Română
‘Mining Watch Romania’ is a monitoring network designed to organise civil society and local community actions on proposed mining projects in Romania. In this respect, the network performs monitoring and analysis activities of mining projects planned in our country and conducts advocacy actions to influence decision makers in Romania so that local communities can voice their concerns in shaping their own future.
More and more gold-mining projects are planned in Romania. With 68 gold deposits identified, Romania is at risk of a rapid expansion for open pit mining projects, based on cyanide technologies. In this context, mining is an industry with a very high-stake for the public politics and financial markets, but mostly for the communities and ecosystems directly affected.
While industry emphasizes its capacity for profit generation and use of modern technologies, the responsibilities of risks, costs and liabilities generated from pollution have never been fully undertaken. Industry’s domination in the arena of public policy prevented the generation of a change in the status-quo, and the voice of local communities still remains marginal in the public discourse. Moreover, the mining industry, through strong lobbying towards state institutions and advertising campaigns, has the ability to diminish the pression of local communities and organizations in their co-participation to decisional process.
‘Mining Watch’ activity is designed to support NGOs and local initiative groups in order to ensure access to information, conducting independent surveys regarding the mining impact, monitoring the decisional process, as well as offering legal assistance when the situation requires. ‘Mining Watch Romania’ monitorises mining projects started or proposed in several areas of the country, under the sections: “Where we act” and “Active Monitoring”, presenting them in details.
Organising
The ‘Mining Watch Romania’ Network is open to both individuals as well as to NGOs. The founding members of the network are organisations involved in the Save Rosia Montana campaign, but also in monitoring mining projects such as Certej or Baia Mare. The secretariat of the ‘Mining Watch’ network is conducted by the Independent Centre for Development of Environmental Resources (CIDRM).
The members of Mining Watch Romania are:
– NGOs involved in building the network;
– NGOs who work towards the same objectives as MW and support the networks’ development;
– Initiative groups from the communities targeted by the mining projects;
– Local communities who oppose the negative impact generated by mining operations.
Principles of the network
‘Mining Watch Romania’ operates according to the following basic principles:
Participation, democracy, non-violence, solidarity, social and environmental justice.
The network is neutral, non-discriminatory and promotes gender equality.
‘Mining Watch Romania’ does not accept funds from the mining industry nor from the companies that pollute and destroy the environment.
‘Mining Watch Romania’ does not manage programs designed or funded by mining companies and does not act as a consultant for mining interests to / for those who contribute to environmental destruction or violation of the human rights.