april: indigenous people on tour in north america
The delegation, which included representatives from Australia, Papua New Guinea, and the United States, claimed that Barrick Gold, in which the New York State Pension Fund holds almost $100 million in shares, is responsible for human rights abuses and the environmental devastation of their land. Friends of the Earth International campaigners were also present at the meeting, specifically calling attention to the impact that climate change is having on Indigenous Peoples.
FoE Australia campaigner Natalie Lowrey and Neville "Chappy" Williams, Wiradjuri elder and spokesperson for Mooka and Kalara United Families, were previously in Canada as part of a speaking tour of communities affected by Barrick Gold mining operations. The tour took place following the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York in April. The impact of climate change on indigenous communities from around the poor world, and the solutions taken by the industrialized countries to tackle the current environmental crisis, were among the main concerns at this meeting. The indigenous peoples and organizations that took part in the forum discussed climate change, cultural diversity, the livelihood of the native peoples and new challenges.
Real World Radio interviewed Juana Camacho, a member of Friends of the Earth's international coordination of the climate and energy program. She said: "Friends of the Earth International is here to support the struggle of the indigenous movement for climate justice, to learn from their position and strategies to face the environmental crisis. We are not following closely what is happening in the UN structure, but rather what happens outside".
You can listen to her interview here: www.radiomundoreal.fm/rmr/rmr/?q=en/node/25196
