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VIVAT International Submission on Mining and HR June 3rd, 2013
Newmont Mining Protests in Peru
VIVAT International submitted an Oral Statement to the 23rd Session of the UN Human Rights Council on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations. The submission focused on concerns related to mining activities and their negative effects, particularly on indigenous peoples.
A directive signed last year by Brazil’s Solicitor-General “opens up all indigenous areas to mineral, dams, roads, military bases and other developments of ‘national interest’ without the need to consult with or address concerns of indigenous peoples”, according to an expert familiar with the directive who asked to remain anonymous. It also restricts demarcation of new indigenous territories. A similar dynamic is underway in Peru, where the government recently backslid on implementation of the Indigenous Peoples Consultation Law (Consultation Law). The landmark law, passed in 2011, requires the Peruvian government to consult indigenous peoples affected directly by development policies and projects such as oil drilling, mining, roads and forestry. Consultations must aim to achieve agreement or consent. The hope was that the law, if implemented effectively, could help reduce the number of violent conflicts that frequently emerge in the country’s oil and mining industries.
However, in early May, Peru’s Vice Minister of Culture Ivan Lanegra—responsible for overseeing implementation of Peru’s Consultation Law—resigned in protest following Executive branch declarations that highland (or campesina) communities do not qualify as indigenous peoples. At the same time, the Peruvian government announced that it will proceed with 14 mining projects located in the Peruvian highlands without prior consultation with neighboring communities.
VIVAT International Jan-Feb-Mar 2013 Newsletter March 29th, 2013
Please find the Jan-Feb-March 2013 online newsletter from VIVAT International here. (Download PDF)
Subjects covered include:
- Academia and Advocacy
- Human Rights & Big Business
- Land-grabbing
- Anti Human Trafficking
- Africa Faith & Justice
- 51st Commission on Social Development
- Post 2015
- Experience at VIVAT International
VIVAT International Advent Prayer Reflection booklet now available November 7th, 2012
We are pleased to share with you “PREPARE A WAY FOR THE LORD” Prayer reflection for Advent 2012, produced by the members of VIVAT International, Ireland. (Download PDF)
We hope that this resource will help us all to reflect on the depth of our Christian Story and its significance for our lives, our communities and our world. May these Advent reflections and prayers become flesh in our lives.
Summer/Fall VIVAT Newsletter Available September 14th, 2012
Learn about what VIVAT International members and staff are doing on international peace and development issues. Read the latest VIVAT on-line newsletter, VIVAT News for July/August/September, 2012.(Download the PDF)
Support the Call for a Special Rapporteur on HR and Climate Change May 25th, 2012
A group of NGOs, including VIVAT International, has issued a petition calling for a Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change at the Human Rights Council. VIVAT International, of which the Oblates are a member, is a strong supporter of this petition and is asking members of our network to support the initiative.
We encourage you to sign on as an individual or on behalf of your congregation, if you are delegated to do so.
To read and sign the petition please visit the following link: http://www.petitions24.com/sr_human_rights_and_climate_change
According to the UN, “global warming will affect, and already is affecting, the basic elements of life for millions of people around the world. Effects include an increasing frequency of extreme weather events, rising sea levels, droughts, increasing water shortages, and the spread of tropical and vector born diseases.”
“Viewing the data through a human rights lens, it is clear that projected climate change-related effects threaten the effective enjoyment of a range of human rights, such as the right to safe and adequate water and food, the right to health and adequate housing. Equally, the human rights perspective brings into focus that climate change is set to hit the poorest countries and communities the hardest.”
“The international human rights standards serve as a guide for measures to tackle climate change, underscoring the fundamental moral and legal obligations to protect and promote full enjoyment of the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the core universal human rights treaties.”
