Kanaks take on Canadian nickel mining grant.Two of New Caledonia's Kanak elders, Senator Dick Meureureu and Chief Adrien Koroma, traveled to Toronto in April 2004 to attend the Inco annual shareholders' meeting shareholders' meeting n. a meeting, usually annual, of all shareholders of a corporation (although in large corporations only a small percentage attend) to elect the Board of Directors and hear reports on the company's business situation. . They say that since the launch of its 2001 Goro nickel-cobalt project, Canadian Canadian (kənā`dēən), river, 906 mi (1,458 km) long, rising in NE New Mexico. and flowing E across N Texas and central Oklahoma into the Arkansas River in E Oklahoma. mining company Inco Limited has refused to address the concerns of the indigenous people of New Caledonia New Caledonia, Fr. Nouvelle Calédonie, internally self-governing territory of France (2005 est. pop. 216,000), land area 7,241 sq mi (18,760 sq km), South Pacific, c.700 mi (1,130 km) E of Australia. , including widespread environmental degradation Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife. and loss of the region's unique biodiversity biodiversity: see biological diversity. biodiversity Quantity of plant and animal species found in a given environment. Sometimes habitat diversity (the variety of places where organisms live) and genetic diversity (the variety of traits expressed . The two elders called for negotiations with the indigenous population and for immediate review of the environmental impact assessment conducted by a team of independent scientists. Joining the elders in protest were members of the Algonquin First Nation, who danced and drummed in solidarity with the Kanak elders. Despite ongoing opposition, an October 2004 press release announced Inco's plan to proceed with the Goro mining project based on its ability to meet "financial objectives." Contact Mining-Watch Canada, www.miningwatch.ca, for details. |
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