Mahigit sa 140 na aktibista, advocates at liders galing sa 28 na bansa ang nagsama-sama para harapin ang mapanirang epekto ng pagmimina sa International People’s Conference on Mining (IPCM) na naganap simula kahapon (July 30, 2015) sa Hive Hotel.
“Framed on concrete people’s experiences and equipped with science-based tools during the opening plenaries, IPCM participants seek to come up with international, regional, and subregional campaigns and coordinating bodies to aress mining plunder and destruction across the globe,” sabi ni Mr. Clemente Bautista, National coordinator of the PH-based Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment, one of the lead organizers of the IPCM.
Tinalakay ang kasalukuyang krisis na pang-ekonomiya na nararanasan nang dahil sa global mining industry. Ang host country na Pilipinas ay nagsilbi bilang maliit na mundo ng global mining industry. Napag-usapan din sa konperensya ang masamang epekto ng pagmimina sa ating kalikasan, sa ating mga tao at sa mundo. Naikwento din ang nangyari sa Semirara coal mining.
“Under the auspices of mining liberalization, large-scale mining in the Philippines skyrocketed from 17 operations in 1997 to 46 at present and has generated PHP 1.31 trillion worth of minerals in terms of total production value in the same time. Such industry growth, enjoyed only by a handful mining transnational corporation (TNCs), comes at the cost of people’s lives, livelihood and environment,” paliwanag ni Bautista.
Bukod kay Bautista, kabilang din sa mga nagsalita sina Atty. Selcuk Kocagacli, chairman of the CHD, a progressive lawyers’ group in Turkey. Siya rin ay isang Counsel for victims of the underground mine fire disaster in the Soma Coal Mine noong May 13, 2014, Turkey’s worst mining disaster. Ms. Maria Antonia Recinos, community journalist and the programming coordinator of Radio Victoria, community radio that has led the public education effort opposition to mining. Ms. Geneviéve Talbot, a research and advocacy officer at the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CCODP). Dr. Mark Muller, Ph.D, a geophysicist with over twenty years‘(20 yrs.) experience in the mining industry and as a post-doctoral academic researcher and supervisor. Mr. Gabriel Sheanopa Manyangadze, a director of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches and a board member of the Economic Justice Network, who has extensively dealt with mining issues in various Indabas or gatherings and who has been involved in monitoring the water quality in catchment areas in the southern areas of Zimbabwe. Mr. Ki Bagus Hadi Kusuma, a campaigner of the JATAM (Mining Advocacy Network) based in Indonesia, network of non-governmental organizations (NGO) and community-based organizations (CBO)working on issues concerning human rights, gender, the environment, indigenous people and social justice in relation to the mining, oil, and gas industries. (Lynne Pingoy)
