TORONTO, May 6, 2002 -- Can voluntary, industry-driven guidelines for corporate social responsibility assure real community participation and sustainable economic practices? That is the question that scholars and non-governmental organizations will address at York University, May 9-11 when they debate the role of Canadian mining companies in Latin America and their economic, social and environmental impact.
Called Canadian Mining Companies in Latin America: Community Rights and Corporate Responsibility, the meeting is hosted by York’s Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC) and Mining Watch Canada, a non-governmental organization. It will feature case studies that focus on community involvement, social mobilization, environmental sustainability, and the impact of Canadian investments. Participants from Canada and Latin America will also scrutinize the role of the Canadian government, which some scholars say actively supports Canadian investment in the region while claiming that equity and sustainability – and not just profits – guide such investment.
The conference takes place as global mining industry leaders prepare to meet in Toronto next week. Canada is a leader in international mining, minerals and metals production and the industry has chosen Toronto as the site of this year’s meeting. They will hear the results of the Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development (MMSD) Project of the International Institute for Environment and Development, which seeks an industry-wide consensus on policies for development that are environmentally and socially sustainable.
But critics say the MMSD is not a genuine attempt to reorient the industry along a more sustainable and responsible path. "The recent tragic deaths in Ecuador during protests for basic services in the oil-rich Amazon basin are testament to the need to empower local communities to exercise control over their natural resources," said CERLAC Director Viviana Patroni, referring to the March protests that sparked calls for Alberta Energy Co. (AEC) to halt construction of a $1.9-billion pipeline in the region. "Voluntary, industry-driven guidelines like those reflected in the MMSD are not adequate if they can’t deliver real participation and essential services for the poor in the region," said Patroni, adding that the proposed mine in the farming town of Tambogrande, northern Peru is a case in point.
The small Canadian mining multinational, Manhattan Minerals, is seeking to develop an open-pit mine in the area and Tambogrande’s mayor and local archbishop have opposed the project as "socially unviable." Construction of the mine would require the relocation of an estimated 8,000 inhabitants, or half the local population, as well as diversion of a local river, significantly affecting farm production that has made the area one of Peru’s leading agricultural centres. An Environmental Impact Assessment is scheduled for release this month, and the town will hold a referendum on the project in June. Last year a local agricultural engineer and activist opposed to the mining project was murdered.
The conference is free and no early registration is required. For a detailed program of the CERLAC/Mining Watch conference, visit the Web site at http://www.yorku.ca/cerlac/EVENTS.html#Mining.
-30-
For further information, please contact:
| Viviana Patroni | Marshall Beck | Susan Bigelow |
| Director, CERLAC | CERLAC | Media Relations |
| York University | York University | York University |
| 416-736-2100, ext. 22038 | 416-736-5273 | 416-736-2100, ext. 22091 |
| vpatroni@yorku.ca | mbeck@yorku.ca | sbigelow@yorku.ca |
YU/046/02
