We collected signatures for a petition to Edward Sellers, CEO of Lydian International Mining to ask him to drop plans for mining in Amulsa and and to stop suing Armenia under an ISDS claim. People were shocked when they heard about the appalling environmental damage that was caused by the gold mine when construction started. They were keen to support the local people who have been blockading the mine for over a year.
As part of the European month of action against Corporate Courts, May 2019, we organised some street theatre on Broad Street, Reading
Mariana played the part of an ISDS arbitrator dressed in a judge’s costume and Bente acted as representative of a country being fined for interfering with a corporate’s profits. We asked passers-by to sign postcards to Liam Fox.
On 1 May 2019 we had a fascinating meeting entitled ‘Addicted to Palm Oil?’. We learnt that Oil palm is an amazing crop. It produces up to 9 times as much oil as any other crop so boycotting it could lead to its replacement by other crops which need more farmland and probably more deforestation. We need active consumers to demand a trustworthy certification scheme for sustainable palm oil; consumers who are prepared to pay a higher price for such a product. The Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) seems to be the most robust of several certification schemes there are at present. Jo Hand told us about an app for your phone that she and her husband have created https://gikibadges.com. It helps you find the products in the supermarket that fit your values and beliefs, such as the products that use sustainable palm oil. You can scan the barcodes and find out in seconds what’s good for you, better for the environment and fairer for others.
Thank you all our helpers persuading shoppers in Broad Street Reading to sign our cards and petition against incorporating secret ISDS Corporate Courts clauses in future Trade Deals. The windy and cold day did not affect our enthusiasm to inform the public. A great success.
