CONSEJO INTERNACIONAL DE TRATADOS INDIOS

UNITED OUTCRY

AGAINST MINING GREENWASH

ndigenous peoples, mine-affected local communities and major organisations of civil society decried today the partnership forged by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) as a cynical greenwash of the mining industry.

"It’s a contradiction for the ICMM, whose mining industry members have systematically engaged in the rape of the Mother Earth to have suddenly changed heart to implement best management practices to protect biodiversity.  By nature of its technology, mining is unsustainable. The mining industry has a poor record of community accountability and in many parts of the world is socially unacceptable", said Tom Goldtooth of the Indigenous Environmental Network. 

Mining has left a legacy of impoverished communities and environmental despoliation.  "Entering a partnership on Mining and Biodiversity with the World Conservation Union, while marginalizing indigenous peoples and local communities, who are most severely impacted, is a gross cynicism and non-accountability on the part of these global organisations" said Joji Carino of Tebtebba Foundation, the Indigenous Peoples International Centre for Policy-Research and Education.

A global coalition of indigenous peoples' organisations, mine-affected communities and civil society organisations called today for:

1.      A moratorium on mining activities until governments and corporations respect indigenous peoples' rights to self-determination and to free, prior and informed consent to all forms of mining;

2.      Down-sizing of the mining industry;

3.      A stop to environmentally damaging mining practices such as bulk and strip-mining; the use of cyanide heap leach open-pit mining;  and sub-marine tailings disposal;

4.      Reparations to affected communities and restitution for past damages; and

5.      A Convention on Corporate Accountability covering the mining, energy and chemical industries.

Supported by:

Indigenous Environmental Network: Tom Goldtooth, ien@igc.org 

Tebtebba Foundation: Joji Carino, tongtong@gn.apc.org  and Victoria Tauli-Corpuz,  vtcorpuz@yahoo.com

African Indigenous Women’s Organisation: Lucy Mulenkei

Indigenous Information Network c/o Lucy Mulenkei

Asian Indigenous Women’s Network c/o Victoria Tauli-Corpuz

International Indian Treaty Council: Antonio Gonzales

Indigenous Women’s Network: Priscilla Settee

Third World Network: Abdulai Dimarani

Friends of the Earth: Gabriel Ducca-Rivas

Oilwatch:  Elizabeth Bravo

Amigransa

Inuit Circumpolar Conference: Carl Christian Olsen

Aliansi Masyakarat Nusantara (AMAN): Den Upa Rombeyaluk

Indigenous Mining Campaign Project: Sayokla Kindness

Asian Indigenous Peoples Pact: Jannie Lasimbang

Kalipunan ng Mamamayang Katutubo ng Pilipinas (KAMP Philippines): Gerardo Gobrin

Cordillera Peoples Alliance, Philippines: Joan Carling

Parbattya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS), Bangladesh Hill Tracts: Mrinal Kanti Tripura

CORE, Manipur: Roy Laifungbam

Neetsai Gwi'chin: Chief Evon Peter

Saami Council: Anne Nuorgam and Rune Fjellheim

Saami Parliament, Sweden: Lars Anders Baer

Consejo de Todas las Tierras: Jose Nain

International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests: Marcial Arias

Fundacion para la Promocion del Conocimiento Indigena: Onel Masardule

Asociacion Ixacavaa de Desarollo e Informacion Indigena: Esther Camac

ANIPA, Mexico: Cecilio Solis

Coordinadora Mapuche de Nequen: Jorge Nahuel

Central Audiovisual Indigena de Bolivia (CAIB): Jacinto Rodriguez

Pastoralists Indigenous Non-Government Organization (Tanzania): William Tate Olenasha

National Khoi-San Consultative Conference (South Africa): Cecil Le Fleur

Simba Maasai Outreach Organization (Tanzania): Daniel Salau

Mohawk Nation at Kahnawake: Kenneth Deer

Inqua House (South Africa): Themba Smuts

University of the Autonomous Region of Nicaraguans Caribbean coast: Jadder Mendoza Lewis

Rethinking Tourism project: Cresencio Resendiz-Hernandez

Third World Network (International): Martin Khor

Third World Network (Africa): Yao Graham

Friends of the Earth (Malaysia): Meenakshi Raman

Consumers Association of Penang (Malaysia)    

Rainforest Action Network (RAN): Randy Hayes

International Workgroup on Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA): Birgitte Feiring

Netherlands Centre for Indigenous Peoples: Mirriam Anne Frank

Global Forest Coalition: Miguel Lovera

Mugarik Gabe: Jesus Gonzalez

CEFREC (Bolivia): Ivan Sanjines

Ecumenical Team, World Council of Churches: Jutta Steigerwald

Washington Biodiversity Action Coalition: Prof. Philip Bereano

Environmental and Human Systems Management: P. Puntenney

ALMACIGA (Spain): Patricia Borraz

PIPLinks, UK: Geoff Nettleton

Network Movement for Justice and Development (Sierra Leone): Abu a. Brima

Project Underground (USA): Diana Ruiz

Nepalese Indigenous Peoples Development and Information Service Center (Nepal): Krepu Kirati

Mineral Policy Institute: Igor O'Neill

Defensa y Conservacion Ecologica de Intag Ecuador DECOIN (Ecuador): Carlos Zorrilla

Forest Peoples Programme, (UK): Maurizio Farhan

Borneo Resources Institute BRIMAS (Malaysia): Raymund Abin

Mining, Minerals and Peoples, (India): Bhanu

MiningWatch Canada: Joan Kuyek

Accion Ecologica Ecuador: Juan Francisco Segovia

Lawyers' Environmental Action Team (Tanzania): Lissu   

Center for Alternative Mining Development  Policy (USA): Al Gedicks

Turkey: Ustun Reinart

Mining Impact Coalition of Wisconsin (USA): Dave Blouin

Coordinadora Nacional de Comunidades del Peru Afectadas por la Mineria CONACAMI (Peru): Thomas Craenen

Project for Ecological Recovery PER (Bangkok, Thailand): Iwona Wiszniewski

Towards Ecological Recovery and Regional Alliance TERRA (Bangkok, Thailand): c/o Iwona Wiszniewski

Hellenic Mining Watch: Maria Kadoglou

NGO Environmental Watch Group (Papua New Guinea): Matilda Koma

Media and Advocacy Center for Minority Rights Development (Nairobi, Kenya): Nyang'ori Ohenjo

Corporacion OLCA (Chile): Cesar Padilla

Naga City, Philippines: Lina Regis

Social Action Commission, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines: Sr. Eden Orlino

Rainforest Information Network (Australia): Ruth Rosenhek

Focus on the Global South: Shulmali Guttal

Updated on September 11, 2002: 12 noon