Rights Action invites you to join an
EDUCATIONAL DELEGATION TO GUATEMALA, April 17-23, 2011
INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE & HUMAN RIGHTS
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MINING COMPANIES & IMPUNITY
In the context of Guatemala's historic impunity and repression, exploitation and poverty, racism and lack of democracy, this educational trip will investigate environmental and health harms and human rights violations caused by "development" projects, particularly gold, silver and nickel mining operations.
Over 7 days (& 8 nights), we will meet with community development, environmental justice and indigenous and human rights activists and experts. We will travel to: Mayan-Q'eqchi' communities suffering harms and human rights violations due to the nickel mining interests of the Canadian Hudbay Minerals company; and to Mayan-Mam communities suffering harms and human rights violations due to the gold mining interests of the Canadian Goldcorp Inc company.
Led by Grahame Russell, this trip will enable participants to learn first-hand about community development, about indigenous and human rights struggles and organizing, about the unjust global "development" model, about particular problems caused by the global mining industry, and about how to be involved, in North America, with political and legal activism in support of community-controlled development, enviro- and HR work.
COST: US$825. This fee covers: 8 nights of hotel; 2 meals a day for 7 days; transportation in-country; trip organization, guiding & translation; honorariums for some people and communities we meet with. Participants pay for their own travel to and from Guatemala.
DATES: Arrive in Guatemala City on Saturday April 16; depart on Sunday April 24. (There are no delegation activities planned for these travel dates)
FOR WHOM: Citizens and activists, donors, professors and educators, media, health, environment and legal professions who are concerned about: global exploitation-poverty-"development"; foreign interventions and repression; environmental destruction and justice; where gold and nickel comes from and how it is produced; and about community-based work for equality, justice, locally controlled development and environmental well-being.
FOR INFORMATION, contact Grahame Russell: info@rightsaction.org , 860-352-2448, www.rightsaction.org
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: To learn more about these mining related struggles and issues, contact Grahame Russell (info@rightsaction.org), or go to www.rightsaction.org.
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