South American Environmentalists for Latin American Week 2006

galway | environment | event notice Tuesday April 18, 2006 23:51 by Caoimhín Ó Maolallaigh - Green Party

Latin America Week 2006 – events in Galway

Since 1997, the Latin American Solidarity Centre, a group promoting cultural awareness, solidarity, and links between Ireland and Latin America, has organized a week of nationwide events in April dealing with Latin American issues.

The theme for Latin American Week 2006 is ‘Ownership of Natural Resources in Latin America & Ireland’. A national conference titled ‘Draining Away our Wealth-Ownership and Exploitation of Natural Resources in Ireland and Latin America’, which will be held at The Marino Institute in Dublin on April 22nd.

This year, Galway Latin America Week is being run in conjunction with Brenda Kelleher from The Maize Dreams, Galway Zapatista Project. As part of the week’s events, Tania Quiroz from Bolivia and Ricardo Buitrón from Ecuador will give talks in different venues around the country, including Galway.

Main Events Monday 24th April

FIELD TRIP - At 3pm the visiting speakers will be given a short tour by Green Party Councillor Niall Ó Brolcháin. They will visit residents of Coolagh who’ve been campaigning against Lackagh Quarry. They will also visit the site of the controversial Corrib Bridge, and also the Menlo Castle heritage site, of which the proposed sale to private investors is being opposed by the Galway Environmental Alliance and others.

PRESS CONFERENCE of Latin American Speakers & Local Campaigners: 4pm, at Menlo Park Hotel, open to everyone.

PUBLIC TALK by Tania Quiroz and Ricardo Buitrón: 7.30pm, Richardson’s Bar, Eyre Square.

Maria Torres, a member of Galway Zapatista Project will give a short presentation on the Zapatista struggle to defend and protect natural resources in Chiapas, Mexico.

Tania Quiroz works with the Defence of Water and Life movement in Bolivia. She will speak about the impact of IMF/World Bank policies and the successful resistance to the privatisation of water resources.

Ricardo Buitrón from Acción Ecológica, an environmental organisation in Ecuador who campaigned against Texaco’s toxic waste dumping in the Amazon will also be telling us all about his work.

On Tuesday April 24th, Tania and Ricardo will travel to Mayo to share experiences with the people involved in the Corrib Gas Pipeline controversy.

Contacts: For info on Galway events contact Brenda Kelleher at 087 6942937.

For Media and info on other events held in Dublin, Limerick, Belfast and Dingle, contact Carol on 086 0554665 or see the LASC website www.lasc.ie

QUOTE: "Latin America is a continent rich in natural resources like oil and gas. Under policies promoted by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, control of natural resources is being handed over to Transnational Companies with little benefit to the people. However, popular resistance to privatizations and new governments are challenging these policies. With the controversy over the Shell Gas Terminal in Co Mayo, a similar debate is opening up in Ireland. We hope that Latin America Week will encourages Irish people reflect on the ownership of Ireland’s resources, and learn from and exchange with our Latin American visitors."