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Extractive Industries

We are a network of health justice activists across the world who seek to support each other in our struggles against extractivist industries.

We came together as activists of the People's Health Movement at the People's Health Assembly in Cape Town in July 2012, where we launched our working group with the statement following. CLICK HERE for the statement.

While we have many approaches and philosophies, we are united by our common desire to ensure our communities stay safe and healthy in the face of the onslaught of natural resource exploitation. We defend the health our workers in the industries, we defend the right of our communities to protect their well-being in the face of extractivism and we defend the sustainability of the environments that nourish us.  We aim to learn together, build together and struggle together.  Join us!

For more information on this group, feel free to contact: Baijayanta Mukhopadhyay on b.mukhopadhyay [at] gmail.com

 

People's Health Movement activists in many countries are involved in struggles for health justice against extractive industries and their accomplices and allies.  Below you will find some examples of the work we are doing.

GREECE
PHM activists in Greece are involved in fighting the activities of a Canadian corporation that is threatening to take over an entire region of the northern part of the country to expand gold mining, with the complicity of the Greek government which hopes it will bring in an influx of cash.  The community is mobilising a resistance campaign on health, economic and ecological grounds that is being met by strong state-sponsored repression.  You can find information about mining activities in Halkidiki, Greece, the impacts on the environment, health and local economy and the people’s struggle against the destructive mining activities. The text is enriched with references, scientific papers, videos and articles.

CLICK HERE to read more and to be referred to the website.
 
ECUADOR
Los defensores de Kimsacocha, Carlos Pérez G., Federico Guzmán y Efraí Arpi, fueron condenados por terrorismo a un año de carcel. Por ser la defensa del agua una "lucha altruista" la Corte de "Justicia" rebajo su condena a ocho días. Junto a ellos hay más de doscientos defensores de los derechos de la naturaleza a los que les espera sentencias condenatorias.

The video is about the criminalization of social struggle in Ecuador.  Activist fighting for the right to water (Carlos Pérez- who was invited to PHAIII but could not leave the country due to the judicial process,  Federico Guzmán and Efraín Arpi) were condemned on charges of terrorism to a year in jail.  Given that water defense is an "altruistic" struggle, the Supreme Court of Justice, shortened their sentence to 8 days.  Thursday 21 March 2013, the activists have been put on jail for 8 days.

Regardless of the length of the sentence, people who disagree and in our particular case, the persecution to organizations and activists that oppose minning in the country needs to be condemned.


CLICK HERE for the video

CLICK HERE for the press release on Three Water Defenders jailed for Opposing a Mining Project

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