Africa’s Blessing/Africa’s Curse provides a very accessible overview of resource extraction in Africa, with chapters devoted to gold mining, diamonds and the oil industry. Numerous case studies give a human face to the social, cultural and environmental impacts of mining and the...

This book is based on a collaboration of indigenous leaders, social activists and scholars. It explores indigenous peoples’ struggles to maintain control of their lives and lands in the face of increasing and accelerated encroachment of globalized industrial and commercial “development.”...

The One Pute Jaya and Bahumotefe community lands in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, have been staked for PT Inco's expanded contract of work area. The One Pute Jaya and Bahumotefe citizens reject PT Inco's plans to mine on their land.

Despite the citizens' protests, PT Inco has begun exploring and...

Indonesian environmentalist Arianto Sangaji is in Vancouver to launch a national campaign highlighting the role of Inco in his country.

Mr. Sangaji, the director of Yayasan Tanah Merdeka (Free Earth Foundation), is highlighting the threatened displacement of both indigenous people and migrants...

In 2004, MiningWatch Canada partnered with two women’s groups in the remote mining communities of Wabush and Labrador City (together known as Lab West) to consider the health implications of living in a mining town for community women. The Labrador West Status of Women Council and the Femmes...

On March 18-19, MiningWatch Canada facilitated a meeting in Whitehorse to assess resources and capacity in the Yukon to work on mining, prioritize issues, expand working relationships and work on strategies. Invitees included a number of individuals and representatives of local organizations.

1. ensur...

In northwestern Tanzania, in the Shinyanga region, there is a massive gold mining area called Bulyanhulu, just south of Lake Victoria.

Since the 1980's Bulyanhulu has been mined by small-scale local artisans who had questionable rights to mine. However, the government tolerated their mining...

Peter McCaslin's article High Stakes, Hard Lines Pose Threat to Peace in Northeastern Thailand and his paper Somboon Mining Project: A Failure of Democracy in Thailand were also posted by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre. The Centre asked the company to respond, and Asia Pacific...

The House of Commons Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Development submitted its third report to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, which adopted the report on June 26, 2005. The report (the Committee's 14th), Mining in Developing Countries -- Corporate...

DeBeers has staked over 1.94 million hectares of land in north eastern Manitoba near the Hudson Bay coast, in return for a payment of $1 million to the Manitoba government - about 50 cents a hectare. The claims surround another 60,900 hectares staked by Western Warrior Resources.

Manitoba has a system of claim staking that enables large areas to be claimed at one time. Mining claims can vary in size from a minimum of 16 hectares to a maximum of 256 hectares. A mining claim in unsurveyed territory is approximately rectangular in shape; the length cannot be greater than four...

There are seven really significant "Type II" abandoned mine sites in the Yukon. Some of them are mired in ownership questions which have to be resolved before the final decommissioning can take place. The seven are: United Keno Hill, Clinton Creek, Mt. Nansen, Faro, Ketza, Sa Dena Hess and Brewery...

Most asbestos mining in Canada takes place in Québec. At its peak Québec had 10 of the 13 asbestos mines in Canada. The Thetford Mines region in Québec is home to most of these mines, the largest being the Jeffrey Mine. In fact, the Jeffrey Mine is the largest open pit asbestos mine in the world.

A...

Good mine closure and environmental plans are important. They should form part of the Environmental Impact Assessments prepared by the company and financial bonds should be posted to cover these costs in the event that the company goes bankrupt. Yet even when mine sites have been 'restored' and...

Impact and Benefit Agreements (IBAs) seek to address the impacts a mine will have on a community and the environment and set the ground rules for a relationship between the community and a mining company.

Law or policy does not require iBAs, but many companies may seek to negotiate IBAs...

It is estimated that 60% of all mining activity in Canada takes place on Aboriginal lands. In many cases Aboriginal people have been hit the hardest by the social and environmental impacts of mining activities, from exploration through mine development and operation and to closure and abandonment...