Rights Action SPEAKERS - FALL 2010

CRACKS IN THE WALLS OF IMPUNITY & CORRUPTION IN GUATEMALA & HONDURAS, & WITH GLOBAL RESOURCE EXTRACTION COMPANIES

During the months of September-November, 2010, Grahame Russell & Annie Bird (Rights Action co-directors since 1995) are available for speaking engagements in eastern Canada and USA, showing slides and documentaries, and speaking about:

• the inspiring and courageous pro-democracy, anti-military coup movement in Honduras, and its implications for the Americas;
• indigenous and community resistance to environmental and health harms and other human rights violations caused by gold and nickel mining (Goldcorp Inc. in Guatemala & Honduras; HudBay Minerals in Guatemala; Pacific Rim in El Salvador), hydro-electric dams (the infamous Chixoy dam in Guatemala; the pending Xalala dam in Guatemala) and other mega-"development" businesses;
• on-going struggles in Guatemala to achieve justice for the genocide, massacres and disappearances of the 1970s, 80s and 90s;
• widespread community-based work and struggle for "another world is possible and necessary".

In their presentations, Grahame and Annie will focus particular attention on:

• how "northern actors" - the USA and Canadian governments, businesses, investors, the World Bank, etc. - contribute to and benefit from the unjust economic model and resultant exploitation and poverty, environmental harms, and repression; and, from there,
• how North Americans, from all walks of life, can get more involved in these and other struggles to help achieve "another world is possible and necessary".

RIGHTS ACTION (www.rightsaction.org)
With tax charitable status in Canada and the USA, Rights Action funds and works to eliminate poverty and the underlying causes of poverty. RA supports community-based development, environmental, disaster relief and human rights projects and organizations in Guatemala and Honduras, as well as in Chiapas [Mexico], El Salvador and Haiti. RA educates about and is involved in other work aimed at critically understanding unjust north-south relations and global development, environmental and human rights issues and the challenges of poverty eradication.

CO-DIRECTORS SINCE 1995

GRAHAME RUSSELL: Grahame - a Canadian - lives in Connecticut with his two children. He is a graduate of the University of Guelph (Latin American studies) and the Faculty of Law, Ottawa University. From 1984-1995, Grahame worked with a range of development, environmental and human rights solidarity and NGO groups in Mexico and Central America, living for 8 years in the region. With Rights Action since 1995, Grahame has led Rights Action's work in the USA and Canada. Grahame's work has taken him throughout Guatemala, Honduras, Chiapas and Oaxaca, as well as to El Salvador and Haiti. Grahame speaks and publishes regularly about the wide range of issues referred to above. He is the author of: "The Never Ending" (1992) and "Code Z59.5: There is Only One People Here" (2010).

ANNIE BIRD: Annie - an American - lives in Washington DC with her husband and 3 children. She is a graduate of George Washington University (international development issues and Latin American history). With Rights Action since 1995, she opened the Rights Action office in 1997 in Guatemala City, and lived and worked there to 2009. Annie's work took her all over Honduras and Guatemala, as well as to Chiapas and El Salvador. Annie speaks and publishes regularly about the wide range of issues referred to above.

INTERESTED IN HOSTING (AN) EVENT(S)
Is your organization, educational or religious institution, union, etc., interested in hosting education events in your community? CONTACT: Grahame Russell (info@rightsaction.org, 860-352-2448) and Annie Bird (annie@rightsaction.org, 202-680-3002).

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