Exploiting the natural resources of other countries is nothing terribly new in the history of world. What was once activity controlled by governments and national armies has only shifted to become the business of private companies and multinational corporations.
Having recently been more interested in the issue of mining in Honduras, I have come across some helpful articles and videos from MCC Canada's mining justice advocacy site. I was shocked to learn that around the world, 75% of companies involved in mining are Canadian based companies. That is astounding to me!
In a few short months I will be moving to Santa Rosa de Copan, an important town near the western border of Honduras that has been involved in mining advocacy for years. The pastor of the Mennonite church in Santa Rosa, outspoken against Canadian mining, left Honduras for threats to his life a few years ago.
As I wrote in another post about fear and justice, it is hard to know how to move forward in difficult work like this. People have tried to stand up for the rights of many Honduran people who have little say in what mining companies can do on their ancestral land. But if someone gets too outspoken, death threats become the remedy. And this is not just among the mining companies--this is common practice all over Honduras...whether it's someone speaking out against labor rights violations, drug trafficking or disrupting gang territory.
I am interested to move to Santa Rosa and become involved in the Mennonite congregation there, previously well-known for their advocacy work. While it seems that fear has taken hold among the outspoken, I am eager to learn more and find out how MCC Honduras might be of encouragement to the church, and even step up with more advocacy measures.
Policy analyst for MCC Latin America Advocacy Program, Adrienne Wiebe, has been tracking these issues for quite some time. She has made mining justice one of the top 4 priorities for Latin American advocacy, as it is an issue that has resounding impact throughout the region. She just posted a concise overview of some more recent developments in lobbying for better mining laws in Honduras. I'd encourage you to read this and more at her MCC Latin America Advocacy blog.
Here is a great video MCC Canada put together in 2010 about mining in Guatemala and Honduras:
And this is a shorter video from the Mennonite pastor who left Honduras. If you only have a bit of time, watch this one:
