Development of Education Material for Teachers – Water & Environment Protection

Volunteering Placement Code: 002-AR-CHT-ESQ-MA

City/Province/Country: Esquel - Chubut - Argentina

Host Organization Description: At the end of 2002, the citizens of Esquel self-organized in order to reject the mega open-pit mining project planned by Meridian Gold, a Canadian mining company. The project consisted of extracting gold by means of cyanide leaching, for which 6 tons of cyanide and 12 million litres of fresh water would be used daily. The project site is only 8 kilometres away from the town and close to important fresh water sources. On 23rd March 2003, 81% of the community voted against the project in a non-binding plebiscite, or referendum. This democratic and participative action, a landmark in provincial and national social history, set an example to other communities in Argentina that are affected or threatened by similar mining projects, and has encouraged these other communities to resist such highly hazardous activities. However, the interested company still does not respect the will expressed by the Esquel community in the plebiscite and keeps trying to circumvent the community’s determination in order to carry out this mining project. Also, the local and provincial governments have been bought out by the multinational mining lobby and act against the decision of the community.

In order to counteract the aggressive actions of multinational companies, the communities carry out a constant labour of informing, educating and raising awareness regarding the highly detrimental impact that mega mining projects bring upon the region’s environment, economy and social balance.

Volunteering Placement Description: MAPU Association is currently cooperating with the Assembly of Self-Organized Neighbours against Mining of Esquel, Chubut province, in Argentinean Patagonia, on the national and international awareness campaign regarding the issue of communities affected by mining. The goal is to raise awareness about the environmental, social and economic dangers of metal mining exploitation, as well as to expose the ways in which foreign governments, financial entities, the international mining lobby, etc. promote the plundering of developing countries.

To this end, MAPU collaborates with local and international volunteers to organize and develop educational material for primary and secondary levels. The material will be made available to teachers in Argentina, Chile and other South American countries through the Neighbours’ website. The educational material will complement curricular topics of Biology, Chemistry, Ethics and Citizenship, Social Science, Geography, etc. Topics include water quality; water, earth and air pollution; environmental, social and economic impacts of mining; different types of mining; pollution-related diseases; cyanide leaching; heavy metals of freshwater ecosystems; and community self-determination as a human right.

As a volunteer in this placement you will be responsible for developing educational material, according to your studies and/or professional experience, under the coordination and supervision of local teachers. The material will have a “class project” format.

Objectives: The objective of this volunteering placement is that you support Argentinean and Chilean communities affected or threatened by mining to raise awareness at a national and international level about this issue and about the dangers of mega mining as a non-sustainable activity creating high impacts on the environment, on the local economies, and on the social balance so that people are able to take informed decisions regarding metal mining.

Requirements: For this volunteering placement you need to share the ideals of the communities struggling to defend their rights, including (but not limited to): the right to live in a healthy environment; the right to self-determination in choosing their future and that of the coming generations; the right to economic self-determination; and the right to protect traditional production activities.

You also need to have studies and/or professional experience in any of the following areas: primary or high school teaching, environmental sciences, biology, geography, chemistry, social science…

Languages: Advanced level of Spanish, or Spanish as mother tongue

Minimum and Maximum Length: 1 month minimum, flexible maximum

Ideal Start Date: Flexible

Timetable: 20 to 25 weekly hours, from Monday to Friday, normally during the afternoon

Last Page Update: June 2008