Mining Ombudsperson
DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE Delivers 190 000 Postcards to Canadian Government
May 13, 2008
Montreal
Development and Peace delivered 190 000 postcards to Ottawa today, calling on the Government to appoint an ombudsperson to verify social responsibility by Canadian mining, oil and gas companies in their overseas operations.

Several Canadian MPs, including Viviane Barbot (BQ), Steven Blaney (CP), Diane Bourgeois (BQ), Bernard Patry (L) and Alexa McDonough (NDP), spoke in support of the campaign.

Michael Casey, Executive Director of Development and Peace, stated that "work by the Canadian government and NGOs is often being undone by the irresponsible operations of some Canadian mining, oil and gas companies" and urged the government to heed the appeal of nearly two hundred thousand Canadians.

Also present at the event was Development and Peace's Just Youth group, who staged a street performance on the human rights and environmental violations of Canadian mining companies.

The Canadian government has not yet responded to the report of the Advisory Group of the National Roundtables on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The report, which contained 27 recommendations to improve Canadian companies' CSR performance, was submitted to the government nearly 400 days ago.

Across Canada, members of Development and Peace met this year with 41 federal MPs, to present to them the ombudsperson campaign and inform them regarding the number of signatures gathered in each riding.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Eleonore Fournier-Tombs
514 257-8710, ext. 307
eleonore.fournier@devp.org
Development and Peace is the official international development organization
of the Catholic Church in Canada and the Canadian member of Caritas Internationalis.
10 St. Mary Street, Suite 420, Toronto, Ontario CANADA M4Y 1P9
Telephone: (416) 922-1592 | Fax: (416) 922-0957
Toll Free: 1 800 494-1401
E-Mail: ccodp@devp.org | Web: www.devp.org