hello all!
International Indigenous People's Tribunal Convention
considering:
Environmental Destruction and Native Peoples Human Rights
June 17 - 21, 1997; Montview Presbyterian Church; Denver, Colorado USA
June 1997 will mark five years since the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (UNCED) met in Brazil and negotiated the
Declaration of Rio. The new paradigm designed to shift the world from its
consumptive course to one of renewal and sustainability is well
intentioned, but its results have been slow in coming.
Industrialized nations are slow in changing their patterns of production
and consumption which contribute to world-wide hunger and poverty. Both
continue to be causes and effects of global degradation. The proliferation
of multinational corporations resulting from economic policies promoted by
the G-7 member nations and Russia has created industrialization in much of
the world which has affected the cultures of indigenous peoples and the
sustainability of global ecosystems.
The 27 principles proclaimed in the UNCED Declaration on Environment and
Development; the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and the Universal
Declaration of the Rights of Peoples are the baselines by which each G-7
member country and Russia will be held accountable by the tribunal. Each
G-7 member country and Russia will be linked to one or several global
corporations in a presentation of facts to the Tribunal. Each government
and/or corporation will be invited to participate in the tribunal
proceedings.
Groups wishing to present cases are requested to contact convention
organizers.
Preliminary Indigenous People's Tribunal case list
Canada: Mac Millan - Bloedel -- decimation of the temperate rainforest on
indigenous people's land in British Columbia.
France: Total Petroleum -- military government clear-cuts forest for
pipelines through indigenous people's land in Burma.
Japan: Mitsubishi and Daishowa -- clear-cutting forests on Lubicon Cree lands.
United Kingdom: Rio Tinto Zinc -- Uranium mining in Australia is
threatening the lands and culture of the Martu people; Shell -- oil
exploration on Ogoni lands in Nigeria.
United States: Unocal -- military government clear-cuts forest for
pipelines through native land in Burma. Texaco -- oil drilling in Ecuador;
Stone Container -- timbering old growth forests in Colorado.
Italy: Impresit/Cogefar -- FIAT dam building company is constructing in
South and Central America and Africa.
Germany: Bayer -- engaging in pharmaceutical projects in India.
Russia: Gaz Prom -- oil exploration in western Siberia on the lands of the
Evenki and Khant-Mansi peoples
The tribunal will consist of three to five prominent indigenous peoples
and/or international law experts. Those who have been contacted include:
Richard Falk (Princeton); Upendra Baxi (Delhi Univ.); Owens Wiwa (Ogoni);
Glenn Morris (Fourth World Center); Medha Patkar (India); Sulaksana
Shivaraksa (Thailand); Winona LaDuke (Ojibwa).
During the first two and half days, the Tribunal will hear presentations by
groups including, the Rain forest Action Network; Friends for a Democratic
Burma; Pacific Environment and Resources Center; Oil & Atomic Workers
International; International Rivers Network; Project Underground, Ancient
Forest Action Network; Colorado People's Environmental and Environmental
Network. The remainder of the time will be spent considering the testimony,
with findings reported on the last day.
For more information contact:
Alan O'Hashi, City of Boulder, Human Relations Commission: 303-939-9914
Roy Young, Global Response: 303-444-4020
please call or e-mail
alan o'hashi
tel 303-939-9914
fax 303-444-7047