Franciscans International and Romans VI (the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation group of the Franciscan Family) are sending a team of 15 delegates to the World Social Forum in Montreal, Canada, that is taking place from August 9th to 14th, 2016.
The delegation will speak out and advocate for the most marginalised in three big areas: crimes committed by the mining industry, the rights of those living in extreme poverty, and ensuring that the rights of people and of the planet come before profit when it comes to the accountability of transnational corporations.
Partners and FI representatives will denounce and detail the environmental destruction caused by dam breaches in Brazil and Canada; they will explore how global networks can be used to resist mining transnational corporations, and look for collaborative ways to respond to wide-ranging human rights violations caused by these companies.
Delegates will argue for a human rights based strategy to question the current development model, in order to ensure that the rights of the most marginalised are respected in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Delegation members will also participate in the Convergence Assembly that is bringing together groups and movements that battle against extractivism and work relentlessly for the respect of human and environmental rights of concerned communities.
