November 9, 2018 — On November 14th and 19th, the magazine Relations will hold two evenings of reflection on ways out of the extractionist model, the first in Québec City (Frédéric-Back Culture and Environment Centre), and the second in Montréal (Maison Bellarmin). Jointly organized by the Committee for Human Rights in Latin America and les Amies de la Terre, these evenings will bring together experts and veteran activists.
“The industrial extraction of natural resources to further the aims of unlimited economic growth is at the heart of the current ecological crisis, the worst that the human race has faced. How do we get out of this extractionist model that leads to the destruction of ecosystems, aggravates global warming, and produces serious inequalities? What steps should we undertake to re-establish a more humane relationship with the land and kick-start a genuine ecological transition?”
The issue of extractionism is at the heart of the reflections of the Jesuits of Canada, the United States, and Latin America. The recent meeting in Honduras of the North American Jesuit Commission on the Social and International Apostolate is an eloquent witness to this, as is for that matter the commitment of our Honduran and Haitian companions confronting mining companies, hydro-electric companies, or the authoritarian regimes that support them. You can read or re-read A Just Response to Extractionism, the interreligious declaration co-signed by the Office of Justice and Ecology of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.
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