Canadian Mining can make a lasting difference in the Congo
By Dr. Keith Martin, MP
If ever there was a hell on earth, then surely it is the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC).
A staggering 1000 people die every day from largely preventable causes in this forgotten corner of the continent,
and more than 6 million people have perished in the last 8 years alone.
In some communities, a shocking 70% of the women have been subjected to
extreme sexual violence; gang raped or violated with bayonets and other
sharp objects, causing death or lifelong disabilities.
The DRC is home to the world's worst humanitarian catastrophe since the
Second World War, yet it has received scant attention from the
international community.
The conflict is complex. It is partly rooted in disputes over land ownership, but mostly it is a battle for the vast natural resources the region possesses. Diamonds, gold and rare minerals are plentiful.
However, few of these minerals are more important than coltan, an essential element that is used in the production of the computers, cell phones and other electronic equipment that are a
ubiquitous part of our lives.
Interestingly, many of the mining
companies operating in this region are Canadian, where they have over
$20 billion invested in their operations.
In the midst of this turmoil is the HEAL Africa hospital, which was
started in 1993 by Congolese orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Jo Lusi and his
wife Lyn.
It is the most prominent institution working against sexual
violence in the DRC, and is the only recognized tertiary referral
hospital for the more than 5 million people who live in the midst of
this disaster.
US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, visited the hospital and held a
press conference there during her recent official visit to Africa.
She
witnessed the extraordinary work the hospital is doing to repair the
traumatic fistulas women sustain when they are raped, to treat the
victims of machete and gunshot wounds, and to care for those affected by
a myriad of diseases that are curable if treated, and fatal if not.
Yet
despite their extraordinary record of service, the hospital is in dire
need of funding to expand its facilities and train the health care
workers who are providing essential care in the rural areas.
The monies required are modest. The total amount that is needed to
provide better maternal, infant and emergency care is $1.4 million. A
meager $5400 per year for three years will train a physician who will
work in this grossly underserved area. All of this will help a patient
base that exceeds 5 million people.
Several months ago I wrote to the Canadian mining companies working in
the Congo and asked them to contribute some monies for the HEAL Africa
project. Providing some of these monies would be a modest act of
corporate social responsibility.
Given the profits these companies are
earning in the midst of this suffering, such a donation shouldn't be
much of a sacrifice. So far none of the following company leaders have
even acknowledged receipt of the letter:
Philip K.R. Pascall, Chairman and CEO, First Quantum Minerals Ltd.
Mr. Lukas H. Lundin, Chairman, Lundin Mining Corporation
Mr. Michael Newbury, President and CEO, Simberi Mining Corporation
Dr. Tony Harwood, President and CEO, Africo Resources Ltd.
Mr. Alexander MacPhee, President and CEO, SouthernEra Diamonds Inc
Canadian mining companies have a responsibility to help the Congolese
people who are paying the price in the battle for their natural
resources, and who live in the midst of the operations that generate the
profits these firms enjoy.
It would be a clear demonstration of
corporate social leadership if these companies took advantage of the
opportunity that has been presented to them to make life saving
resources available to those enduring the cruelest, yet most neglected
humanitarian disaster in the world.
Dr. Keith Martin is a physician and the Member of Parliament for
Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca. He has done extensive humanitarian work in
Africa and has been trying for many years to get the international
community to address the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
He is also the founder of the Canadian Physicians Overseas Program that
sends doctors to developing countries to augment their health care
capabilities.
|
