So-called armed guards working for one of the rice farmer’s currently (illegally) occupying Raposa/Serra do Sol indigenous territory opened fire on a group of Macuxi indigenous People yesterday, injuring At least 10. One of them remains hospitalized in serious condition.

The owner of the farm, Paulo Cesar Quartiero, claims his men were firing in self-defense after the group refused to leave ‘his’ property. The Earth Times quote him as saying, “They invaded the estate. My men went there to ask them to leave, but they were met with arrows. There was a clash, and …

Well, it turns out the “media release” sent out by Rights Action on Tuesday, April Fools’ Day, was indeed a joke.

I was really hoping it wasn’t. In fact I was eager to applaud the Canadian mining company for pledging to take what would have been an near-unprecedented step… One that may very well have started a trend throughout the so-called business community.

So then, in part, I guess the Joke’s on me and anyone else who believed Goldcorp had the guts. But I don’t we’re the April Fool in this little funny. …

A group of Chippewa from Lac du Flambeau locked themselves inside the Tribal Council office yesterday morning to demand a federal investigation into the current Tribal government.

It wasn’t long before the police showed up — from nine different agencies. Fortunately they understood the action was peaceful and remained in the background during the lock-in, which lasted for about 14 hours.

Calling themselves Ginews (Ojibwe for Golden Eagles), the group said in a statement early on that the Tribal Council has abused their position to the point where everyone at Lac …

Last week, five of America’s leading jewelry retailers announced their support for the protection of Alaska’s Bristol Bay from large-scale mining; particularly against the proposed Pebble gold-copper mine.

Featured in the report, Golden Rules: Making the Case for More Responsible Mining (pdf), the proposed Pebble mine would come to be “the largest mine in North America, covering over 15 square miles (39 square kilometers) of land and generating more than 3 billion tons of mine waste over its life. The waste [would] be impounded in a seismically active …

The following is a trailer for the film Ever Decreasing Circles, a documentary that outlines the ongoing health crisis and human rights disaster that’s been thrown on the backs of one traditional farming community in Berezovka, Kazakhstan.

The situation is said to be an example of “the typical environmental and social exploitation occurring in the Caspian region at the hands of western oil consortiums and corrupt local officials. What is not typical about Berezovka is that the citizens are fighting back.”

Located nearly five-kilometers away from the fields, the community …

Yesterday, the Good Governance Board for Hope, which based in Montes Azules, Chiapas, Mexico—reported that on August 18th more than 30 men, women, and children were kidnapped by military.

Arriving in six helicopters, the military accused the people in the towns of San Manuel and Buen Samaritano (Good Samaritan) of destroying an ecologic reserve mountain.

According to the communique, the military organized themselves into two groups, and went on to destroy their houses, steal their possessions, and “arrest” 32 people—18 of them Children between the ages of 1 and 10. …

In a series of rulings issued yesterday, the United States (US) District Court Judge in San Francisco, Susan Illston, ruled that Chevron was directly involved in the attacks and murders which occurred against villagers in the Niger Delta region, in 1998 and 1999. Chevron Nigeria will be standing trial later this year.

From All Africa.com - According to information made available to THISDAY, Judge Illston “found evidence that CNL [Chevron Nigeria Limited] personnel were directly involved in the attacks; CNL transported the GSF [Nigerian government security forces], CNL paid the …

The following is a call of support and solidarity for the People of Sebokeng, South Africa who were recently attacked and arrested for setting up a pacific blockade in protest of the African National Congress’s (ANC) inadequate service to the Sebokeng township. Thanks to Ana for sharing this on her blog.

On Tuesday morning, 14th of August, over 1000 community members from Sebokeng’s “informal settlement” attempted to blockade the Golden Highway between Sebokeng and Johannesburg in protest at the ANC government’s inadequate service delivery since its election in 1994. …

At the end of August there’s going to be a protest at the University of Denver’s Korbel Dinner, which is an annual fundraiser for the Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS).

This year’s keynote Speaker is Madeline Albright–but the main reason for this protest is because the GSIS intends to honour Wayne Murdy, the CEO of the world’s biggest gold mining company, for his company’s “progressive” work around the world.

Colorado AIM, who teamed up with the Stop Newmont Coalition two years ago, sent out the following information …

The criminalization of activism seems to have become a trend this month. Governments all around the world are increasingly criminalizing democracy, prohibiting the pursuit of Justice, and preventing any real chance of Corporate and Governmental Responsibility.

This trend of course, comes as a heavy-handed bureaucratic response to activists and indigenous peoples increased efforts to protect the land, to demand accountability and Justice, and to insist that governments and corporations stop infringing on our lives and preventing us from having our needs met—so they can get what they want. Needs are …