Control over resources The global process of liberalization and deregulation has meant that governments have lost their ability to regulate commerce and the role of foreign capital in their economies. A concern in many parts of the world is the impact of the unregulated extraction of minerals and other resources. These extraction activities, often undertaken by foreign companies, transform local resources into commodities for offshore markets with little benefit to local people. They also leave in their wake often irreversible destruction of farmland, water systems and forests. In many cases, people face the loss of their livelihoods with no compensation and no alternative but to migrate in search of security. Of increasing concern is the extraction of resources by Canadian and foreign companies in situations of conflict and widespread human rights abuses. In these situations of "militarized commerce", foreign companies are sometimes complicit in such abuses.
Inter Pares and our counterparts are working on issues related to mining, biodiversity, forestry and coastal resources to promote the development of regulatory mechanisms and greater community participation in resource management. Inter Pares supports people's efforts to defend their livelihoods, to research and document these problems, and to develop the confidence and skills to engage with governments and foreign corporations. An important contribution Inter Pares makes to this work is linking local communities with similar problems and experiences elsewhere. Inter Pares is also working with other Canadian NGOs to promote Canadian government sanctions against Canadian companies involved in militarized commerce.
Links to recent Inter Pares Bulletin articles related to this theme
The Land We Call Home; Vol. 32, No. 2, June 2010
Reclaiming the Romance of Social Change; Vol. 29, No. 4, November 2007
Entrusted with Stories: A Window on Colombia; Vol. 29, No. 1, February 2007
The Right to Humanity; Vol. 28, No. 3, September 2006
- The Right to Determine our Future, Together
- Exorcising Leopold's Ghost: Holding Canadian Corporations to Account
Food Sovereignty: Building New Futures; Vol. 28, No. 1, February 2006
Links to reports, articles and presentations related to this theme
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