Human Rights and Extractivism in Chile: Social Uprising, Socio-Ecological Crisis, and Perspectives

February 11.

5 – 7 pm.

Room lmx 219.

Speakers:

Isabel Orellana, Centre de recherche en éducation et formation relatives à l’environnement et l’écocitoyenneté, UQAM;

Marie-Christine Doran, Observatoire violence, criminalisation et démocratie, Université d’Ottawa;

Ricardo Penafiel, Groupe de recherche sur les imaginaires politiques en Amérique latine, UQAM;

Gonzalo Bustamante Rivera, Centre des droits humains, Universidad de la Frontera, Temuco, Chili;

Kirsten Francescone, MiningWatch Canada

Chairs/animatrices: Joyce Portilla et Karine Vanthuyne, GRITE, uOttawa

In January 18- 27, professors Marie-Christine Doran (uOttawa) Isabel Orellana (UQAM) and Ricardo Penafiel (UQAM) participated in the “Canadian Human Rights Observation Mission in Chile”, organized by a Quebec-based solidarity group with this country. The purpose of the mission was to shed light on human rights violations in Chile since the social uprisings of October 2019, and to call on the Canadian government to break the silence on this matter. After the presentations of Professors Orellana, Doran and Penafiel about their observations in the field, and that of Professor Gonzalo Bustamante (Universidad Frontera, Chile) on the situation of the Mapuche people in this context, the coordinator for Latin America of MiningWatch Canada, Kirsten Francescone, will comment on the possible links between the silence of the Canadian government on the situation in Chile and mining and water investments of Canadian origin – water having been privatized in Chile.