Tags
Dear Reader,
The purpose of this site is to piece together the information which is available about Mining in Haiti. As this takes time we will cut to the chase: all persons, animals, and trees on mountains or nearby are in imminent danger, especially in the north of Haiti.
It appears that 20-23% of Haitian land is currently under permit to mining companies. This excludes petroleum companies and quarries.
Our purpose is also to raise urgent questions, which few seem to be raising. Haiti and the world urgently need a discussion regarding the impact of mining on the environment, as well as the impact on those residing on the land.
We hope that (an) attorney(s) will file an injunction to temporarily halt the mining and that this injunction be filed both within Haiti and Internationally. This will provide time for discussion of the environmental and social impacts.
People whine constantly about the deforestation of Haiti and blame the poor peasants. Why do some believe that surface mining will help? On the contrary, surface mining Haiti will cause ecological devastation which is irreparable and will affect the entire earth. Blaming the peasants for deforestation appears, at least in part, a cover for what is really happening.
What will happen to all of the people residing and farming on the land to be surface mined? We are led to believe that no one lives/lived there but statistics show us that this is false, as does satellite imagery of homes. We are led to believe that it lacks vegetation, whereas the satellite imagery shows that it is green. We are even led to the very silly conclusion that endangered animals such as Solenodon paradoxus paradoxus respect the Haiti-Dominican Republic border crossing and do not live in Haiti’s north. In short, we are led to the false conclusion that there is nothing good in the north of Haiti anyway, making it a good place for pit mines. This seems to harken back to historic north-south divisions in Haiti.
The fates of landowner, tenant, sharecropper or squatter are dependent upon the Haitian State and the Mining Companies. How is this so? Simply because the Haitian government controls the mineral rights of the country and if you do not own/control the mineral rights you do not really own your land. Once the Haitian government leases mineral rights to mining companies, then those companies control the destiny of the land.
Even in many or all states in the USA, if you do not own your mineral rights you are dependent upon the mining company/oil company to play fair with you in regard to damage to land and livelihood. If they are not fair the only choice is to get an attorney.
However, the 1987 Haitian Constitution stipulates that all profits of mining should be equitably shared between the State, the Mining Company, and the Landowner. The current, 1976, Mining Law says that there must be agreement on indemnization between the occupants, landowner and mining company before any work on the property begins. Failing an agreement, the courts must decide on indemnization. If expropriation is required, then the mining permit holder is responsible for paying all indemnities and costs. These laws appear to be ignored, by all accounts.
We challenge the Haitian government and the mining companies to tell us what, if anything, is being done in the way of recompense for the farmers and landowners. Perhaps a class action lawsuit is needed on behalf of the landowners and people living on the land.
The proposed Mines appear in violation of the International Rio Conventions (Biological Diversity, to Combat Desertification and Climate Change), which Haiti has signed. These mines seem to violate Haiti’s own environmental law along with the International Conventions.
Adherence to the law only occurs with a) willing compliance by Mining Companies, b) State Enforcement, or c) through Legal Action. As the State lacks the means to enforce its own laws and we hear nothing about indemnization from the Mining Companies this would seem to leave us with c), the need for legal action. A temporary injunction against mining is needed as an immediate interim step.
As for everyone else, use your creativity and take action. For example, write the US Congress and ask why they are planning to invest in reforestation in Haiti without taking notice of the deforestation caused by mining. Write President Obama. Write President Martelly and Prime Minister Lamothe and ask them to uphold their stated commitments to the environment. Bypass low level bureaucrats who refuse to share information and go to the top. Contact your favorite NGO and/or Church, who are helping with food aid, agriculture, animal husbandry and/or helping with reforestation and the environment. Explain how the mines will undermine their work and cause donor monies to be wasted. Educate yourself and others about the human and environmental impacts of mining in Haiti and elsewhere.
If you doubt that there were and hopefully still are trees in Haiti, especially in the north, take a look at various Google Satellite maps. On the most recent maps, the Majescor-SOMINE property is still green with trees and vegetation. There are indications that some surface (strip or pit) mining has occurred on the properties of the other mining companies, but there is still much greenery.
Canadians should especially take action, as contrary to popular belief, their government (s), universities and mining companies appear to have the dirtiest hands in respect to this situation. I believe that the majority of the Canadian people do not want this.
Updates will be as frequent as possible and translation into French will occur on a sister blog site as soon as it is possible.
Sincerely,
Haiti Mining Awareness
This blog post was edited on Oct. 24, 2012 (UTC) for clarity and to include updated info, which occurs in our more recent posts. See the October 17, 2012 “Haitian Highland Clearances” post for more indepth information.
People need to make actions to get this word around. What can we do to help….. Austria
Thanks so much for your comment. Please continue to circulate the idea. This is the most important. With enough circulation it will surely fall into the hands of an attorney who will help. People knowing the truth with surely help, as well. One attorney is sueing internationally regarding lack of government information about mining and about the cholera epidemic in Haiti. However, there is plenty of information given by the mining companies: VCS mining; Eurasian-Newmont and Majescor/Somine, SA. and the Haitian Bureau des mines website (www.bme.gouv.ht). Also, one can look at satellite maps. But, something needs to be done more quickly and concretely. Once peasants are removed, water polluted, and trees cut it is too late. A quick look at related Haitian laws and international treaties suggests some possible violations. Temporary or permanent injunctions have been won against mining companies in Canada and Argentina within the last year. These required honest judges, however. In many Latin America countries people are pushing back successfully against the mining companies. The maximum thing we want is to stop the mining companies permanently. The minimum thing we want is to make sure that peasants who are removed from land are given proper compensation and proper mine cleanup/land restoration/reforestation occurs. A temporary injunction is needed to allow proper discussion by the Haitian people of the repercussions of mining. It is unclear how much rainforest is involved and rainforest cannot be restored. Also, it is very important that everyone be vigilant in their own countries. Gold, silver, copper mining companies are popping up …either mining or trying to… in many places one might not imagine, like Ireland, the Scottish Highlands, Virginia (and many other US states) and Switzerland. It seems likely that Austria may be targeted as well. The plus part of the awareness is supposed to be about other countries. Although a recent merger suggests that much of Haitian gold will become bullion we encourage everyone to think of the environmental impact before purchasing any metal jewelry or stones. Most people do not understand how damaging mining is. It is a recent revelation for us, as well. We believe that if people understood better they would not support mining.
Haiti Mining Awareness
Stop the exploitation of poor nations. Greed must stop. Bless all those who fight in the name of injustice.
Hallo there, we in Poland support your work, sorry we cannot help. But we love Haiti because we know that it means to be exploited and lose all. People who can help they should help because some people cannot help.
Thank you for your support. You can help by praying and by circulating the information. (Sorry we are so late to answer. We had answered but it did not post it seems.)
Hello, very good site. I am amazing that all this information is all so well contained. I will register to keep track. Good luck
Thank you very much! Please do!
Hello, I just wanted to say that this blog is so motivating. I have been trying to write an grass roots action / awareness site and you are so inspiring. Are you an organization in Haiti? I wish you luck.
Dear M. Jane Kyler,
Thanks for your kind comment and well wishes. No, we are not in Haiti, but trying to do our part to help. We offer the following thoughts in case they are of use to you or others. Remember that grassroots, local action differs from national or international solidarity (although grassroots action can be used to obtain solidarity). In a democratic society, grassroots depends largely on traditional tactics still used widely by political campaigns, i.e., canvassing door to door and/or information tables; forums; hand signed petitions; petitioning government. Boycott can have its place locally, as well as internationally. It is imperative to know your rights/ the local laws (e.g. parade laws, loitering laws, etc.) and obey them and print them and put them in your pocket. In the US, the first amendment seems to be in your favor for door to door, as long as you are not selling something. However, laws change and vary by location, so update yourselves. The position on petitions may vary but hand-signed petitions should carry more legal weight. Twitter can apparently help to quickly mobilise people, but we have no personal experience with this. Try to get local media attention and create your own media: both videos and written. A few committed people can still effect change on the local level, at least in some democratic societies, especially if their cause is just. Remember the importance of your elected officials, especially on the local and state levels, your City Council, or Justice of the Peace, Judges, etc. Be nice to them, but firm if needed. If you are one person then pray for helpers. Once upon a time someone was trying to save a very old tree. He tied himself to the tree, but because he had no helpers they cut it down at night, while he slept. If he had a helper or two or built a treehouse to sleep in, then he might have saved the tree. The same person opposed a highway through an environmentally sensitive area. His car was suspiciously hit by a truck one day when going to work and he was killed. Presumably his cause died with him. It may take speaking with one hundred to two hundred people or more to find another leader/helper. A petition affords this opportunity. Do not be discouraged. Empower your grassroots leaders, such that any one of them can carry on without you. If you are fighting something big and especially if it impacts the environment and/or involves construction it is good to use your web site and other means to generate outside solidarity or support. This is important for safety. Always keep your phone with you. In a nondemocratic society, outside support can be especially helpful. Read and listen to as much Martin Luther King as you can. Read “How to Argue and Win Everytime” by Gerry Spence. There are some videos on both King and Spence on youtube.
The below web sites may be of use:
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/high-court-throws-out-law-barring-door-to-door-solicitation
http://electionsmith.wordpress.com/2011/08/12/ca-signature-gatherers-fight-back/
http://www.yourrights.org.uk/yourrights/the-right-of-peaceful-protest/street-collections-leafleting-petitions-and-newspapers.html
This is petition pdf is for the UK but useful for US, as well
Click to access petition.pdf
http://www.uticaod.com/news/x352567963/Group-goes-door-to-door-with-hydrofracking-petitions
http://www.ehow.com/how_6937689_set-out-petition.html
http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/austn-suffragettes