mining for gold

had lunch with some great students from the states who are staying in el salvador to work on an activist movement. they work for an organization that has ties with a lot of sister city non-profits throughout el salvador. they are all fighting against big corporations and the effects of CAFTA (central american fair trade agreement). CAFTA is a five year old policy that protects the rights of corporations over those of the people. as large corporations get more and more powerful, the rights of the people become forgotten. which is the case of the gold miners.

apparently for these big companies (like Pacific Rim) gold is more important than sucking up local water, stealing land, and risking lives. these violations have created an enormous movement in el salvador, led by the people. it has prevented communities from falling into the trap of accepting false agreements, and then paying the price. many more people are involved in the movement, thanks to the connections in the us, and the continuing educational programs.

i couldn't help but leave inspired.