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During the second Latin American Parks Congress this week, the Wai Wai established a new precedent for Indigenous People, becoming the first to declare their territory a ‘Community Owned Conservation Area.’

Backed by a government decree and supported by US-based Conservation International (CI), they also banned miners and loggers from their section of the Amazon jungle in remote southern Guyana, near the border of Brazil–and pledged to pursue a sustainable economic strategy based on ecotourism, research and traditional crafts.

According to Cemci Sose, the Kayaritomo of the Wai Wai, …

As part of a massive effort to wean Panama off it’s dependence on foreign energy, there are currently over 90 hydroelectric projects slated for development throughout the country.

Of course, not all of them will be pursued, but then several will–including some that seriously threaten Panama’s indigenous People; for starters, the Ngobe and Naso.

The Changuinola project
“I will not go” says Isabel. “If the company wants to send police to kill me, go ahead.”

The Changuinola project, according Isabel Becker and other Ngobe living in Charco la Pava, Panama, …

Earlier this week, the Ecuadorian government held a press conference where it announced that Canada’s Ascendant Copper must suspend all its activities at the controversial Junin project, an open pit copper mine located in the Tropical Andes of Ecuador, for violating the country’s mining laws. This is the fourth stop work order since last December.

Immediately after the conference, Ascendant issued a statement emphatically denying it has violated any laws, and even says the Minister of Oil and Mines just doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

Should …

The Kadar, a people living in the Southern of region of India, found out a month ago that the government of Kerala has decided to go ahead with a controversial dam that will force the removal of Two Kadar communities–permanently disjointing them from their cultural life.

The dam, which has been found to be ecologically unsound and anti-development, will also destroy the habitat of numerous endangered species and substantially reduce the water flow of the Chalakkudy river, which tens of thousands of families depend on.

The government …

Beneath the village of Rosia Montana, located in west-central Romania, there lies a massive deposit of gold ore–over 300 tonnes. The village has been living on top of it for over 2000 years now; but today the village, indeed the entire area is threatened. Canada’s own Gabriel Resources wants to turn it into Europe’s largest open-pit cyanide mine.

If all goes as planned, 2000 people will be relocated; and 5 mountains, 10 Churches, 12 Cemeteries and 958 farms will be destroyed. On top of that, a cyanide lake will be made of a valley neighboring Rosia Montana.

Some are welcoming the …

Traditional Chiefs at Six Nations have recently announced that anyone planning to build in the Grand River watershed must now secure a permit from the Confederacy.

The Confederacy stated that this is an assertion of their jurisdiction over lands within the Haldimand Tract, as well as an attempt to prevent environmental degradation caused by new developments.

Aaron Detlor, a Mohawk lawyer and spokesperson for the new planning agency says “We are saying specifically that you need to apply and be given a permit…” “If you do not have a permit and …

After British and Canadian politicians visited Honduras to have a look at the problems associated with Goldcorp in the region, the Siria Valley Environmental Committee has authored the following open letter—discussing the historical and ongoing damages caused by the open pit gold mine in the Siria Valley (department of Francisco Morazan, Honduras)

Thanks to rights action for sending this out.

OPEN LETTER TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
FROM THE SIRIA VALLEY ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE

We extend our welcome to Alexa McDonough, Canadian Member of Parliament, thanking her for her interest in learning in …