The Mining Working Group (MWG) at the UN is a coalition of NGOs, mainly religious, that are collaborating effectively to raise environmental issues at the UN.
From overturning the extractive Industry model through a human rights approach, to the human right to water, and to human rights as a framework for corporate accountability (there’s work towards a binding agreement on this in Geneva), we’ve been addressing these issues for about a year and half. Advocacy has been vigorous, from a postcard visual campaign, to letter campaigns, the most recent with 621 signatories (organizations) then sent to all UN missions, first by email and then by snail mail.
Our contribution for the Temple is to link with the Women’s Major Group (WMG), where I’m one of a smaller set of environmental advocates, but where the international organizations are happy to endorse the MWG’s efforts. This is how I’ve had opportunities to speak on environmental issues at the UN, representing the MWG, the WMG and other major groups.
Coalition is the only way to go. I’m so relieved to work with so many others, where my contributions count and add up to something much larger. The focus of this is environmental; one of my value adds is in networking between the Mining Working Group and the Women’s Major Group for opportunities.
–Grove Harris
feature image: “UN” by Keith A Burns is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0