The Center for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC), along with the Extractive Industries Research Group (EIRG) at York University are hosting a conference next month in Toronto, titled Rethinking Extractive Industry: Regulation, Dispossession, and Emerging Claims.
Organized in response to the growing need for public debate surrounding the mining and petroleum industries in Canada and elsewhere around the world, the conference will focus on:
- the industry’s potential contribution to long-term economic and human
development - the social and environmental impact of Extractive Industries (EIs)
- the effectiveness of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs
- the benefits/drawbacks of community consultation and corporate-community agreements
- the adequacy of existing national and international regulatory regimes
- the appropriate role of governments in regulating EIs
- the impact of community mobilization, social movements and international civil society networks on EI operations
- the results of transnational lawsuits against mining and petroleum companies
Specific countries covered in the discussions include: Canada, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, and Peru, the Congo, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Guyana, Suriname, the Philippines, the United States, and Australia.
For details on the conference, including a full listing of speakers and panel discussions, as well as registration info, visit http://www.yorku.ca/cerlac/ei-agenda.html