World Bank Safeguard consultation

The Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) is the foundation of the World Bank’s (the Bank) policies for investment projects, establishing a series requirements- also known as safeguards- for borrowing governments (the Borrower) to help “identify, avoid, and minimize harms to people and the environment”. With the underpinning goals of poverty eradication and sustainable development, the ESF …

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A big step towards justice for the Yukpa people: Man responsible for killing of Yukpa Cacique Sabino Romero sentenced to 30 years

London-18th August 2015 Last Friday marked a unique moment of celebration and a victory for the indigenous Yukpa people in Venezuela, as the man responsible for the killing of their leader, Sabino Romero, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. The ruling comes two years after Romero’s death, amidst an intense struggle against impunity and …

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International Women’s Day: A hommage to Maxima Acuña de Chaupe

Who would have thought that a shy, 4 ½  feet tall peasant woman could challenge so enduringly a mighty transnational corporation? Over the last 4 years, Máxima Acuña de Chaupe has led her peaceful struggle against US-based Newmont Mining Corporation and its Peruvian subsidiary Yanacocha. By doing so, she is also defying a deeply entrenched …

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“Tambien nosotros somos Venezuela”: Indigenous Peoples raise the alarm as paramilitaries and illegal miners cross over on their territories

Stretching across the Southern borders of Venezuela lies the Amazon rainforest, the green lungs of planet Earth. As well as being a haven of wildlife, it also inhabited by numerous indigenous communities such as the Yanomami, Piaroas, Makos, Barés, Eñepa and Jotí; and, as the original residents of these territories, they rely on the surrounding …

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