On February 7 AMICHOCÓ Foundation hosted the Workshop on Decent Work in Small Mining. This workshop is part of an agreement signed last year with the National Labor School (ENS, for its acronym in Spanish) for project "Fair Trade and Responsible Mining" that AMICHOCÓ is conducting in collaboration with Solidarity.
In this workshop, were invited some members of the team of the Foundation Alliance for Responsible Mining, ARM, as well as representatives of organizations supporting the project, Hernando Henao, president of ASOMINA and Marla Uribe, the labor inspector district of Segovia and Remedios, leader of the Interagency Committee for the Elimination of Child Labour. Finally, also attended by two representatives of two organizations of artisanal and small – scale mining in the region.
This activity is part of the component and Labor Rights Project aims to empower organizations in the region and the team working on the issue of decent work.
The development of the activity was as follows: First addressed the general guidelines for the construction of indicators-Identification of relevant variables and ways of measuring these variables. In a second time, will the issue of measuring decent work in Colombia, then give way to the characterization of forced labor in Colombia, with an emphasis on child labor, about progress and challenges.
For years, the department of Antioquia has been a leader in gold production in Colombia. However, the exploitation of the mines of the department has not been done under the best conditions, because many miners are still under informality. Besides the above working conditions and security are not the best and the indiscriminate use chemicals is harmful to the health of the environment. All the above has generated interest in implementing practices which minimize the environmental risks and ensure better health conditions in the mines and the conditions for those who work in the mines.
Currently, the importance of protecting our natural resources, has led to different companies, foundations and corporations to educate on best practices of mining and also sensitize communities on the importance of clean practices in mining.
It is for this reason that the Fundación Amigos del Chocó decided to bet on supporting the organizations of small miners in this region of Antioquia, as there is willingness by them to develop ways to advance more responsible mining and, at the same time, protect the environment and achieve community development.
In this sense after approach and diagnosis phase, we want to transform the situation of small-scale mining in northeastern Antioquia, the project aims to promote education and training events, generate optimal results that transcend in construction of progress, equity, environmental protection and fair trade. It also aims to provide small-scale miners, practical tools to strengthen organizationally.
Lead to these communities more responsible practices, involves combating modern forms of slavery which are related to mining: Prostitution, exclusion of women, labor exploitation and child labor.
In January 2013 the TINI’s project ended in Turbo (Colombia). The project allows 60 children to have an educational environment to meet and protect the biodiversity of their region through the construction of a Children's Land called "Retrieving My Land". Since the delivery of their land, they created their own logo, a song, a vision of what they wanted to do and began to build their dreams.
Children were supported by a permanent group of 19 youth and 6 teachers "TiNi promoters" of an educational institution of Uraba, who were trained in the methodology TiNi. With this group of promoters were conducted recreational and artistic activities focused on environmental education and meetings to promote leadership, peaceful coexistence and the rights of children.
This process also linked parents and teachers of the school, who were invited to the meetings of socialization of project progress and promotion of the rights.
To complete the project, a contest was promoted on environmental stories that were published in the middle of a big festival with many guests. The festivals recognized the commitment of children with their environment, were presented the results of the experience and were awarded to the winners of the contest stories, as well as the creators of the song and the logo of the TiNi.
Currently the TiNi "Retrieving My Land" has its own nursery for planting native plants and reforestation of the basin of the rivers, a small house for recycling, an office and all the tools required for children, youth, teachers and parents to continue working on his dream of a better world.
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