UPCOMING EVENT: Extractives, Critical Minerals and Land Grabbing from the Lens of the Indigenous Peoples

24.04.2025.- The Justice in Mining Network invites you to follow the live online event “Critical mineral extraction and land grabbing from the perspective of indigenous peoples,” which will take place in parallel with the 24th Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, to be held in person from April 21 to May 2, 2025. Father Toussaint Kafarhire, director of the Arrupe Center for Research and Training (CARF) and member of the Justice in Mining steering group, will participate as a guest panelist alongside other civil society representatives from Latin America, Asia, and Oceania.

About the event

Renewable energy is necessary to combat climate change. The rapid deployment of clean energy technologies as part of energy transitions implies a significant increase in demand for critical minerals. The need for critical mineral resources such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, and copper has significantly increased in recent years (Cenki, 2020). Those mineral resources are mostly located in Indigenous people’s territory. A new study reveals that 54% of extractive clean energy projects are near or on the Indigenous people’s lands (Kemp, 2022).

Lands are valuable treasures for indigenous peoples ecologically and culturally. The lands are also intrinsic to their identity and way of life. Land is life. The great concern emerges when the mining companies take over the Indigenous lands to extract critical mineral resources. In recent years, many Indigenous communities all over the world have raised their concerns about more mining operating on their lands and territories triggering destructive impacts on their life space, livelihoods, water, health, and economic and non-economic capitals. 

In addition, the processes of occupying Indigenous peoples’ lands for extractive minerals have quite often ignored the principles of Free, Prior, Informed, and Consent (FPIC) as recognized in Article 3 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Indigenous peoples have the right to determine where and how those critical energy sources are extracted. This side event aims to elaborate on the Indigenous views on practices and challenges of extractives and critical minerals within Indigenous territory in alignment with UNDRIP and the FPIC principle. 

This side event is organized by the NGO Mining Working Group and co-sponsored by VIVAT International, Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, Edmund Rice International, Proclade Internationale Onlus, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Dewan Adat Papua (Papuan Customary Council), and Land is Life.

The date and time: Tuesday, April 29th, 2025 from 1.15 – 2.45 P.M (Eastern Time)

Moderator: Daniel LeBlanc

Speakers:  

1. Toussaint Kafarhire Murhula, S.J (DRC), political analyst, social scientist and director of the Arrupe Center.       

• • Extractive Industry and Indigenous Peoples from Africa Perspective. A case study of critical Mining in DRC

1. Claudia Andrea Huircan (Argentina), the Continental Network Communication of Churches and Mining                                                   

• • Socio-ecological transition from the global South Perspective. A Case study of critical mining in Argentina. 

1. Paulus Budi Kleden SVD (Flores, Indonesia), Archbishop of Ende Archdiocese, Theology Professor, Human rights Defender

• • Geothermal and Indigenous people in Flores from the Local Church Perspective

1. Hannah McGlade (Australia), Associate Professor, Curtin University I Indigenous Peoples Expert

• • Critical minerals from the perspective of Aboriginal land heritage protections         

1. Wenslaus Fautubun (West Papua), PhD candidate, Macmillan Brown Center for Pacific Studies, University of Canterbury.

• • The Relationship between Militarism and Mining Industry in West Papua. A Case Study of PT. Freeport Indonesia

 The Link for registration: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/E0F6EoczQ0aCK3TEmsz4xg