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Another World is Possible A
Maritimes Delegation to the Third Social Forum of the Americas
You are invited to join the Maritimes delegation to "Another World is Possible," the third Social Forum of the Americas, to be held in Guatemala City October 7th – 12th, 2008. This event will gather together groups working for social, economic, environmental and cultural justice from North, Central and South America. It is an opportunity to develop the consciousness, vision, and strategy needed to create a just world. As those who have participated in previous Social Forums can attest, this is a great opportunity to build relationships, learn from each other's experiences, share analyses, and to be inspired. Bush and Harper Ignore Colombia’s Labor Rights Reality In the past year, there have been ongoing debates in both Washington and Ottawa about potential free trade agreements with Colombia. The failure to implement a hemisphere-wide agreement has led the governments of both President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Stephen Harper to push for bilateral pacts with their ideologically-aligned ally in Colombia, President Alvaro Uribe. Both Bush and Harper are facing domestic opposition that seeks to thwart the signing and ratification of the agreements due to ongoing human rights abuses in Colombia, particularly against unionists. The US and Canadian governments repeatedly point to a recent reduction in the number of Colombian labor leaders killed as justification for a free trade agreement. However, in actuality, the intensity of attacks against Colombian workers has increased, not decreased, under the Uribe government—and state security forces are directly responsible for an increasing number of the abuses. COLOMBIA: Foreign Firms Cash in on Generous Mining Code OTTAWA, Oct 22, 2007 (IPS) - These are prosperous times for Canadian mining and oil companies extracting resources from Colombia. "We have at least four exploration wells to be drilled throughout Colombia with large value additions for our company," said Scott Price, a spokesperson for Solana resources, an oil and gas company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. The company's Colombia production increased almost three-fold between January and September 2007 to 1,450 barrels of oil equivalent per day, with more lucrative investments in the conflict-beset southeastern Putumayo region, set to start producing in 2008. Coal
Comfort in an Upside-Down World Thirteen years ago, the world turned upside-down for Miluolis Arregoces and his five children. The family lived in Caracolí, a small farming community in Colombia’s parched La Guajira province, until bulldozers contracted by El Cerrejón, the world’s largest open-pit coal mine, demolished their home. Buttressed by a heavy police presence, mine officials confiscated land from around 30 families in Caracolí. The mine says some residents were compensated. Mr. Arregoces says he received nothing. Small group airs beefs at NSP hearing
About a dozen people showed up at a public hearing Wednesday night in Halifax to protest Nova Scotia Power’s proposal to hike power rates almost five per cent this spring. While most opposed NSP’s request to hike power rates for the fourth time in five years, others complained about the privately owned utility’s environmental record and its controversial purchases of coal from a large mine in Columbia. Letter to Loiuse Arbour About Human Rights Abuses in Haiti On December 5, 2006, the Canada Haiti Action Network sent a letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour informing her about human rights abuses perpetrated by Canadian and the UN forces in Haiti. ARSN Calls on NSP to Follow NB Power’s Example of Social Responsibility The Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network (ARSN) calls on Nova Scotia Power to follow NB Power’s example of social responsibility by also sending a public letter to the president of the Cerrejón Mine in Colombia demanding that the mine “negotiate in good faith with the union and affected communities” and that the mine recognize the “collective rights of the affected communities to collective negotiation, collective relocation and reparations.” NB Power Sends Letter Demanding the Cerrejón Mine Recognize Rights of Communities On November 14, New Brunswick Power sent a letter to the president of the Cerrejón Mine in Colombia demanding that the mine “negotiate in good faith with the union and affected communities” and that the mine recognize the “collective rights of the affected communities to collective negotiation, collective relocation and reparations.” The Living Dead Colombians and Belledune Pay the Price for New Brunswick Comfort and Complicity “Their fundamental rights have been violated. These communities lack the most minimal conditions necessary for a decent life. They seem to belong to the living dead” – writes Jairo Quiroz from the National Union of Coal Workers (Sintracarbón) after investigating the living conditions in communities around the Cerrejón coal mine in Colombia in early November. NB Power consumes coal produced in the Cerrejón mine at its plant in Belledune. Approximately 16% of the power in our province supplied through NB Power is generated from what has been dubbed “Colombian blood coal.” Cerrejón Mineworkers' Union Issues Statement Criticizing Mine's Treatment of Local Communities These communities are being systematically besieged by the Cerrejón company. The company begins by buying up the productive lands in the region surrounding the communities, encircling each community and destroying inhabitants’ sources of work. The goal of these policies is to eliminate all sources of employment and the only means that the communities have of supporting themselves. They do not have even the most minimal conditions necessary for survival. They are suffering from constant attacks and violations of their human rights by the Cerrejón company. NSP Coal-Use Protesters March on Trenton Plant TRENTON — A horn blaring from an engine shunting coal at the Nova Scotia Power generating plant Thursday almost drowned out the speeches. But protesters were able to get their point across: They don’t want the power company to burn coal in its generating plants anymore. About 50 people marched down Power Plant Road at noon, waving or wearing signs saying the company must find other ways of generating power. Protesters Decry Use of ‘Blood Coal’ A group of protesters put on a play in front of the NB Power building on King Street on Tuesday to depict what they claim is how Colombians are being displaced for coal that is used to produce electricity for NB Power. Social activists demonstrating over the use of Colombia’s so-called “blood coal” protested in front of NB Power’s headquarters in Fredericton on Tuesday. Clean Coal, Dirty Conscience? Listen to CBC Radio Information Morning's interview with ARSN member Suzanne MacNeil following her return from Colombia where she participated in a delegation investigating human rights violations by the Cerrejon Mine, which supplies coal to Nova Scotia Power. Listen to Interview (runs 7 mins 47 secs.) ARSN's Response to NSP's Update on Colombian Coal and Human Rights 30 August 2006 Dear Mark Sidebottom and Margaret Murphy, The Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network (ARSN) is disappointed with Nova Scotia Power’s response to the issues raised in ARSN’s recent letter to NSP CEO Ralph Tedesco and by recent public comments made by representatives of the utility company. We feel that NSP has made clear its complete confidence in the Cerrejon Mine and has dismissed all evidence presented by ARSN on behalf of displaced Colombians implicating the Cerrejon Mine in violations of human rights. In August 2006, several Nova Scotians visited the Cerrejon Mine and affected communities to investigate the situation. Meanwhile, no NSP representatives have visited the communities adversely affected by the mine’s operations. Nova Scotia Power's Update on Colombian Coal and Human Rights August 3, 2006 Dear Members of the Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network (ARSN), Nova Scotia Power President and CEO, Ralph Tedesco, has asked me to provide you with an update on the actions that Nova Scotia Power has taken at the request of ARSN since our meeting with your representatives and the representative from Colombia, Mr. Jose Julio Perez, on March 24, 2006. Digging for answers in Colombia
Talks Between ARSN and Nova Scotia Power Stalled Over Human Rights Demands On July 13, 2006, the Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network (ARSN) faxed a letter to Ralph Tedesco, CEO of Nova Scotia Power, and Chris Huskilson, CEO of Emera, parent company of NSP. The letter describes the repeated stalling tactics utilized by NSP representatives in talks with ARSN about human rights abuses linked to Colombian coal imported by NSP to fuel its power plants. It explains how NSP's inaction makes evident that the utility company is not serious about addressing human rights issues and, as a result, NSP is sullying the international reputation of both Nova Scotia and Canada.
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