October 2008 e-News

Headway on Ngobe vs. Panama Case

Thanks to the generous support of our members, Cultural Survival has been granted an audience at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in the case of the Ngöbe vs. Panama on October 28, 2008. The government of Panama has partnered with American energy giant AES to build a hydroelectric dam across the Changuinola River in Panama. That dam will flood the traditional territory of the Ngöbe, and AES and government troops have been using brutal and unscrupulous methods to force the Ngöbe out of their homes. With donations from our members, we filed a brief with the Inter-American Commission. That brief sought an injunction from the commission. The hearing on October 28 is the first step toward that injunction. Executive director and human rights lawyer Ellen Lutz will join Ernesto Lopez, a Ngöbe representative, and three other indigenous leaders from across Panama in making a presentation on the project's serious indigenous-rights violations.
 
The hearing provides an unprecedented opportunity to raise the profile of the suffering faced by the Ngöbe and similarly situated indigenous peoples in Panama, while putting pressure on the government. It comes with short notice and amidst global economic chaos. Please consider making a contribution to help cover the costs of the delegation's plane tickets, visas, and trip expenses.     

 
The hearing is a public event.  If you will be in Washington and are interested in attending, please contact Ellen Lutz at elutz@cs.org.