Have you ever stopped a sec to think of how do precious minerals (the ones in fancy watches, necklaces, rings, and a whole other bunch of accesories we all wanna have) get to the stores where people buy them? Are there any negative consequences of mining activities on someone?
We will begin this season on Wednesday 7 of November with a film that shows the life of municipalities in Ghana, which live traditionally on agriculture and how have their lives completely changed after gold-mining activities had taken place in their communities.
This documentary will show us the two sides of the coin: in one side, the affected people’s testimonials; and in the other side, the company’s statement of corporate social responsibility (CSR).
- Jorge
The African continent has about 1/2 of the world gold reserve. In the continent about 1/4 of the world’s gold is mined! ( approx 600 tons / year)
more than 80% of gold mines are owned by foreign corporations (Barrick Gold – Canada, Newmont Mining – USA … ) and financed by foreign banks!!! UBS for instance!
How much is the continent getting from it!
That is tough to determine!
Just as “blood Diamonds” are going to hear soon about “Devil’s GOLD?”
if you can read French check the comments on the book of the Swiss Jounnalist GILLES LEBARTHE, who wrote “L’OR AFRICAIN” (African Gold).
he claims that it will cost over 11 Billion euros to recover the environmental damage on ground water only!
If you add to that diseases, lives lost already… this is priceless!
some are available on: in FRENCH
1: http://www.afrik.com/article12694.html
2: http://atheles.org/agone/lorafricain#article972
IN ENGLISH
1: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ja8nL61eteP37oQIdH5wGMD1PoXg
Some ANSWERS from the COMPANIES – Check this out! CSR REPORTS
LIES???? PROMISES??? what is CSR in practice for all???
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/836791/link_page_view
STATEMENTS of Business People!
http://www.business-humanrights.org/Categories/Companypolicysteps/Other/Statementsbybusinesspeople
THIS BRINGS THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF CSR ON THE TABLE! let’s bucher it!
Hervé / Bobby
Cheers!
Fair points, Bobby, but the public in the rich countries prefers to ignore stuff like that as it happens far away from where they are (to be pc, I’d like to mention that not ALL people in the rich countries choose to ignore stuff like that). I for one don’t wear any jewellery, don’t own a mobile phone (which have, for example, coltan in them, much of which comes from civil-war-ridden Kongo), don’t own or drive at all a car and mainly use electronic devices (like computers) that others wanted to throw away. So, there you go. Every single one of us has the choice to use/consume this or that or not, but somehow capitalism breeds greed. They more one has, the more he/she wants, even though less is often more (how exited do you get about the sun shining, when it does it every day? Not too much, I’d suppose, but here in Freiberg (e.g.) one learns to appreciate sunshine very much). Hope I’ve managed to get my point across.
Take care
CAL