[act-ma] TOMORROW - 12p Continental Day of Action Against Mega resource extraction -

[Bill Spirito (BASE)]

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

*_We invite you to join us:_*

*_Continental Day of Action Against Mega Resource Extraction August 1, 
2012 _*

*_31 St. James Ave, Boston, MA_*

*_From  12PM   to   1PM_*

We are heading a call from communities in the global south that have 
organized and are resisting the exploitive practices of the mega 
resource extractive industry. The organizations below, in solidarity 
with communities impacted by the mega mining extractive industry 
throughout the Americas call for a Continental Day of Action on August 
1st, 2012 to demand an end to exploitative and unjust mining practices.

Civil society along with communities from Canada to Argentina will 
conduct coordinated actions including rallies, demonstrations, community 
radio coverage, letter writing campaigns and other alternative and 
imaginative actions of protest in front of mining corporate offices, 
Canadian embassies across the Americas, and here in Boston we will have 
a small rally in front of the Colombian Consulate.

*WHY PROTEST? *

. Corporate mining operations have deeply impacted territories, 
communities, and life. Resource exploration and exploitation activities 
have caused displacement, widespread destruction of livelihoods 
(compromising water and food security), caused long- term health issues 
, disregarded sacred indigenous territories and rights, exacerbated 
human rights violations especially in contexts of internal conflict, and 
contributed to the criminalization of artisanal miners, union and 
environmental activists and community activists. Large-scale mining 
explorations and exploitations have also led to an irreversible loss in 
biodiversity.

. Despite the fact that large-scale mining is usually presented as a 
driving force of sustainable development by mining companies, 
governments throughout the Americas, and international institutions such 
as the World Bank, the long-term negative impacts on peoples and 
territories contrast with the vague promises of jobs, and national 
economic growth and development.

*OUR DEMANDS: *

*Divestment: *Governments should divest public funds from resource 
extraction industries. (i.e pension funds invested in GoldCorp and other 
corporations) and call for public funds to be invested in social 
programs like free education, affordable housing and universal healthcare .

*Regulation: *Governments should enable legislation that establishes 
corporate accountability standards for mining corporations operating 
abroad. This legislation should penalize corporations linked to human 
rights violations and should allow foreign nationals to pursue legal 
action for damages in the courts of the country where the mining company 
is from (Bills C-300 and C-323).

*Stop Complicity: *Stop utilizing public institutions to assist with 
high profile public relations campaigns conducted by resource extraction 
companies (such as the Museum of Natural History in Ottawa, Simon Fraser 
University, University of Toronto, York University, CIDA-funded projects 
such as the Devonshire initiative .

*Binding Community Consent Mechanisms: *That governments and courts of 
the region respect and adhere to the internationally recognized right of 
free prior and informed consent for Indigenous communities.

*People Before Profit: *End free trade agreements and bilateral 
investment treaties that enshrine the right of corporations over 
citizens and communities.



-- 

POLO DEMOCRATICO ALTERNATIVO DE COLOMBIA

CAPITULO BOSTON


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