaign in 2009. Under the banner of "Demand Dignity", we will mobilize people to seek accountability for human rights abuses that drive and deepen poverty.

We will challenge discriminatory laws, policies and practices, and demand concrete measures to overcome the factors that impoverish and keep people poor.

Add your voice and call on governments and corporations around the world to respect and promote the right of the most vulnerable women, children and men to live free from want and free from fear. Visit demanddiginity.org

Discussion for MPs and the Public on Corporate Accountability in the Extractive Sector

2009-05-28T10:48:00.000-07:00

Media Advisory

Discussion for Members of Parliament and the Public
on
Corporate Accountability in Canada's Extractive Industries
__________________________________________________

A panel discussion will take place on June 1st 2009, on corporate accountability and Canada's extractive industries in developing countries. Media are invited to attend.

The event will be co-hosted by:
- the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability;
- Johanne Deschamps, MP Laurentides-Labelle;
- Paul Dewar, MP Ottawa Centre;
- Bob Rae, MP Toronto Centre.
The participation of a Conservative MP is still uncertain.

Who is expected to attend: MPs, federal government officials, civil society and industry representatives, media

When: June 1st, 10:30 AM - 1:30 PM (10:30 to clear security for an 11:00 o'clock start)

Where: 131 Queen Street, room 752

The panel will be moderated by Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada. Speakers will include the Members of Parliaments, Michael Casey, Executive Director, Development and Peace, for the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability, and Gordon Peeling, President and CEO of the Mining Association of Canada. The floor will be open for questions and discussion following the panel.

Simultaneous interpretation will be available.
A light lunch will be served following the discussion.

Purpose of the panel: The panel will take stock of policy and legislative initiatives related to the international corporate accountability of Canada's extractive industries. It will take place against the backdrop of the Government of Canada's March 26th announcement of a new policy entitled Building the Canadian Advantage: A Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy for the Canadian International Extractive Sector, and Private Member's Bill C-300, entitled Corporate Accountability for the Activities of Mining, Oil and Gas Corporations in Developing Countries. Bill C-300 passed second reading in the House of Commons on April 22nd and is now being considered by SCFAID. This will be an opportunity to engage MPs, industry and civil society actors on recent advances and remaining challenges.

Note: Participants who do not have House of Commons passes must pre-register to clear Security at 131 Queen Street.

RSVP by noon on Thursday, May 28, to Jean Christie: jfc@magma.ca

CBC: Blood diamonds in Zimbabwe

2009-05-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

From CBC:

Zimbabwe, a country beset by poverty, cholera and political violence, also possesses great mineral wealth, and lately there have been allegations of government involvement in the theft of mined diamonds and killings of local panners, CBC News has learned.
Under military control since late last year, the Marange diamond fields in Chiadzwa — potentially one of the richest diamond deposits in Africa — were seized by the government from a private mining company called African Consolidated Resources in 2006.
It is an alluvial field, meaning many of the stones just sit on the ground, ready to be scooped.
Tens of thousands of people — doctors, teachers, lawyers — impoverished by President Robert Mugabe's decades-long regime, had descended on the area, which lies near the border with Mozambique.
The fields are off limits to the media, but a CBC crew recently got in by joining the convoy of a local MP. They toured through the heavily guarded villages that surround the fields to meet with people who said they witnessed the killings, and their aftermath, first-hand last year.
Lovemore, a former telecom worker-turned diamond panner, said he saw soldiers shoot some of his fellow panners. "Yes, some were killed because of this diamond," he told the CBC's Adrienne Arsenault.
A cemetery worker near Chiadzwa showed Arsenault a mass grave that he said contained the bodies of 68 people who were allegedly slaughtered in that campaign. He produced dozens of burial orders filled in December — names unknown.
A local mortician also said he saw those bodies. "They were found in the field, beaten by soldiers, beaten by police," he said, adding he also observed gunshot wounds.
The Zimbabwe government vehemently denied the allegations.
"Only three people died as a result of infighting among the diamond panners, and the culprits have been arrested and they are actually going through our court of law now," said Obert Mpofu, the country's minister of mines.
He dismissed the idea of a mass grave. "It is totally fantasy. It is totally false. I don't know what people want to achieve by doing this."
The government also denied that military and other officials were benefiting directly from illegal panning in the fields.
"We are on top of the situation, and there is not even a single illegal diamond activity now because of the measures we are taking," Mpofu said.
However, a former military officer, who used to work in Chiadzwa, and was able to produce some industrial and gem-quality diamonds fresh from the fields with just a few hours notice, refuted that assertion.
"That's a lie.… It's only those with connections who are now able to dig and profit," he said. "It is the soldiers and police who are manning the area who allow you to go and dig, and when you dig, you show them what you have. Sometimes they take the diamonds and go sell them for their own profit."
His story was consistent with what other panners told the CBC.
The former officer also said that at night he had seen soldiers digging and then handing over their finds to powerful people.
"They come during the night, take the diamonds, and share them with senior government officials," he said.
Diamond profits unshared
The government is vague when queried about how much is mined and where the money goes. Some people, like the local MP, believe diamond profits could help to solve many of the nation's problems — if only they could be shared.
After uncontrolled inflation, Zimbabwe's once thriving economy has collapsed. About one-quarter of its population has fled, with most of those who remain depending on food handouts. Poverty and AIDS have taken a toll, slashing life expectancy to 37 years for men and just 34 years for women.
The MP is trying to set up a trust for villagers to receive some of the mining proceeds and is also pushing for immediate short-term relief — to help build a proper medical clinic for example.
The existing clinic, which serves 8,000 people, is little more than a ramshackle two-room shed with a caved-in roof, few medications and two exhausted nurses.
And yet it stands on land that may be rich enough to offer hope of a cure for much of what ails Zimbabwe.

Urgent action -- Ecuador

2009-05-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

Please see below:

Urgent Action - Current Action
Welcome to the Urgent Action Network!

Letters from around the world have stopped torture, protected prisoners and saved lives.The power is in your pen - or keyboard!

Your letters are needed NOW. Take action on the case below.

To join the Urgent Action network, send your name and mailing address to urgentaction@amnesty.ca We will send you tips to get started and one action each month. Try it out for just 3 months!

Persons of Concern:
Human rights defenders Joel Vicente Zhunio Samaniego, Wilmar Fernando Mejia Reinoso and Etelvina de Jesus Misacango Chuñir

Human Rights Concerns: Death threats
Country of Concern: ECUADOR
Posted: May 26, 2009
A government official has threatened to kill human rights defenders Joel Vicente Zhunio Samaniego and Wilmar Fernando Mejia Reinoso. Human rights defender Etelvina de Jesus Misacango Chuñir has been threatened and assaulted because of her work. All three are in grave danger.

They are members of organizations that are part of the National Coordinating Body for the Defense of Life and Sovereignty (Coordinadora Nacional por la Defensa de la Vida y la Soberania, CNDVS), based in the south-east of the country. On 9 May, Joel Vicente Zhunio Samaniego and Wilmar Fernando Mejia Reinoso took part in a demonstration organized by a CNDVS member organization, in the town of San Miguel de Conchay, in Morona Santiago province. They were protesting against a meeting being held between the province's representative of the national government (Teniente Politico), some local farmers, and representatives of a Canadian mining corporation which, according to the CNDVS, is operating in the area with a license that has expired.

When demonstrators arrived outside the meeting, the Teniente Politico started shouting at Wilmar Fernando Mejia Reinoso and Joel Vicente Zhunio Samaniego: "You, get out of here, clear off to Gualaquiza [a nearby town], you have no business in my town, you are not from here, I am running my meeting". Then he pointed at Joel Vicente Zhunio Samanieg, and said, "You are a dead man." Policemen intervened to calm him down. Joel Vicente Zhunio Samaniego and Wilmar Fernando Mejia Reinoso reported the threat to the provincial Ombudsman on 12 May, but no investigation is known to have been opened into the behaviour of the Teniente Politico.

On 22 April, Etelvina de Jesus Misacango Chuñir was attacked by four men who lived near her in the town of Molleturo, Canton Cuenca, in Azuay province. She nearly reached her home when the four started shouting at her, "Lazy, you are making trouble because you are lazy … you are against the mines because you are lazy." Then they knocked her to the ground, hitting and kicking her. She managed to get into her house, but they followed her in, and started attacking her again. They also attacked her son, who tried to defend her. The attackers stopped only after neighbours intervened, when they saw Etelvina de Jesus Misacango Chuñir being dragged out of the house by her hair.

Etelvina de Jesus Misacango Chuñir filed a complaint with the Prosecutor’s office on 23 April. No investigation is known to have been opened into the attack. The attack is believed to have been carried out in reprisal for her opposition to mining in the area. Etelvina de Jesus Misacango Chuñir is known in the community for campaigning against a Canadian gold mining company.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please create an appeal in your own words [click here for a brief guide to help you write your letter]:

expressing concern for the safety of Joel Vicente Zhunio Samaniego and Wilmar Fernando Mejia Reinoso, who received threats on 9 May, and Etelvina de Jesus Misacango Chuñir, who was attacked on 22 April;
urging the authorities to do everything possible to guarantee their safety, and that of all members of the Coordinating Body for the Defense of Life and Sovereignty;
calling on them to order a prompt and impartial investigation into the threats against Joel Vicente Zhunio Samaniego and Wilmar Fernando Mejia Reinoso and the attack against Etelvina de Jesus Misacango Chuñir, and bring those responsible to justice.
Please send your APPEAL TO:

Minister of Justice and Human Rights:

Ab. Néstor Arbito Chica
Ministerio de Justicia y Derechos Humanos
Edificio Anexo al Ministerio de Educación
Av. Amazonas 4545 y Atahualpa
Quito - Ecuador
Fax: 011 593 2 246 4914
Salutation: Dear Minister / Señor Ministro
Please send a COPY TO:

His Excellency Franklin Gustavo Chavez Pareja
Ambassador for Ecuador
50 O'Connor Street, Suite 316
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6L2
Fax: (613) 235-5776
Email: mecuacan@rogers.com

BACKGROUND

Several activists working to protect the rights of communities affected by mining projects, including members of the CNDVS, have been threatened. None of the threats have been properly investigated and to Amnesty International’s knowledge, no one has been brought to justice.
Members of local NGOs that are part of CNDVS, and others who have opposed mining projects and the government’s policy on mining, have been charged with offences including terrorism. In January Amnesty International sent a letter to the authorities expressing concern that Joel Vicente Zhunio Samaniego and others may have been victims of arbitrary detention and excessive use of force. At least 20 people were detained in January, after they took part in demonstrations against the approval of a new mining law.

UA 132/09
If you would like updates on this case in future, send an email to urgentaction@amnesty.ca with "Keep me updated on UA 132/09 Ecuador" in the subject line. Thank you.

Business & human rights: weekly update -- May 27, 2009

2009-05-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

Weekly Update: Business & Human Rights Resource Centre - 27 May 2009

CLICK THIS LINK FOR ALL TOP STORIES added past 7 days / Principales noticias / Articles de premier plan:
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Categories/Topstories?date=2009/05/27

Español: ver abajo - Français : voir ci-dessous

* Environmental NGOs say ArcelorMittal "continues" to destroy environment, risk people's lives and displace communities in seven countries
- ArcelorMittal response
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/119568

* UN Special Representative John Ruggie: Preliminary research template for project on corporate law in 40 jurisdictions - examining its implications for human rights
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/600613

* "Alaska: A case of global proportions" - Al Jazeera film on lawsuit against oil firms over climate change
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/804515

* Traxys says it will stop buying minerals from eastern Dem. Rep. of Congo, following pressure from UN & human rights groups
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/588518

* Amazon Watch & Save America's Forests report urges ConocoPhillips to withdraw from Peruvian Amazon concession, citing human rights, environmental concerns
- ConocoPhillips response
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/159388

* Sri Lanka: GlaxoSmithKline partners with NGO to empower people with disabilities
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/837529

* UNIFEM & UN Global Compact: Call for comments on "Guiding Principles for Business to Advance Women" - deadline 15 June
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/635592

* Bangladesh: National Labor Committee appeals to Metro Group not to "cut and run" from supplier RL Denim following allegations of labor abuses
- Metro Group has indicated they will respond following completion of its investigation
http:/www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/496188

* Saro-Wiwa lawsuit in New York against Shell over 1995 execution of Nigerian activists postponed until next week
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/486572

* "Natural Resource Charter" launched in Oslo - principles for using opportunities created by natural resources to reduce poverty
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/371047

* "Mining for Disclosure" - Sea Change radio interviews Bennett Freeman of Calvert, Arvind Ganesan of Human Rights Watch on the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/372045

* "The Copenhagen Call": Business leaders call for global climate treaty that sets bold targets for carbon emissions
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/401739

* Saudi women press govt. for greater equality in business
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/154734

* Nepali sailors contracted by Singapore labour contractor Beverly Agency say they were severely abused & denied food at sea
- Beverly Agency denies claims
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/304819

* 8 power firms in US, Canada & India partner with Google in energy-saving initiative
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/292483

* USA: Investigation into Colgan Air crash, which killed 50, points to pilot fatigue & inadequate crew training
- Colgan Air statement provided
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/406545

* NGO says European gas companies investing in Equatorial Guinea are taking "huge reputational risk"
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/972002

* Ecuadorian indigenous lawsuit against Chevron over health & environment: - Economist article: "Justice or extortion?"
- letter to Economist editor by Prof Joan Martinez-Alier
- Financial Times: "Chevron expected to come under fire over lawsuit in Ecuador" at its annual meeting
- interview with Chevron's general counsel about human rights, environmental concerns
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/315114

* UK: 1st female president-nominee of Confederation of British Industry says boardroom diversity can combat "groupthink" that contributed to economic downturn - commentary says diversity not enough
- report on need for training women to make them "board-ready"
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/833048

* No. America: Mining Mini-grants Program to support communities' efforts to assure that mining does not adversely affect their "human, cultural, ecological health" - next deadlines 1 Jun, 1 Oct
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/873264

* Invitation: Reception with Prof John Ruggie, UN Special Representative on business & human rights (London, 3 Jun)
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/140913

* Panel discussion: "What Not to Wear: Cotton and child slavery" (Amnesty UK, London, 9 Jun)
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/936365

* Job announcement: Executive Director, Global Network Initiative (deadline 31 Jul)
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/382254

* Español: Colombia: Orgs. demandarán a Drummond por haber pagado "protección" a paramilitares que asesinaron a más de 220 personas
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/634682

* Español: Guatemala: Marchan contra Montana Exploradora por supuestos daños a la salud y el medio ambiente
- Representante de empresas niega las alegaciones
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/223445

* Español: Panamá: Campesinos exigen cierre de minera Petaquilla Gold por "devastar" ríos y aire y "transgredir" derechos de comunidades
- Presidente de Minera Panamá afirma que su empresa es responsable
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/892532

* Español: Colombia: Cemex pagará arrendamiento de casas para 70 familias desalojadas por alud en sector donde realiza excavaciones
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/760892

* Español: Pacto Mundial de la ONU & UNIFEM: "El avance de la mujer: principios básicos para el Sector Corporativo"
- Incluye información (disponible solo en inglés) sobre la consulta global; fecha límite el 15 de junio
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/657882

* Español: Chile: G4S despide a guardias involucrados en golpiza a mendigo en un centro comercial
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/375647

* Español: Foro internacional sobre petróleo, salud, justicia ambiental y derechos humanos (17-18 junio, Ecuador)
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/732219

* Español: España: Grupo Antena 3 exigirá a sus proveedores no incurrir en condiciones laborales precarias ni discriminatorias
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/192519

* Français : * Français : Pacte Mondiale et UNIFEM : « Faire progresser la place des femmes : Recommandations pour les entreprises »
- Aussi disponible: Des informations (seulement en anglais) sur une consultation globale - date limite 15 juin
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/443427

* Français : Afrique de l'ouest : Coalition d'ONG demande la mise en œuvre de la directive de la Cedeao sur les politiques minières pour promouvoir la transparence
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/436840

* Français : Nouvelle étude de Harvard revoit le rôle des Centres de distribution manuelle de Coca-Cola dans le développement
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/954148

ARCHIVE of past Weekly Updates / ARCHIVO de actualizaciones pasadas / ARCHIVE des Actualités hebdomadaires précédentes:
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Aboutus/WeeklyUpdatesarchive

Mimundo.org: San Miguel Ixtahuacan is Waking Up

2009-05-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

While we were protesting outside Goldcorp's AGM in Vancouver on Friday, photojournalist James Rodriguez was covering a related protest in Guatemala City. Here it is, unedited:

Guatemala City, Guatemala.
May 22nd, 2009.
Issue: Mining / Land Tenure / Indigenous Rights

Canadian mining giant Goldcorp held its annual shareholder’s meeting on Friday, May 22nd, in Vancouver’s financial district. Simultaneously, hundreds of community members from San Miguel Ixtahuacan, where Goldcorp’s Marlin Mine operates, marched through the streets of Guatemala City so as to protest the corporation’s activities in the Guatemalan highlands.

(For background information on the Marlin Mine and the conflictive relationship with the communities of Sipakapa and San Miguel Ixtahuacan in San Marcos, Guatemala, please follow this link).

The march’s gathering point was the Obelisco, a traffic circle located in the heart of Guatemala City’s financial district. From here, the first stop would be the Euro Plaza Building in Zone 14 where the headquarters for Goldcorp’s local subsidiary, Montana Exploradora, are located.

The day before the march, a press conference was held where “community leaders accused Montana Exploradora of carrying out a fear campaign in their local villages using threats and land usurpation so as to coerce local residents to sell their lands.” (1)

“We are rural peasants, not criminals!”

“The movement, made up almost in its entirety by indigenous local Mam Mayans, reiterated their intention to pursue a peaceful dialogue so as to bring to a close Montana’s mining activities in the region. As of now, three people have died due to the toxic contamination in the local water sources and other natural resources.” (2)

“Water should not be sold, but rather protected!”

“Local leaders assured that during its initial operations, the mining company undervalued local property, created local divisions, and took away the home of approximately 600 families in San Miguel Ixtahuacan. Currently, the company continues its strategy of usurpation, coercion, and community fragmentation, which is why it is indispensable that relevant authorities become involved.” (3)

“We share the people’s future and present. Montana Exploradora of Guatemala, a Goldcorp Inc. company. Development is what's valuable.”

“We demand justice and condemnation for Montana/Goldcorp”

“No to Mining. What will be of my future?”

“Drop by drop, water dries up!”

Once at the luxurious Euro Plaza building, leaders from San Miguel Ixtahuacan weren’t able to dialogue with representatives from Montana Exploradora. Nevertheless, they were able to present a document to members of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which also holds its office in the same building.

“We do not want mining! Montana out now!”

Gregoria Crisanta Perez, one of the 8 women accused by Goldcorp of sabotaging their electric supply (read more about the case here), declares: “We demand our rights because we do not want to be killed by the mining company. We ask the government to please listen to our demands, as we are the legitimate owners of the territories. We are indigenous people, we were born there, and we should die there. But our death should be decided by God, not by the mining company.”

“No to Mining. Yes to Life. San Miguel Ixt.”

Patrocinia Mejia Perez (right), another local leader, is also accused by Goldcorp of sabotage.

“National Day Dignifying the Victims of Open-Pit Mining. Yes to Life!”

After protesting for over an hour in front of the Euro Plaza building as well as marching through Guatemala City’s financial and restaurant district, the demonstrators arrived to the Canadian Embassy.

The Canadian Embassy welcomed a four-person delegation in order to hear the protestors’ demands. Javier de Leon (right) from the Association for the Integral Development of San Miguel (ADISMI) led the delegation. Afterwards, he commented: “Ambassador Leann McKechnie’s discourse is inconsistent as she promises that Canadian companies will respect human rights. However, the mining industry, by nature, violates such rights.”

A few meters down the road from the Canadian Embassy, one of the many Goldcorp billboards that can be found in Guatemala City read: “We invest in the dreams of a developing country.”

Some residents of San Miguel Ixtahuacan identified the billboard and felt it was inappropriate due to the damage they have suffered from the mine’s presence in their communities. Gradually, protestors began tearing little pieces as an expression of discontent with the mining company that has incited grave social conflicts.

Dozens of people suddenly charged the billboard euphorically in a festive mood. As can be seen in the image, Police patrols observed the entire sequence, which was carried out in utmost respect for nearby cars and other private property next to Goldcorp’s billboard.

After a few minutes, the crowd managed to tear down the billboard completely. This was later taken to San Miguel Ixtahuacan so as to show other community members. The final plan was to burn the torn billboard near the mine.

The march ended with visits to the Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office, Congress, and the Presidential Palace.

Gregoria Crisanta Perez declares: “We are here because today, in Canada, Goldcorp shareholders are dividing up their earnings. Meanwhile, here in Guatemala, the people from San Miguel remain in poverty. But now, finally, San Miguel Ixtahuacan is waking up.”

For more information:
English: info@rightsaction.org
Spanish: Javier de León (ADISMI): nimjavier@gmail.com

Versión en español aquí.

1 CERIGUA. “Montana Exploradora inicia con estrategia de coacción y usurpación de tierras”. Jueves 21 de Mayo, 2009. Guatemala.
(http://cerigua.info/portal/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10072&Itemid=1)
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid.

pictures from the Goldcorp protest -- part 2

2009-05-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

On Friday, the Canadian mining company Goldcorp had a an Annual General meeting at the Fairmont Waterfront in Vancouver. In that meeting were members of indigenous communities in Northern BC, Honduras, and Guatemala, and their advocates. They have been affected by their mining activities in their communities, and are concerned about the independence of independent environmental impact assessments that have been called for. Please consult Rights Action and the two previous posts for more info.

Meanwhile, maybe 20-25 supporters from various human rights groups were across the street providing their support. This is the second of two posts containing pictures I took at the protest.

Above: Part of the Amnesty contingent, Don Wright and Liz Blackwood

The Rev. Emilie Smith

pictures from the Goldcorp protest -- part 1

2009-05-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

Meanwhile, maybe 20-25 supporters from various human rights groups were across the street providing their support. Here are pictures I took at the protest.

Background info on Golodcorp in Honduras

2009-05-20T22:47:00.000-07:00

Here's some background info on what has brought on the above event:

PHOTO ESSAY: Gold mining and health harms in Honduras
April 2, 2009
* * *
SAME COMPANY: Goldcorp Inc
SAME ALLEGED PROBLEMS: Health harms suffered by local, poor campesinos
SAME TYPE OF MINING: Open-pit, cyanide heap-leach gold mine
DIFFERENT COUNTRY: This time in Honduras
* * *
AIDA GREGORIA CRUZ (65 years old)

Photo 2. Aída Gregoria Cruz: lives in the Escanito community, 3 km from
Goldcorp Inc’s “San Martin” mine in the Siria Valley. Her illness appeared three months ago. During the day, her rash itches; she scratches. She feels desperate because the rash falls off in flakes, which causes it to itch more.
* * *
This Photo-Essay was prepared by the Siria Valley Regional Environmental Committee and Rights Action. Except for photo #1, all photos were taken between 12-13 March, 2009, by Carlos Amador (piviamador@yahoo.com), member of the Environmental Committee.
On February 20, 2009, Rights Action published a similar Photo-Essay: “Health harms in San Miguel Ixtahuacan where Goldcorp Inc. operates an open-pit, cyanide leeching gold mine”:http://www.rightsaction.org/articles/San_Miguel_022009.htm

Photo 1 (Rights Action): Goldcorp Inc. uses this irrigation system to soak the massive pile of rock and earth with cyanide, which soaks through, attaches to and then separates off the gold from other materials.
* * *
Since 2000, Canadian mining company Goldcorp Inc. operates the “San Martin” mine in the Siria Valley, via its Honduran subsidiary Entremares S.A.
Along with many people and groups in Honduras and Central and North America, we are convinced that the “San Martin” mine – like the “Marlin” mine in Guatemala - is the direct and indirect cause of the multiple health problems to the inhabitants of the communities close to the mine.
* * *
LICCY AMALIA CRUZ (4 years old)

Photo 3. Liccy Amalia Cruz: lives in the Escanito community. Her mother explains that a month ago Lucy began having itchy blisters on her head, which she scratched. Then, she began to lose her hair and have a constant itch on her scalp. She has been to the Health Center where they stated that her condition is the result of the region’s contamination caused by mining.
* * *
JOSE ESCOTO (5 months old)

Photo 5. José Escoto: lives in Palo Ralo, a community displaced by Goldcorp Inc., within 1 km of the mining activities. According to his mother Juana, José has bumps on his skin that itch a great deal. He scratches a lot during the night. He has been given medication, which allowed him to improve for a bit until the bumps reappeared.
* * *
CHRONOLGY OF INDIFFERENCE AND IMPUNITY
42,000 people live in the Siria Valley municipalities closest to the mine -- San Ignacio, El Porvenir and Cedros. Since 2000, the Siria Valley Environmental Committee has resisted the mine expansion into other municipalities and has denounced and demanded justice for the health and environmental damages. Rights Action has been supporting and working with the Environmental Committee since 2003.
To date, no justice or compensation has been achieved for the harms and violations. Goldcorp Inc. has the unconditional support of the governments of Honduras, Guatemala and Canada.
Almost every legal and administrative procedure and petition initiated by the Environmental Committee has been ignored or improperly dealt with by the legal system in Honduras. The government of Canada and mining industry reject every effort to pass legislation in Canada to establish even minimal criminal and civil legislation that could be used to hold companies like Goldcorp accountable in Canadian courts.
Goldcorp Inc is operating with almost complete impunity, and denies any connection between its mining operation and health and environmental harms and human rights violations.
* * *
VELKI CAROLINA CRUZ CASTILLO (9 years old)

Photo 6. Velki Cruz: has skin discoloration problems. She lives 3 km from the mine in Escanito. She has had this problem for the past three months and each day it spreads.
* * *
NORMA YOLANDA CRUZ (2 years old)
Photo 7. Norma Yolanda Cruz: lives in Escanito. Her mother states that this girl has pimple-like bumps on her skin that itch and cause her to scratch. Her scratching has led to bleeding which triggers more pimple-like bumps. Her mother is troubled by Norma’s health condition. Her problem continues with no hope for improvement.
* * *
BRAYAN AVILA (17 months old)

Photo 8. Brayan Ávila: lives in El Pedernal, 1 km from the mine. His mother states that a month ago, small bumps began to appear on Brayan’s skin. Upon scratching, a liquid appeared which upon contact with other parts of his body causes new bumps to emerge. The bumps now cover his entire body. Unable to withstand the pain and itch, Brayan scratches day and night.
* * *
ROSELIN MARIA ARTEAGA (5 years old)

Photo 9. Roselin Maria Arteaga: lives in El Pedernal, 1 km from the mine. She has itchy skin wounds. Her mother states that they started as small pimple-like bumps that, after having scratched herself, increased. Roselin cannot bear the itching caused by these bumps.
* * *
KAROL ANAHI ARTEAGA (2 years old)

Photo 10. Karol Anahi Arteaga: lives 1 km from the mine, in the El Pedernal community. She has an itchy rash all over her body. Her mother has searched for medication but has none has been able to solve Karol’s problem. The medicines cure her momentarily, until the rash again appears.
* * *
CESAR YOHAN COELLO (7 years old)

Photo 11. César Yohan Coello: lives in El Escanito. His house is located 1 km from the mine. He has skin wounds. The rash itches a great deal which leads to his vigorous scratching.
* * *
HENRY DAYOL QUEZADA (9 years old)

Photo 12. Henry Dayol Quezada: lives in El Escanito. The skin on his entire body is discolored, which causes itching.
* * *
NELSON HERNANDEZ (1 year)

Photo 13. Nelson Hernandez: lives 1 km from the mine in El Pedernal. His mother states that Nelson has an itchy skin rash. He scratches during the night. Upon scratching, bumps break open and spread to his entire body.
* * *
ANDRES VELASQUEZ (70 years old)

Photo 14. Andrés Velasquez: affirms that he has lived his entire life in this community and he has never had these health problems, until the mine’s arrival. He suffers from an illness in which his entire body itches.
* * *
ERICA GUADALUPE MARTINEZ (4 years)

Photo 16. Erica Martinez: has a rash on her entire body. Her mother states that her daughter did not have this illness or any problems until the mine arrived. The entire family has skin rashes.
* * *
PEDRO RODRIGUEZ (65 years old)
Photo 18. Pedro Rodriguez: lives in El Pedernal. He has a rash on his entire body. The rash itches so much that he scratches until it bleeds. Pedro affirms that he did not have this illness until the mine’s arrival.
* * *
FRANCISCA CRUZ (54 years old)

Photo 20. Francisca Cruz: has lived in El Escanito her entire life. She said she never had this type of illness. She also mentions that the mine causes a lot of dust in the air.
* * *
WHAT TO DO?
1- TO MAKE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS
for Indigenous and community-based organizations in Guatemala and Honduras resisting the harms caused by large-scale mining “development” projects and implementing their own community development projects, make check payable to "Rights Action" and mail to:
* UNITED STATES: Box 50887, Washington DC, 20091-0887
* CANADA: 552 - 351 Queen St. E, Toronto ON, M5A-1T8
CREDIT-CARD DONATIONS:http://www.rightsaction.org/Templates/donations_index.html
On request: Project proposals for our partner groups.
2- MORE INFORMATION
Read report “Investing in Conflict” about Goldcorp’s operations across the Americas:http://rightsaction.org/Reports/research.pdf.
See film “All That Glitters Isn’t Gold” (http://www.rightsaction.org/video/gold/) that documents health and environmental harms related to Goldcorp’s “San Martin” mine in Honduras.
Go to www.rightsaction.org for further reports, articles and photo-essays.
3- WRITE TO YOUR POLITICIANS, MEDIA, INVESTMENT FUNDS
There is no easy way to help the poor campesinos of the Siria Valley in Honduras (or Mayan Mam villagers in Guatemala) being harmed by these gold mines.
Goldcorp has the full support of the governments of Canada and Guatemala; early on, the World Bank was an investor in and supporter of the “Marlin” mine in Guatemala.
It is fundamental that US and Canadian citizens hold Goldcorp, its investors and shareholders and the American and Canadian governments accountable for the environmental and health harms and human rights violations being caused by Goldcorp in Guatemala, Honduras, and elsewhere.
American and Canadian citizens should write to - and keep on writing to - their politicians, making them aware of these situations, demanding that our governments prioritize global human rights and environmental concerns over global business interests, demanding that our politicians use their power and authority to help hold our corporations accountable if/ when they violate human rights and/or cause environmental and health harms.
Canadians and Americans should write to and keep writing to their own Pension Funds and Investment Brokers – including the Canadian Pension Plan - to find out what types of corporations and businesses they are investing in, to demand that our investors prioritize global human rights and environmental concerns over profits, to insist that investments be withdrawn if/ when profits are being made at the expense of environmental and health harms and/ or human rights violations.
ADDRESSES
Send your own letter to your own politicians, media, the company and your own investment firms or pension fund, demanding a response to your letters of concern and protest about this corporate and investment activity.
GOLDCORP Inc.
info@goldcorp.com; inquiries@cibcmellon.com;hr@goldcorp.com; Directors@Goldcorp.com;info@goldcorp.com; inquiries@cibcmellon.com;jamess@montana.com.gt; lisa.wade@montana.com.gt
GOBIERNO DE CANADA
Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada
Rideau Hall
1 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON, K1A-0A1
info@gg.ca
CANADIAN Minister of International Cooperation
Bev Oda
509-S Centre Block
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A6
Oda.B@parl.gc.ca
CANADIAN Minister of Foreign Affairs
Lawrence Cannon
509-S Centre Block, House of Commons
Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A6
CANADIAN Embassy in Guatemala
Ambassador Leeann McKechnie
leeann.mckechnie@international.gc.ca
Karin Reinecke, Assistant to the Ambassador
karin.reinecke@international.gc.ca
13 Calle 8-44 Zone 10, Edificio Edyma Plaza
Ciudad de Guatemala
E: gtmla@international.gc.ca
FONDO CANADIENSE DE PENSIONES: csr@cppib.ca
* * *

4- SPEAKING TOUR – “On the Road to Goldcorp’s Annual Shareholder Meeting”:
On May 22, 2009, Goldcorp will hold its annual shareholder meeting in Vancouver, BC. Rights Action is organizing a speaking tour in central and eastern Canada with Carlos Amador, of the Siria Valley Environmental Defense Committee, and Francois Guindon, of Rights Action’s office in Guatemala. To host educational events in your community:info@rightsaction.org.
5- MORE INFO
Grahame Russell, 1-860-352-2448 , info@rightsaction.org,www.rightsaction.org

Protest at Goldcorp's AGM -- tomorrow

2009-05-20T22:28:00.000-07:00

From a Mining Watch Canada e-mail altert:

MEDIA ADVISORY
May 18, 2009

MEDIA CONTACTS:
François Guindon, Rights Action: 819-329-0223
Maria Ramos, NISGUA: 202-257-8061

Indigenous and Community Leaders from Guatemala, Honduras and British Columbia to Confront Goldcorp CEO at Shareholder Meeting

Pressure Mounts on Mining Giant Goldcorp Over Human Rights Violations, Environmental Harms, and Questionable Contracts Across the Americas

Interviews in English, French and Spanish, B-Roll, photos of health impacts available upon request.
____________________________________________________________________________

WHAT: Press briefing and rally preceding Goldcorp's (GG) annual shareholders' meeting, with indigenous and community leaders from Honduras and Guatemala and Canadian First Nation.

WHO:

Aniseto Lopez, indigenous Maya Mam leader from the western highlands of Guatemala

Arturo Mendez, indigenous Maya Mam elder from the western highlands of Guatemala

Carlos Amador, environmental and community leader from Honduras

Anne Sam, councillor of the Nak'azdli First Nation in British Columbia

Representatives of a broad coalition of human rights and environmental groups from across Canada and the U.S.

WHEN: 1:30pm, Friday, May 22nd, 2009

WHERE: Outside the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel, 900 Canada Place Way, Vancouver, BC

BACKGROUND:

In what a coalition of indigenous, human rights and environmental organizations from across the Americas has referred to as "business as usual," Canadian gold mining company Goldcorp Inc. will be confronted at their annual shareholders' meeting about the company's failure to address profound human rights and environmental issues at their existing and proposed mines in Honduras, Guatemala and British Columbia.

In Honduras, communities warn of Goldcorp's toxic legacy, as the San Martin Mine is scheduled to close later this year and the company has yet to establish a responsible closure plan that includes clean up of cyanide, arsenic and other toxins in the region and reparations for community members suffering pollution-related health impacts.

Indigenous Mayan communities in Guatemala call on Goldcorp to suspend its open-pit, cyanide-leeching Marlin Mine project, asserting they were never properly consulted, and are already bearing a heavy environmental and health toll.

In the western highlands of Guatemala, indigenous Mayan communities are also contesting Goldcorp's new mining contracts across 14 municipalities, claiming they have not granted their consent. In response, communities have organized popular referenda voting in opposition to mining activities.

Members of the Nak'azdli First Nation contest they have not been consulted about the Goldcorp-supported Teranne Metals Corporation's proposed Shus Nadloh (Mr. Milligan) mine at the head of the Arctic and Rainbow watersheds on Nak'azdli traditional territory and warn of potential environmental damages.

# # #

--
Jamie Kneen
Communications & Outreach Coordinator ofc. (613) 569-3439
MiningWatch Canada cell: (613) 761-2273
250 City Centre Ave., Suite 508 fax: (613) 569-5138
Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6K7 e-mail: jamie@miningwatch.ca
Canada http://www.miningwatch.ca
Skype: jamiekneen