Newsletter 15: Winter 2003-2004

Sunday, March 7, 2004

“Safe Use” of Canadian asbestos in Brazil – breaking open the bags. F. Giannasi photo.
“Safe Use” of Canadian asbestos in Brazil – breaking open the bags. F.
Sunday, March 7, 2004

Environmentalists from across Canada were told about plans by Health Canada to gut health protection for Canadians through a proposed new "Canadian Health Protection Act" at a retreat February 17-19.

Sunday, March 7, 2004

President Alvaro Uribe Vélez moved to liquidate the State Mining Company of Colombia, Minercol Ltda., through Decree 254 of January 28, 2004 - at the same wiping out its employees' union Sintraminercol and clearing the way for the wholesale turnover of the exploration, exploitation and administration of mineral, energy, and public resources to multinational corporations.

Sunday, March 7, 2004

On December 9, 2003, Canadian-owned Glamis Gold filed a Notice of Arbitration under the arbitration rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) demanding over $50 million in compensation.

The company is alleging that the government of the United States has breached its obligations under Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement, including the following provisions:

Sunday, March 7, 2004

The "War on Terrorism" actually started long before September 2001. A xenophobic and racist backlash against refugees and immigrants has been feeding an open attack on civil liberties as governments all over the world seize the opportunity to shift attention from failed domestic policies.

Sunday, March 7, 2004

"Another World Is Possible" is the motto of the World Social Forum (WSF), whose fourth gathering brought 100,000 people together in Mumbai (Bombay), India in January.

Sunday, March 7, 2004

In January, MiningWatch had the privilege of visiting with inspirational people from three mining communities across Canada. Mel Quevillon, Canadian Program Coordinator, visited Labrador West (Labrador City and Wabush) in Labrador and Thompson and Flin Flon in Manitoba to meet with community members and scope out the interest in applying to be a pilot community for a project on women's health called "Overburdened: Understanding the Impacts of Mineral Extraction on Women's Health in Mining Communities".

Sunday, March 7, 2004
Members and representatives from seventeen First Nations met with nine conservation groups and others on January 28-29, 2004 in Thunder Bay to talk about how they could work together and care for the northern boreal forest in Ontario and Manitoba. Ontario and Manitoba's northern boreal forest is globally significant because it is the largest intact forest in North ...