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Newmont wins the most irresponsible Company Awards
Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh
Accra, Feb 1, Ghanadot - Information gathered by Ghanadot
from Davos, Switzerland, indicates that US gold mining
giant, Newmont Mining has won two awards. These awards are
2009 Public Eye Global Award and the Public Eye Peoples`
Award.- an award organized by the Berne Declaration (BD) and
Greenpeace Switzerland, to shame the company with the most
irresponsible corporate behaviour.
The award is also to put pressure on companies to behave
more responsibly towards human rights and the environment by
publicly exposing their behaviour, shaming those who have
done badly and rewarding the best efforts with the Public
Eye Positive Award.
The Berne Declaration (BD) and Greenpeace Switzerland
examines all nominations and submit them to a jury of
experts who shortlist three best cases in each category.
Companies short listed for "Public Eye Global Award"
included BNP, Paribas, Tesco plc and Newmont Mining
Corporation.
The event organizers say whiles everyone's talking about
corporate social responsibility, there are still far too
many companies out there engaging in evil business practices
– mistreating people and the environment.
Information gleaned from Public Eye Award indicate that
10,331 persons voted the past days for one of the suggested
companies which have blatantly disregarded their social and
environmental responsibility.
The Public Eye Awards (formerly Public Eye on Davos) the
Bern Declaration (BD) and Pro natura have provided – on
location in Davos – a critical counterpoint to the annual
World Economic Forum since 2000.
On the occasion of the 10th anniversary in 2009 Greenpeace
took the place of Pro Natura as partner organization of the
BD to demonstrate to the big players in the global economy
that inhuman and environmentally destructive business
practices have consequences – for the victims, obviously,
but also for the company image.
Newmont's nomination for the rather unpleasant award was
largely informed by the company's plans for a new
1,915-hectare goldmine in Ghana.
"In 2006 the Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana turned
down the initial request by
Newmont and the company withdrew its application. In 2008 a
subsidiary, the Newmont Ghana Gold Limited submitted a new
request to build an open-pit mine – 2.5 kilometers long, 900
meters wide and 500 meters deep – in a protected forest
area.
In order to exploit the soil Newmont is seeking permission
to destroy 74 hectares of the Ajenjua Bepo forest reserve."
The awarding institution gave as some reasons for their
nomination.
Mr Daniel Owusu- Koranteng, the Executive Director of WACAM
in a speech delivered at the Award ceremony, said that,
whilst the government of Ghana praised itself in attracting
Newmont to operate in Ghana, advocacy NGOs expressed
cynicism that Newmont would export its bad corporate culture
including bad environmental practices, intimidation of
activists and human rights violations to Ghana.
Newmont rebuffed these concerns and stated that it had
learnt its lessons from its operations in Peru, Indonesia ,
Nevada etc and promised to get the Ghana operations right.
He cited some of the operations of Newmont`s operations as
faecal disposal into river Asuopre, payment of Low
compensation, human rights abuses etc. He quoted Utah
Philips as follows`` The Earth is not dying- it is being
killed. And the people killing it have names and
addresses``.
He said that Newmont was one of the companies contributing
to the killing of the Earth. He urged all present to help
fight against Newmont`s efforts to mine in Ajenua Bepo
Forest Reserve.
According to the organizers, Newmont had been invited to
receive the shaming award but refused to turn up just like
other people who won awards.
The Public Eye positive Award went to the Mine Workers`
Union in Columbia for working with mining communities to
fight against the violations of the rights of communities
affected by mining.
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