Friday, 1 November 2019 from 19:00-21:00 

515 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6B 5K3

Is Hydropower Clean? Discussing Social and Environmental Impacts of Site C and Hidroituango Mega-Dams in BC and Colombia.

Many consider hydroelectricity a “clean source of power”; however, this perception neglects the vast detrimental environmental and social impacts of hydroelectric projects, such as habitat destruction and disruption, flooding, and human displacement, among others.

This panel discussion seeks to shed light upon the inconmensurable social and environmental impacts produced by two hydropower projects: Site C Dam and Hidruitango Mega-Dam located in British Columbia, Canada, and Antioquia, Colombia, respectively.

In hopes of strengthening North-South solidarity in resistance to this form of extractivism, the discussion will explore the commonalities and differences between the two projects and will also bring awareness to the different forms of violence suffered by social movements in Colombia and BC.

The discussion will be moderated by Pilar Riaño, Professor at the Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice Institute - UBC.

Speakers

Isabel Cristina Zuleta is a sociologist and a Colombian environmental and human rights activist, who has denounced the forced displacement, violent attacks and prosecution against local communities and social leaders who are opposed to the Hidroituango mega-dam during the last 10 years. Isabel was a final nominee to the 2019 Diakonia’s and the Church of Sweden International Mission Human Rights Award.

Rita Wong supports the work of Fight C, the Peace Valley Solidarity Initiative, and Poets for the Peace to see justice in our times. She is a poet-scholar who has written several books of poetry and coedited, with Dorothy Christian, an anthology entitled Downstream: Reimagining Water.

*Simultaneous translation English to Spanish and Spanish to English will be provided.*

This public event will take place on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.

515 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6B 5K3
Simon Fraser University - Harbour Center
Room HC 7000 ( (7th floor)

Free entrance.
Seats limited.
Please register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/discussing-social-environmental-impacts-of-mega-dams-in-bc-colombia-tickets-77569328951?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

This event is organized by Care for Colombian Leaders, Mining Justice Alliance, Solidarity and Social Justice Committee of TSSU and Ola Pazífica and supported by SFU Labour Studies Program and CoDevelopment Canada.

It is also part of the Canadian Tour "Energy Justice: The Defence of the Cauca River in Colombia" sponsored by:

Comité pour les droits humains en Amérique latine (CDHAL)
Common Frontiers
Projet Accompagnement Solidarité Colombie (PASC)
Comité de solidarité avec Ríos Vivos - Montréal
Steelworkers Humanity Fund / Fonds humanitaire des Métallos
Mining Watch Canada
Centre international de solidarité ouvrière (CISO)
Peace Brigades International-Canada
CoDevelopment Canada
KAIROS
CASA
Inter Pares
America Policy Group du Conseil canadien de coopération internationale
Above Ground
Alliance de la Fonction publique du Canadá - Public Service Alliance of Canada
Solidarité Laurentides Amérique centrale (SLAM)
International Women's Alliance
International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines-Canada (ICHRP)