Speaker will discuss fight against open-pit gold mining in Guatemala

Oct.25, 2005

Lacey – The Saint Martin's University Social Action Club invites the public to hear a representative of the AJCHMOL Mayan Integral Development Association, Rolando Lopez Maya-Mam, Rolando Lopez Maya-Mam, speak at 7 p.m. Oct. 31. The free program, “The Guatemalan Perspective: Resisting the Hazardous Effects of Globalization,” will be at the university’s Worthington Conference Center, 5300 Pacific Ave. SE.

AJCHMOL, an indigenous rights organization whose name means “the one who weaves,” works to strengthen organizing initiatives on the community level, as well as to defend and promote indigenous rights. Recent efforts of the association have focused on aiding communities resisting Canadian-based Glamis Gold’s open-pit gold mining in San Miguel Ixtahuacan and Sipacapa in San Marcos.

Maya-Mam will talk about the association’s efforts to demonstrate that the Guatemalan government’s handling of the situation has violated the International Labor Organization’s Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples (ILO 169), to which Guatemala is a signatory.

Those attending the talk between activities are welcome to wear their Halloween costumes.

For more information:

Deanna Partlow
Media coordinator
360-438-4541; dpartlow@stmartin.edu