21.09.2023.- Today, taking advantage of the stop in Brussels of the II Latin American Caravan for Integral Ecology, the delegation of Churches and Mining will participate in the event “Mining over rights? Experiences from Latin America and their implications for EU Policies”. The caravan is made up of young people from Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala and Peru, accompanied by Bishop Noel Londoño of Jericho (Colombia). After their visit to Spain and Rome, where they had the opportunity to meet with Pope Francis, today they will be in Brussels, at the European Parliament, presenting the realities of their communities and the impacts of mining, and debating with political representatives and policy makers the implication of EU Policies in this field.
Event Details
Date: September 21, 2023 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Organisers: CIDSE, Broederlijk Delen, DKA, Churches and Mining Network
This event will be livestreamed. Click HERE to join the event online.
Languages: EN/ES (Interpretation provided)
Registrations are closed.
Hosted by MEP Anna Cavazzini (Greens/EFA)
Context
The necessity to extract ‘critical raw materials’ in order to power the digital and energy transition puts the EU in front of a fundamental contradiction: the need to move away from a damaging model of fossil fuels extraction through a new wave of environmental and social damage linked to minerals extraction.
This event is organised as part of the second Latin American Caravan for Integral Ecology, which will tour Europe from 13 to 30 September 2023. It will provide an opportunity to discuss the impact of mining on transition with human rights and environmental defenders from Latin America who are opposing current and future mining projects, in light of the EU’s CSDD Directive and the Critical Raw Materials Regulation.
Draft programme
- Opening remarks
- Panel 1: Lithium mining and water
- Panel 2: FPIC, community rights & monitoring of social & environmental impacts
- Replies from the panels
- Closing remarks
Speakers:
- Anna Cavazzini, MEP, Greens/EFA
- Sr. Valentina Vidal, Social Worker, Claretian Misssionary (Argentina)
- Wies Willems, Natural Resources Policy Officer, Broederlijk Delen (Belgium)
- Alex Donalson Garcia, Peaceful resistance against Pan American Silver’s El Escobal mine in San Rafael Las Flores, Santa Rosa (Guatemala)
- Yblin Roman Escobar, Natural and Environmental Scientist, Cultural Survival/SIRGE (Belgium)
- Johanna Sydow, Head of International Environmental Policy Division, Heinrich Böll Stiftung (Belgium)
- Helmut Scholz, MEP, GUE/NGL
- Robin Roels Coordinator of the CSO Raw Materials Coalition (Belgium)
- Guilherme Cavalli, Coordinator of the Mining Divestment Campaign, Churches and Mining Network (Brazil)
- Msgr. Noel Antonio Londoño Buitrago, Bishop of Jericó (Colombia)
Moderation: Herbert Wasserbauer, Programme and Advocacy Officer, DKA (Austria)
