Indigenous Peoples

DOWN TO EARTH 6 November 2001

As an international NGO which focuses on the social and human aspects of environmental issues in Indonesia, Down to Earth supports the call by Indonesian civil society groups that the CGI should adopt stronger measures to stop the destruction of Indonesia's forests and the livelihoods of the tens of millions of people who depend on them. Their demands include:

Released for publication on September 20, 2001

* Refuting the unsustainable claims of the mining industry
* Opposing current models of "engagement"
* Demanding full recognition of community rights

We - twenty four representatives of communities and groups affected by mining from Asia-Pacific, Africa, India, South and North America - met in London from May 18-23rd 2001, to compare the impacts of mining on the lives of communities and ecosystems and to share strategies on how to confront the industry.