[act-ma] 11/15 Join Honduran Water Defenders. Demand Accountability at Simonds!
Charlie Welch
cwelch at tecschange.org
Fri Nov 12 12:49:35 PST 2021
Join Honduran Water Defenders. Demand Accountability at Simonds!
Monday, November 15th
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Simonds International Headquarters
435 Lancaster Street, Leominster, MA 01453
For over four years, members of local communities in Honduras, organized
by the Broad Movement for Dignity and Justice (MADJ), have peacefully
maintained an encampment defending the Jilamito river against the
construction of a hydroelectric project. The project threatens the water
sovereignty of surrounding communities and has been rejected in two
municipal referendums held in 2015 and 2019 respectively. Violence and
threats against the defenders have been repeatedly denounced by MADJ as
has the serious allegations of corruption associated with the project.
In May, the U.S. Development Finance Corporationannounced
<https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvzm43/biden-just-killed-funding-for-a-controversial-dam-trump-tried-to-build-in-honduras>that
it would no longer fund the proposed dam because of public concern. This
decision came after over 60 U.S. and Honduran organizations signed
aletter
<https://www.solidaritycollective.org/post/press-release?link_id=3&can_id=68ec53db573e437d05675991a8645808&source=email-take-action-to-end-us-funding-for-the-jilamito-hydroelectric-project&email_referrer=&email_subject=take-action-to-end-us-funding-for-the-jilamito-hydroelectric-project>calling
for its cancellation and anotherletter
<https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-omar-leads-letter-condemn-trump-administration-s-plan-invest-controversial?link_id=4&can_id=68ec53db573e437d05675991a8645808&source=email-take-action-to-end-us-funding-for-the-jilamito-hydroelectric-project&email_referrer=&email_subject=take-action-to-end-us-funding-for-the-jilamito-hydroelectric-project>signed
by Rep. Ilhan Omar and more that 25 other Congress people.
Ingelsa, the Honduran company that owns the project intends to move
forward *and a major U.S. company stands to benefit.*Simonds
International, a Massachusetts based sawmill corporation, owns close to
40% of Hermacasa, the parent company of Ingelsa. They stand to profit
from a project that has clearly demonstrated responsibility for violence
inflicted upon Honduran communities.
*TAKE ACTION! On November 15th, join the Global Day of Action calling on
Simonds to immediately divest from Hermacasa and for the definitive
cancellation of the project.*
Here’s what you can do:
1. Join the rally at Simond’s in Leominster, Massachusetts on November
15th at 1 pm EST. If you can attend, fill out this google form.
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScp6f51Y-1nzp8oLR3v1VXAeh97774ecnzkDOm3Fk0UlQ6W6Q/viewform?usp=pp_url>
2. Contact your Congressional and state representatives
<https://actionnetwork.org/letters/join-honduran-water-defenders-in-demanding-corporate-accountability-from-simonds-international/>informing
them of Simonds business practices and asking for their support.
Express your support on social media! Don’t forget to use the hashtags
#JilamitoResiste and #SimondsDivest and to tag @masspeaceaction
<https://twitter.com/masspeaceaction?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor>and
@MovAmplioHn <https://twitter.com/MovAmplioHn>on Twitter.
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