Human and environmental impacts of Canadian resource extraction
in Latin America: A KAIROS partner tour and Tar Sands Forum

(Toronto)/ For Immediate Release

WHO:	Ivonne Yanez, coordinator, OilWatch South America, part of Oil Watch International, a partner of KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives.
WHAT:	KAIROS sponsored public speaking tour and meetings with the Canadian government to raise awareness about oil and mining issues. Specifically, Ivonne Yanez will be speaking about the: impacts of oil extraction on the environment and peoples of Latin America; work of OilWatch International in advocating for the rights of communities and proposing concrete alternatives to our current petroleum-based society the political context of mining related developments in Ecuador and the role of Canadian mining companies in Ecuador. Ivonne Yanez will also speak at a KAIROS forum on the Alberta Tar Sands
WHERE:	Toronto, Ottawa and Calgary
WHEN:	Toronto (Sept 28-30), Ottawa (Oct 1-2) and Calgary (Oct 3-5), where Yvonne participates in the KAIROS forum on the Alberta Tar Sands.

KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives is a church-based social justice organization that works on a variety of issues, including resource extraction and corporate accountability.
Oil Watch International is a global network that resists the negative impacts of oil extraction on peoples and the environment, advocates for the rights of impacted communities and seeks alternatives to oil extraction.
Ivonne Yanez is also a member of another KAIROS partner, Accion Ecologica, an environmental organization in Ecuador with strong links to Indigenous movements. A key national campaign of Accion Ecologica, which works locally, nationally and internationally, focuses on mining and its impacts.
The Ecuadorian government has announced that it will enact a new mining law by the end of October 2008. Preliminary results indicate 65% of voters approved yesterday’s referendum on a new constitution for Ecuador. It is unclear what impact the constitution will have on the proposed mining law. Accion Ecologica and other organizations are advocating for the legislation to address longstanding concerns about the impact of mining on people and the environment.

Media contact:

Adiat Junaid
Communications Coordinator
KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives
(416) 463 5312 ext. 223
ajunaid