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POUR UN MONDE MEILLEUR, JUSTE ET EQUITABLE!!!
POUR UN MONDE MEILLEUR, JUSTE ET EQUITABLE!!!
Le jour où l'or à perdu son éclat
About this event: 15th Commission on Sustainable Development

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The day when gold with faded its
Automatically translated into English thanks to WorldLingo
Joyce Oboako was born on the bad side of the city on August 19, 2002. Does the box ruin D of them? a made mud part and branches which serves D? is dwelling with its family located at the periphery of stirring up and dusty mining city of Prestea in the district of Wassa with L? west of Ghana. With less than are 500 m from there the mine D? however with open sky of Bogoso Gold Limited, which is a subsidiary company of the company Gold Star Resources based in the United States.

In October 2002, a mining explosion projected Joyce out of his bed causing a serious cerebral traumatism and a paraplegia. For his/her mother, Mercy Appiah and her father Alhassan Oboako, L? however all its glare in this tragic day lost.

J? were in Prestea to visit the mining sites in company D? a team of the Africa program of L? West D? Oxfam America. Thus, I could learn from the things on L? mining, and to apply the lessons learned to my work for Oxfam in Central America. I worked in Africa of L? West as teacher with the Body of the Peace of 1969 to 1972 and J? spent almost 30 years to Central America. Although J? were accustomed with poverty and L? oppression, J? were still shocked by what J? discovered in the mining communities with L? west of Ghana.

Each village that J? visited had its history, but the central topic, like L? one says the villagers, was the same one: arable lands, qu? one had collectively, in accordance with the tradition, were yielded to the transnational mining companies, sometimes by corrupting chiefs of villages and governmental authorities. The farmers complained that their dwellings and fields were moved or destroyed by the mining activities. D? did others declare that their sources D? were water contaminated, involving a dramatic propagation of diseases rising from L? exposure to dangerous chemicals and heavy metals. Did the destruction of the arable lands involve an increasing dependence with respect to L? mining activity at community level, but very little D? is employment available for the hand D?? uvre local not qualified.

Explosion and Pollution

Did Prestea become a mining city since the years 1930, but this N? is qu? in 1996 that L? mining with open sky was replaced by that of traditional underground wells. This new form D? mining started to destroy the traditional arable lands and the means of subsistence. Three courses D? fresh water which constituted L? single source D? were natural water of the community covered by the waste mining and contaminated by cyanide and the drainage D? acid. Did the mining company build tanks for the storage of L? water and has trucks to satisfy the daily requirements out of water for the surrounding zones. But the mine will be closed when the ore is exhausted. And D then is not known? where will L come? supply water of the city.

The explosions which occur with the accesses of the community threaten the shops and the schools, and the citizens believe that L? not regulated use of cyanide and D? did other chemicals contribute to L? appearance D? affected such as L? weaken, the silicosis, the eruptions cutaneous, cancer and causes the premature deaths.

Did a concern growing for the survival of the community lead to a walk of 10.000 people who protested against L? mining with open sky. Did these people send petitions to the Ministry for the Mines, with L? Arranges for Environmental Protection and with the members of the Parliament to require L? stop of L? in the open air mining, but to date no reaction N? was recorded.

Rush towards L? however of Ghana

Can the transnational companies with names like Anglo Gold Ashanti, Newmont, Goldenstar Resources and Ghanaian Australian Goldfields repatriate jusqu? to 97 percent of the profits coming from L? mining activity out of the country, leaving the crumbs to the government for qu? it redistributes it at the villages affected by the mines. One leaves the farmers and village S? to occupy of the pollution and the problems of public health dregs with L? mining activity without qu? they do not profit D? none the repercussions.

Did on February 2, 2006, the World Bank approve a loan of 75 million US dollars to a subsidiary company of Newmont Mining which is the second world producer D? however, for a mine which according to statements' of the Bank will be a model for the developing countries. The authorities of the Bank and Newmont declare that the mine will help to generate incomes for Ghana and the populations will profit from it.

However, of the environmental organizations and development dangers prevented that that comprises for the grounds and L? water and declare that more than 9000 people their fields and communities will be moved. D? do other people opposed to this project declare that that will generate little resources for Ghana and that advantages promised in the fields of health and L? education will never be materialized.

Does the World Bank seem to be unaware of certain of its own studies which indicate that L? mining? qu does not produce? a modest share of the foreign trade Nets of Ghana after having entered all its outgoing flows? , according to report/ratio 2003 of its Department D? Evaluation of the Operations: “a more total analysis of the ratio cost/profitability of L? mining activity on a large scale which integrates the environmental and social costs and includes the dialogues with the affected communities must be made before D? to grant L? future of the licences of production. ”

During this time, a small girl of the name of Joyce Oboako sat on the dusty ground of Prestea, waiting until friendly arms L? help to be held upright and to distract themselves from its cruel fate.

By Andres McKinley

October 29, 2007 | 6:39 PM Comments  0 comments

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