Indigenous Peoples

The impact of mining on Indigenous Peoples. A Toolkit from the Future We Need.

A statement on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Climate Change and Land from Indigenous Peoples and local communities* from 42 countries spanning 76% of the world’s tropical forests

More here August 8th 2019

And from Australia

Happy International Day of the World's Indigenous peoples brothers and sisters. This years theme is 'Indigenous Languages' highlighting the important need to revitalise, preserve, and promote Indigenous languages. We mustn’t forget language is not just spoken its written in books and into sands of our nations by many of our peoples it can also be an unspoken connection and understanding of communication between First Nations people and country #IYIL2019 #IndigenousLanguages #culture#country

#INDIGENOUSPEOPLES As part of our International Presentation Association commitments we advocate for all indigenous peoples and their rights. The Theme of this World Indigenous Day is Indigenous Languages as although indigenous peoples represent only a small fraction of the world population they speak the majority of languages present and many of these are endangered.

And from Canada we can see some of the detail that may be unknown to us.

March 20th

Today is International Day of Forests, a perfect time to recognize the essential role of healthy forests in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including securing livelihoods, providing clean water, protecting biodiversity and meeting our climate goals. It is also a perfect time to recognize the critical importance of indigenous land rights. More here

MAKING A KILLING

In the Royal College of Physicians Kildare Street Dublin 2

March 5^th 2019

The very last sentence at this meeting is probably the most hard-hitting:

Companies must employ the same standard of Human Rights in Africa, Asia and South America that they adhere rigidly to in Europe. It’s that simple.

Caoimhe de Barra CEO Trocaire spoke first Making a Killing Holding Corporations To Account and explained that Trocaire are reporting on an Iron Ore Company that has yet to compensate those who have been killed in the bursting of dams. Human Rights defenders are being murdered as they try to defend their community’s rights and our global resources. Land is being curtailed and pastoral rights are being walked on and human rights are being dispened with.

6 times size of Ireland (in terms of land size) has been appropriated since 2000 for exploitation by big corporations. What of control of land and water have the indigenous peoples? The rights of the indigenous are trampled. The UN explains that there should be due diligence before the purchase of lands asking that all would do an impact survey on the indigenous peoples and their lifestyle beforehand. Ireland has a strength in promoting the gender rights of all indigenous involved and in promoting the work of the activists. In France they have gone one step further mandating all corporations to do their due diligence when it comes to the purchase of lands abroad. We can no longer rely on the voluntary codes in operation at this point. We need legislation.

Rapporteur on RIghts of the Indigenous (Victoria Tauli-Corpuz) the spoke raising the ponts below.

• Worked in Brazil, Honduras, Mexico, Finland...
• Met with large corporations these countries.
• Since 1970s Indigenous Peoples have been put at the verge of physical extinction.
• Nothing has Changed today.
• State forces and private security companies enforce rule and change but not the law
• Criminalising the indigenous communities as they stand up for their rights is a favoured way of bringing the indigenous to submission.
• Logging, Mining and land clearing affects the indigenous peoples hugely.
• Profits always benefit foreign investors with no care for the indigenous and this further marginalises the indigenous peoples.
• Escalation of attacks against the Indigenous are in pursuit of profit are commonplace.
• There is a global pattern of disregard for the indigenous peoples.
• There is little or no consultation with indigenous peoples.
• Corporations undermine and ignore indigenous decisions.
• Sometimes even the government collude to cover up the murder of activists in an effort to corruptly benefit.
• Indigenous peoples are being accused of being anti-progress.
• They have been threatened, bullied, falsely accused, murdered and displaced.
• Companies often ignore judicial orders to cease and desist and continue with their exploitation.
• Some activists have been falsely charged and jailed to keep them from activism, eg. Trespassing or civil disorder and many who are jailed are kept hundreds of km away from home.
• Activists are being portrayed as criminals (Guatemala) and even success in the courts will not guarantee freedom. Courts often collude.
• Laws are regularly passed that mitigate the rights of the indigenous peoples.
• Hate Speech and Racism e.g. portraying indigenous peoples as gang members and terrorists.
• Women are often targeted as dishonourable and against the indigenous traditions by being activists.
• The issues at stake are global and so the response should be global.
• We need stronger instruments to protect.
• Indigenous peoples are too often left without remedies.
• Hopelessness is a fertile ground for the exploitation of the indigenous peoples and so this is the aim of the corporations: to bring about a sense of complete hopelessness.
• SDG 13 Responsible Consumption and Production must be adhered to. (see panel below)
• There needs to be binding rules, treaties, laws, fairness.
• What of the role of the state.
• They have an obligation to look after their own citizens.
• An international Instrument would be very welcome and could back up the state helfully.
• The government of Ireland should support this Human Rights Trocaire Campaign.
• There is a need for all governments to take a stand.

Examples from the report:

Dam protest against Canadian Company. Thousands came to meeting to protest. Photos of those who were murdered by the corporations against whom they protest.

Photos of gas flares in the amazon where the Chinese have been exploiting.

_____________

Siobhan Kearn Author of the Report spoke next.

• How to hold corporations to account?
• There is a gap in human rights legislation and protections for the Indigenous peoples.
• Displacement pushes indigenous peoples and especially women into further poverty.
• Reports of regular evictions (one hour to leave) and homes and possessions were burnt are commonplace.
• Tin Mining in Myanmar has caused displacement, pollution, illness and murder of activists.
• 1400 activists have been killed in recent years (318 in 2018)
• Attacks against women Human Rights Defenders are often not counted among the statistics.
• By Criminalising the activists, they are slowed, disempowered, worn down, frightened.
• There is also the erosion of Civil Society space.
• States are duty bearers and must stand firm against those corporations who work across states.
• It can be difficult to hold parent companies to account.
• In 2016 a mining company filed a complaint against the Guatemalan State against lost profits they feel are as a direct result of indigenous activism. This is happening more and more and not only does the law allow it but they win out and claim millions.
• Trocaire wants mandatory Human Rights due diligence by all Irish Companies who work in the lands of Indigenous Peoples
• Ireland should defend this position in all international fora.

Comments / Questions

1. We need to advocate for the need for coherence and we are putting trade agreements ahead of the rights of people. We need to be assured that we leave no-one behind with the SDGs. We have a climate emergency and still we permit resource exploitation.
2. We must remind ourselves that the indigenous way of life is being portrayed as being counter the progress of countries.
3. The further protection of human rights needs strengthening legislation and constant oversight.
4. Ireland has a role within it’s National Implementation Plan (SDGs) to protect the Indigenous Peoples.
5. As a first step indigenous peoples must be consulted especially around the issue of climate change. Often it is the Indigenous Peoples who push for climate mitigation.
6. This report is about the respect for democratic space.
7. How can we be in solidarity indigenous groups?
8. Human Rights must to the forefront in terms of trade agreements.
9. In many cases where there is dispute the settlements nearly always fall in favour of the corporations it’s a case of the Fox looking after the chickens.
10. Corporations are colonising by a different manner and land grabbing is alive and well.
11. Australian aborigines are now looking towards the state to put in place strategies that will empower and protect land and rights. The government are stalling, We must remember that it was as late as 1969 that Aborigines were seen as human. Up to this they were seen as part of the “flora and fauna”.
12. Parliamentarians must protest and do so loudly.

Fionuala Ni Aolain special rapporteur on terrorism also has a role to play.

The report can be downloaded here