[608] in peace2
Talk on Globalization: Saturday, March 31
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Vinay Kumar)
Sun Mar 25 14:45:19 2001
From: Vinay Kumar <vkumar@ai.mit.edu>
Message-Id: <200103251943.OAA09918@visual-cortex.mit.edu>
To: aid-boston@yahoogroups.com, secular@mit.edu, peace-list@mit.edu,
pugwash@mit.edu
Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2001 14:43:51 -0500 (EST)
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Association for India's Development (AID)
and Sangam
present
Talk and Discussion
"Globalization, Environment, and Freedom: An Indian
Perspective"
by Leo Saldanha
of Environment Support Group(ESG) Bangalore, India
Saturday, March 31, 2001, 12 noon
Room 2-105, MIT
** Free snacks will be served **
For more information please contact:
Tarun Jain, Association for India's Development
tarun.jain@mercermc.com (617) 876 6228
Vinay Kumar, Association for India's Development
vkumar@ai.mit.edu (617) 661 5845
About the Speaker:
------------------
Leo Saldanha, Coordinator of Environment Support Group (ESG) in
Bangalore, is a researcher, analyst and activist who has been working
for more than a decade with local groups on issues of major economic,
social and environmental significance. He has extensive experience in
fighting court battles on public interest causes, running press
campaigns, lobbying with government and elected representatives and
engaging in public discussions in matters related to industrialization
and development.
He received his B.S. in Environmental Science from St. Joseph's
College, Bangalore University, and is pursuing his LLB degree from
Bangalore University. He is a frequent speaker in Asia, Europe, and
North America. He has been an AID-Saathi since December 2000.
About ESG (www.altindia.net/esg/index.htm):
-------------------------------------------
Environment Support Group (ESG) is an independent not-for-profit
voluntary organisation which believes in promoting a pattern of
development that is socially just, economically viable, ecologically
sustainable, politically participative and culturally vibrant.
It is run by a group of activists, researchers, lawyers and
academicians based in Bangalore, who work directly with civil society
groups and local village communities in their struggles for justice,
development and a safe environment by extending research, advocacy and
legal support in the region of Karnataka. The Group has worked with a
wide range of organisations and coalitions at the local, regional,
national and international levels in a variety of collaborations.
Notable ESG efforts and successes:
---------------------------------
** Cogentrix Power Plant
ESG provided legal and campaign support to Janajagriti Samithi (Public
Awareness Committee) of Nandikur, in Dakshina Kannada, a committee of
project affected communities, in sustaining their decade long resistance
to the location of Thermal Power Plants in the environmentally sensitive
and coastal Dakshina Kannada region, particularly the Cogentrix and
Nagarjuna led power plants. This involved complete involvement and
support in the Public Interest Litigation against the US MNC Cogentrix
Inc. led Mangalore Power Company, both in the High Court of Karnataka and
Supreme Court of India.
Because of this action, Cogentrix withdrew from the project without
breaking ground in December 1999. The anti-Cogentrix struggle
influenced a major reform process of the power sector in Karnataka,
even as it weakened the pace of rash commitments Governments are given
to make to TNCs in luring foreign direct investment.
** Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor
ESG has been involved along with various citizens and community groups
in the cities of Bangalore, Mysore and Mandya in demanding access to
techno-economic, environmental and social information on the Rs. 2000
crore Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor proposed my M/s Nandi
Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises Ltd. The project involves
dislocation of over 200,000 people and acquisition of over 20,000
acres of land.
** Kudremukh National Park
ESG is presently running a campaign along with regional and
international environmental groups and local communities in the
Chickmagalur district towards seeking a ban on mining operations in
Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd. in the Kudremukh National Park as it
violates fundamental precepts of wildlife and forest conservation
legislations and in order to protect highly sensitive local shola
forests, the Bhadra river and the local population from displacement
and pollution impacts.
