Even before former guerrilla commander Salvador Sánchez Cerén is inaugurated as President of El Salvador, his administration is saddled with an unnecessary $301-million liability -- a lawsuit over El Salvador's refusal to allow an environmentally perilous gold mine to be built.
Yukon Stories: Mining's Unbalanced Influence in the North
In September 2013, MiningWatch's Canada Program Coordinator, Ramsey Hart travelled to the Yukon. The trip north gave him the opportunity to hear Yukoners’ stories - their concerns and their vision of a sustainable future. During his Yukon trip Ramsey met with representatives from three First Nations...
Letter to Barrick regarding African Barrick Gold’s non-judicial “remedy programs” at North Mara, Tanzania
MiningWatch and Rights and Accountability in Development wrote this letter to the President and CEO of Barrick Gold, Jamie Sokalsky, to ask the company to come clean about the “remedy programs” that African Barrick Gold (a UK-registered company controlled by Barrick Gold) has established for alleged...
Dear Mr. Harper: An Open Letter from Mexican Organizations on the Eve of North American Leaders' Summit
Communiqué: Mexican organizations and communities have issued a searing public statement to the heads of state of Canada, the US and Mexico who will meet in Toluca, Mexico on February 19th. The declaration expresses opposition to the free trade framework and related policies that further entrench...
Environmentalist and Communicator from the Siria Valley, Honduras Denounces Threats
Alert: Carlos Amador, an environmentalist and communicator from the Siria Valley in Honduras, is denouncing that over the last few months he has been watched and followed by unknown individuals using vehicles with tinted windows and without licence plates. He attributes this situation to the work he...
Imagine if Canada were Open for Justice!
At MiningWatch we live and breathe news about mining. But what’s good news for companies and their investors may be bad news for affected communities and anyone concerned about issues like human rights, the environment, economic justice, government accountability…(the list is long). We have to give...
Indigenous Struggle and Survival in the Face of Canadian Colonialism and Mining
Presentation: Xat'sull Chief Bev Sellars discusses the struggle of indigenous peoples for their territory and wellbeing of their communities in the context of continuing colonialism and destructive mining practices in Canada. Chief Sellars made this presentation at the Fifth Gathering of the Latin...
Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect $200. Go to the Hospital?
How is it that when community leaders are wrongfully targeted in the aftermath of violence connected with Tahoe Resources’ Escobal mine they spend months in jail, while the company’s former head of security who faces criminal charges for his alleged role in the violence last April is first given...
Governments Spy – But Mining Companies Also Spy: A Tale of Two Whistleblowers
"I spy, you spy… In the world of big mining and big oil companies, it would seem that everybody spies." In this article, activist Judith Marshall makes the disturbing observation that while "Canada spies on Brazil and shares the information with mining and oil companies in Canada, Vale spies on its...
MiningWatch Canada Newsletter #35 – Fall/Winter 2013
Contents: The Giant Mine: Will Reason Prevail? The Federal CSR Counsellor Has Left the Building - Can we now have an effective ombudsman mechanism for the extractive sector? Revelations of Industrial Espionage Expose Underbelly of Canadian Support for Mining Companies The Bell Tolls for Free Entry...
Algonquins of Barriere Lake Need and Deserve Our Support
In the days and weeks ahead, the Algonquins of Barriere Lake are going to be standing up to the Quebec government over the Ministry of Natural Resource's intransigent refusal to respect past commitments to cooperate with the community in the management of the forests within the community's...
UN High Commissioner Responds Regarding Barrick’s Porgera Abuses
In our June newsletter, we wrote about the ongoing abuse of the human rights of victims of rape by security guards at Barrick Gold’s Porgera Joint Venture mine in Papua New Guinea (95% owned, operated by Barrick).
Opposition Builds to First Quantum Minerals’ Copper Mine, Dams, and Land Grab in Zambia
Communities affected by First Quantum Minerals’ massive Sentinel copper mine project in Northwest Zambia have been resisting the project for more than three years. The company has been throwing its weight around with the community as well as the Zambian government, making liberal promises of jobs...
The Federal CSR Counsellor Has Left the Building - Can we now have an effective ombudsman mechanism for the extractive sector?
The Office of the Extractive Sector Corporate Social Responsibility Counsellor (CSR Counsellor) was announced with much government fanfare in October 2009 as a central “pillar” in the government’s “CSR strategy” for Canada’s extractive sector. The CSR Counsellor was to provide remedy for people who...
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to Hear about Canadian Government’s Role in Mining Abuses
The 149th Session of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in Washington DC this Friday will hear from delegates from Colombia, Honduras, Peru, Chile and Brazil about the negative impacts of Canadian mining activities in the region, highlighting the Canadian government’s role.
The Giant Mine: Will Reason Prevail?
Guest blog by Kevin O’Reilly, Alternatives North, Yellowknife: The Giant Mine operated at the edge of the city of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, from 1948 to 2004. As the gold-bearing ore was processed, the mine generated a toxic by-product, arsenic trioxide – a proven non-threshold...