Mining Justice Webinar: Meet the Presenters
United for Mining Justice is excited about the upcoming Mining Justice Webinar on June 8 from 1:30-3:30pm Eastern Time. Check out who's going to be there! Click here for more details and to register!
Abraham Chikasa, Council of Churches in Zambia
Zambia
The Council of Churches in Zambia serves as an ecumenical organization to strengthen Christian unity and to promote social justice, peace and development. This holistic ministry for human dignity to member churches, organizations, and to the people of Zambia is achieved through facilitation, advocacy, capacity-building, and networking. They have advocated for communities that have been displaced by mining corporations and work to make mining companies more accountable and transparent.
Abraham is Head of Programmes for CCZ and holds an MBA and post graduate diploma in Monitoring and Evaluation. He will speak about the current situation in Zambia. According to Global Affairs Canada, "Canada-Zambia economic and trade relations are dynamic, diversified and growing, with substantial Canadian investments in Zambia’s mining industry. Cumulative Canadian mining assets in Zambia are the second largest in Africa (after Madagascar), valued at $3.4 billion in 2012." Learn about the the on-the-ground impacts of this investment.
Emily Dwyer
Ottawa, Ontario
Emily joined the Canadian Network on Corporate Accountability - CNCA as Coordinator in August of 2012. Prior to joining the CNCA, Emily worked as Latin America Program Officer with Lawyers Without Borders Canada; as the Coordinator of the Human Rights Accompaniment Program for the Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network (BTS) and was a human rights observer in Guatemala with the Coordination of International Accompaniment in Guatemala. Throughout this time, Emily worked with the BTS Network’s mining justice campaigns, Amnesty International’s Business and Human Rights Committee and focused on related issues in law school.
Emily will speak about CNCA's Open for Justice campaign, recent and upcoming CNCA activities and plans and why now is the time to get involved with mining justice in Canada.
Christie Neufeldt
Toronto, Ontario
Christie is the Public Witness and Advocacy lead for The United Church of Canada. Previously she was the Program Coordinator - Animateur & Latin America Relations Coordinator at United Church of Canada. She has a Master’s of Social Work with a focus on social policy and community development from the University of Toronto. She is passionate about social justice and group process.
Christie will speak about the advocacy work of The United Church of Canada and upcoming opportunities for action and learning.
Barbara Lloyd
Toronto, Ontario
Barbara works as a Program Coordinator for Public Witness and Congregational Mission in the Church in Mission Unit at The United Church of Canada’s General Council office in Toronto. Her work involves planning and implementing advocacy actions and campaigns on several justice issues; and working to strengthen congregational capacity to live out God’s mission.
Barbara will help you prepare for meeting with your MP including best practices to help you gain the confidence you need to make your voice be heard!
Jackie McVicar
Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia (currently in Guatemala)
Jackie has been working on mining justice issues for the past 10 years, primarily in Guatemala and Mesoamerica through her work with the Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence network and the Atlantic Region Solidarity Network. She has acted as an international observer in several community-lead consultations and accompanied indigenous communities that have filed complaints to the Inter American Commission for Human Rights regarding FPIC, consultation and racism against the Guatemalan state. Jackie has been working to help strengthen the communications and advocacy work of United for Mining Justice since October 2015.
Jim Hodgson
Toronto, Ontario
Jim is a journalist who has worked extensively in Latin America and the Caribbean. Over the past three decades, he has written for a variety of church and independent media. He worked in the Dominican Republic for two years in the late 1980s and in Mexico for six years in the mid and late 1990s. Since 2000, he has served with the United Church of Canada as program coordinator for partnerships in Latin America and the Caribbean. Partners regularly raise issues of mining justice with him, and he takes those concerns into United Church, ecumenical and NGO circles. He is a member of the board of KAIROS and is co-chair of the Americas Policy Group of the Canadian Council for International Cooperation. He blogs at http://blogs.united-church.ca/unwrappingdevelopment/
Jim will be speaking about the pending complaint that OceanaGold has filed against the state of El Salvador.
