Canada Update
Published by MAC on 2006-11-15
Canada Update
15th November 2006
MAC is glad to publish the full text of a speech, given (in a shortened form) last week by one of our editors, Jamie Kneen, from Mining watch Canada. He was addressing one of the "roundtables" on corporate social responsibility in the industry, set up following the conservative government's craven refusal last year to implement enforceable standards for the industry.
In it Jamie succintly outlines the key demands made by mining-affected communities on all "actors" in the industry, as well as teasing out specific examples of violations.
Jamie concludes that "it's time for systemic change", and that community action is the key factor in ensuring it.
Ironically, even as this speech was delivered, press were being officially told that they couldn't report what had been said during the roundtable.