[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
DAM-L Inside IRN, Dec 2001 (fwd)
----- Forwarded message from Soudary Kittivong-Greenbaum -----
Return-path: <soudary@irn.org>
Received: from DaVinci.NetVista.net (root@mail.netvista.net [206.170.46.10])
by lox.sandelman.ottawa.on.ca (8.8.7/8.8.8) with ESMTP id OAA08532
for <dianne@sandelman.ottawa.on.ca>; Wed, 12 Dec 2001 14:30:30 -0500 (EST)
Received: [from [192.168.1.80] (h-64-105-140-92.SNVACAID.covad.net [64.105.140.92])
by DaVinci.NetVista.net (8.10.0/8.8.8) with ESMTP id fBCJ3p202522; Wed, 12 Dec 2001 11:03:51 -0800 (PST)
(envelope-from soudary@irn.org)]
X-Sender: soudary@pop3.netvista.net
Message-ID: <a05100319b83d5a9bd347@[192.168.1.80]>
Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 11:04:13 -0800
To: soudary@irn.org
From: Soudary Kittivong-Greenbaum <soudary@irn.org>
Subject: Inside IRN, Dec 2001
Inside IRN - December 2001
IRN's quarterly e-newsletter
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
In this issue:
o Campaign updates: Dams shelved in Ghana and Turkey.
Plus the latest from the Narmada Valley, India
o Members' Corner: Thoughts from a supporter
o Events: Dozens hear activists speak out against Asian
dam and mining projects on Nov 12 in San Francisco
o Publications: New, expanded edition of Patrick McCully's
"Silenced Rivers"
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
A Message from the Executive Director
Dear IRN friends,
In an effort to tighten the IRN community, we are introducing a new way to
communicate with our members and supporters. Each quarter, Inside IRN
will be delivered to you via email with the latest campaign updates, event
notices, action alerts, and announcements of new publications and videos.
We invite you to send in your thoughts about this e-newsletter.
Sincerely,
Juliette Majot
P.S. If you prefer not to receive Inside IRN, please email soudary@irn.org.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
Campaign Updates
o Narmada Valley, India: At the end of September, we learned that
Medha Patkar and six other Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) activists
had ended their fast on the 11th day after a commitment from the
government of Maharashtra to accept most of the NBA's demands on
the Sardar Sarovar Project. The government has agreed to constitute a
task force with the participation of the NBA and other local people to
verify the status of resettlement in every project affected village in
Maharashtra. It also agreed to set up an "Overview Committee" and a
"Planning Committee" on a ministerial level to prepare a master plan
for resettlement. Regarding land rights, the Advocate General of the
state, Mr. Wahanvatty, has already stated in the High Court that the
government of Maharashtra agreed with the NBA's position. The
government also announced that it would give 3000 rupees per acre
per year as a grant to oustees who for years have not received land at
resettlement sites. For more information about our South Asia
Campaign, please visit:
<http://www.irn.org/programs/india/>http://www.irn.org/programs/india/
o Ghana: Bui Dam permanently shelved. In November, we learned that
the government of Ghana had canceled its Memorandum of
Understanding with the dam-building consortium that was going to build
Bui Dam. Environmental studies for the Bui Dam on the Black Volta
River have also been canceled, although apparently the door has been
left open for development, we're told. Ghana's League of Environmental
Journalists, IRN and other activists have strongly opposed the dam
because of its potential social and environmental impacts (endangered
black hippos are particularly at risk). For more information, go to:
<http://irn.org/programs/safrica/index.asp?id=others.html>
http://irn.org/programs/safrica/index.asp?id=others.html
o Turkey: Dam Damned! News broke on November 13 that Balfour Beatty,
the U.K.-based company has pulled out of involvement in the
environmentally, politically and socially disastrous Ilisu Dam on the
Tigris River. The dam, planned in the Kurdish region of Turkey, would
have displaced more than 30,000 people and would have drowned dozens
of towns and villages, including the historic site of Hasankeyf. It would
have also aggravated sensitive water conflicts downstream between Syria
and Iraq. For more information, please go to:
<http://www.ilisu.org.uk>http://www.ilisu.org.uk
Also look for related articles in the October and December issues of
"<http://www.irn.org/pubs/wrr>World Rivers Review."
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
Members' Corner
In the days after Sept 11, we received countless emails and notes of
support and appreciation in response to our statement about the events.
In particular, we wanted to share a supportive voice from one of IRN's
members. This type of encouragement, sent along with an additional
contribution, gave many of us here a boost:
"I found your statement following the 9/11 events sensitive and well-
stated. I imagine your contributions may drop so I want to send along a
contribution in continuing support. I believe part of your work is to
support those who are disenfranchised and whose voices need to be joined
and supported against damaging, ill-conceived projects. In this way you
work admirably to support and build a more just and peaceful world.
Good luck in your continued work." - Jenny Stout
*Members' Corner is your forum! If you would like to send in thoughts,
questions or comments to Inside IRN, please email soudary@irn.org with
"Member Voice" in the subject line.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
IRN Gift Memberships
Want a unique way to introduce your friends, family or colleagues to IRN
and our work? Send them an IRN Gift Membership! IRN is the only
organization in the world devoted to protecting rivers on an international
scale, from the Amazon to the Zambezi. To give the gift of living rivers and
human rights, go to:
<http://www.irn.org/index.asp?id=sub/member.html>http://www.irn.org/index.asp?id=sub/member.html
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
Events
Human Rights & the Environment - Perspectives from China, Indonesia and
the Philippines. On November 12, The Asia Society, International Rivers
Network and the University of San Francisco's Center for the Pacific Rim
convened a program featuring activists fighting against dams and mining
projects in Asia. Speakers included Dai Qing, journalist and outspoken
critic of the Three Gorges Dam in China, Arianto Sangaji, Executive
Director of the Free Land Foundation, Sulawesi, Indonesia and Joan Carling,
Chairperson of the Cordillera Peoples' Alliance, Philippines. The event
was held at the University of San Francisco, Center for the Pacific Rim.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
Publications
Newly Released! International Rivers Network in association with
Zed Books/St Martins Press has just published an expanded edition of
"Silenced Rivers: The Ecology and Politics of Large Dams" by Patrick
McCully (IRN Campaigns Director). It contains a new 50-page chapter
analyzing the World Commission on Dams and other important
developments affecting dam building and opposition over the past five
years. "Silenced Rivers" chronicles the history and politics of large scale
dam-building, and the social, environmental and economic impacts of
dams. Indian author Arundhati Roy describes "Silenced Rivers" as
"a truly dazzling book." $20 members/ $25 non-members plus shipping
& handling. To order online, please visit:
<http://www.irn.org/commerce>http://www.irn.org/commerce
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
International Rivers Network is an NGO that supports local communities
working to protect their rivers and watersheds. An integral part of the
international movement to protect living rivers and human rights, we
work to halt destructive river development projects, and to encourage
equitable and sustainable methods of meeting needs for water, energy and
flood management.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
International Rivers Network
1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94703
tel > 510.848.1155 / fax > 510.848.1008
website > <http://www.irn.org>http://www.irn.org
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
*To be removed from this list, please email soudary@irn.org
----- End of forwarded message from Soudary Kittivong-Greenbaum -----