***************************************************************** AAM - AWA Family Picnic: Saturday, July 15 @ Elver Park AFRICA FEST 2006: Saturday, August 26 @ Warner Park Join African Association of Madison, Inc. for $25 per year Mail check to; AAM, PO Box 1016, Madison, WI 53701, 608-258-0261, [log in to unmask], www.AfricanAssociation.org ***************************************************************** Why don't they start their own mining company to properly mine and maintain the natural resources they were blessed with? Why entrust it to someone else? There's enough education and ability among the Ghanaians there and here to do that. ----- Original Message ----- From: f ossia <[log in to unmask]> Date: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 8:12 pm Subject: 'The days of taking our ore are gone' To: [log in to unmask] ***************************************************************** <p> AAM - AWA Family Picnic: Saturday, July 15 @ Elver Park <p> AFRICA FEST 2006: Saturday, August 26 @ Warner Park <p> Join African Association of Madison, Inc. for $25 per year <p> Mail check to; AAM, PO Box 1016, Madison, WI 53701, 608-258-0261, [log in to unmask], www.AfricanAssociation.org <p> ***************************************************************** <span><p><div style='background-color:'><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">I hope African leaders will consult with this Chief. He has a workable idea for African countries to benefit from their mineral wealth. Please read on. You might also want to read, "Is mining destroying your life?" <A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5181242.stm" target="1">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5181242.stm</A></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> </P></FONT></FONT> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">'The days of taking our ore are gone'<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"></FONT></FONT> </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">The Ghanaian government wants the Okyenhene (tribal king) of eastern <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region><st1:place>Ghana</st1:place></st1:country-region>'s Akyem Abuakwa region to grant land access to mining companies interested in exploiting huge deposits of bauxite - the raw material used to produce aluminium. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">The Okyenhene told the BBC's Claire Gilderson why he's in no hurry to sacrifice the Atiwa rain forest and will wait for the highest bidder who can prove that profit is not their only concern. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Formerly known as the Gold Coast, you'd be forgiven for thinking that <st1:country-region><st1:place>Ghana</st1:place></st1:country-region> is a prosperous country with a strong economy. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Exploitation from mining multinationals has attributed to our lack of development. Obuasi and Tarkwa in the south-west are rich in gold yet poor infrastructure, bad roads, lack of sanitation and poverty are prevalent in these areas. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">These multinationals promise opportunity for development, but where is the evidence? <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Mining companies have also damaged our environment and neglected our communities. Water bodies have been polluted and forests have been destroyed. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Livelihood <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">The Atiwa rain forest in my kingdom is approximately 43km squared. It's a substantial part of our livelihood and helps generate rainfall for the farmers. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">The local community in Kyebi is clearly in need of development <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Cutting down these trees in exchange for surface mining would be disastrous. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">We are not prepared to fell trees for economic short term sustainability. There has to be long term sustainable programmes in place. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">People have also been displaced and neglected. Many communities end up more impoverished after the mining companies leave, than before they arrived. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">The promise of jobs equates to unskilled labour and the workers are left with no tools, no skills and no training. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Ownership <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">They are not able to apply for decent jobs and have nothing to fall back on when the multinationals leave. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">I am not against mining if the ore and the production process are owned by our people. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Unfortunately in the past we have been quick to sign inequitable contracts in the hope of eradicating poverty. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Contracts must stipulate healthcare for the workers, decent housing, better pay, more benefits, training, care for the environment and social responsibility. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Intolerance <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">We have to make laws to protect our people and our land. As traditional leaders we must negotiate hard and bargain from a position of strength in future. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">This is the 21st Century and we have a responsibility to future generations to turn the minerals that God has blessed us with into symbols of wealth and development such as schools, hospitals, universities, decent roads, infrastructure and respectable jobs which will transform lives and raise standards of living. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><st1:country-region><st1:place>Ghana</st1:place></st1:country-region> needs to take a cue from <st1:country-region><st1:place>South Africa</st1:place></st1:country-region> - in <st1:City><st1:place>Johannesburg</st1:place></st1:City> you can visibly see what has been done with their gold. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">We need to hold onto our property and wait for the highest bidder who is someone that not only cares about their profit but also cares about our people. </FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><A href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5190584.stm" target="1">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5190584.stm</A></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT> </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P> </P></div><br clear=all><hr> <a href="http://g.msn.com/8HMAENUS/2740??PS=47575" target="1">It’s the future of Hotmail: Try Windows Live Mail beta </a> </span> *** Send email to the list: [log in to unmask] *** *** Access AAM list archives: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/AAM.html *** <p> <p> <p> <p> *** Send email to the list: [log in to unmask] *** *** Access AAM list archives: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/AAM.html ***