[van-announce] Anti-Goldcorp Forum Report Back & Audio availiale

[Ivan D. Drury]

Report on the first SFU Against Goldcorp and Gentrification forum:
Hey Goldcorp! We don't want your dirty gold!

Thanks to Vancouver Media Coop for recording the forum and making the audio 
available here: 

http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/audio/goldcorp-corporate-education-and-gentrification-forum/4968



On Monday October 25th an even 100 people packed into a 60 person capacity room 
on the seventh floor of the SFU Harbour Centre for a discussion on Goldcorp's 
naming-rights purchase of the SFU Centre for the Arts at Woodwards. 


The forum was chaired by SAGG member and SFU English department professor Steve 
Collis and speakers included:

Dawn Paley, independent journalist: Dawn, who has done years of research about 
Goldcorp both in the books and on the ground in affected communities in Central 
America, showed a disturbing slideshow cataloguing Goldcorp's destructive 
cyanide leaching pit mine practice in action. She talked about the history of 
Goldcorp, the criminal charges that have been brought against the company and 
its subsidiaries and juniors, and the struggle against their projects throughout 
Latin America.

Wendy Pedersen, Carnegie Community Action Project (CCAP): Wendy spoke about the 
popular misunderstanding of the Downtown Eastside (DTES) as a drug ghetto at the 
corner of Main and Hastings. She explained that 70% of the DTES community is 
low-income, and that the majority of these residents are proud of their 
neighbourhood and want to stay in their home community. Wendy explained the 
effect of Woodwards on the DTES low income community; that low-income housing in 
the DTES has reduced from 24% of residential hotel units to 12% since Woodwards 
opened. She asked if SFU students would help fight against gentrification and 
suggested boycotting the new Goldcorp Centre for the Arts at Woodwards. 


Myka Abramson, SFU Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU): Myka spoke about the 
rushing corporatization of the university. As a Graduate student and union 
member at SFU, Myka argued that the erosion of public education has led to an 
increasing presence of private corporations around the campus. She pointed out 
that the names of all the rooms in the Harbour Centre (where the forum was being 
held) are corporate… the problem is more than Goldcorp, she said, but the fight 
against Goldcorp is a start.

Bayron Figueroa, Guatemala, UNRG Vancouver: Following the grim reality sketched 
by the three speakers previous, Bayron brought hope to the forum in the 
perspective of struggle. He pointed out that, for all the destructive actions of 
Goldcorp, their partnership with SFU has brought the issue of their destructive 
practices to the surface in Vancouver. We have an opportunity, he said, to 
struggle together with the peoples of Honduras, Guatemala, Argentina, and 
everywhere that Goldcorp has brought environmental destruction that has 
displaced Indigenous and poor people. This, he said, is a hopeful opportunity.

The discussion that followed the presentations had an air of urgency. Most 
comments from the 100 people packed into the room were contributions or 
questions about what we should do next… 


Write to the forum organizers at antigoldcorp at gmail.com

Download printable materials, read the endorsement letter, and look for campaign 
updates and upcoming events at 

http://nogoldcorpsfu.wordpress.com

Come to the organizing meetings, Fridays, 5pm at SFU Harbour Centre (Hastings 
and Richards in DT Vancouver). The room number will be posted on the board in 
the main hall.

--- --- --- 
SFU Against Goldcorp & Gentrification (SAGG)
http://nogoldcorpsfu.wordpress.com
antigoldcorp at gmail.com