[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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