Once a year, the board of Directors of the world’s most powerful gold mining corporation converge in downtown Toronto. Join us and representatives from mining-impacted communities to… CONFRONT BARRICK GOLD!
WHAT: Shareholders meeting protest
WHEN: May 2, 2012 10:30am
WHERE: Metro Convention Centre 255 Front St, Toronto
WHY PROTEST BARRICK?
In countries like Australia, Chile, Papua New Guinea and Tanzania, Barrick takes advantage of inadequate and poorly enforced regulatory controls to rob indigenous people of their lands, destroy sensitive ecosystems and agricultural land, support brutal police and security operations, and sue anyone who tries to report on it. In the context of this libel chill, Barrick has branded itself as the socially responsible mining giant and boasts its listing on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.
Behind the scenes, Barrick has been singled out as the company most involved in the lobbying effort to stop private member’s bill C-300. This bill would have withdrawn government funding and diplomatic support for companies found – after an investigation – to be abusing human rights or violating international environmental norms. In October 2010, bill C-300 lost by a mere 6 votes.
Now, Barrick uses its influence with government to direct millions of international aid dollars to fund projects next to a their mines.
Closer to home, Barrick’s Peter Munk pledged to contribute $35 million to the University of Toronto for the establishment of the Munk School of Global Affairs. The donation contract – which was negotiated and approved in secret – provides Munk with influence over the school’s curriculum and spells out the conditions under which the School will house the Canadian International Council (CIC), a right-wing think tank.