Two Panel Discussions Bring Together Experts To Discuss How Policy & Industry Can Support Cleaner Gold, Human Rights & Rainforest Protection
On Wednesday, June 16th, Amazon Aid Foundation will hold the second meeting of its Cleaner Gold Network. The meeting begins at 8 AM San Francisco / 11 AM New York / Noon Sao Paulo / 16:00 London, bringing together stakeholders from around the world to address issues related to artisanal and small-scale gold mining in the Amazon.
The Cleaner Gold Network, which held its first meeting in March 2021, was founded to protect the rainforest by creating cleaner gold and a more responsible supply chain from the ground to the consumer. Cleaner Gold means safe, mercury-free practices that protect both people and the environment from harm. The Cleaner Gold Network’s initiatives include awareness, consumer change, industry engagement, and policy reform.
The July 16th 20201 event, which is free to attend with registration, will feature two panels, one focused on policy – “Legislation, Regulation & the Future of Gold in the Amazon” and the other centered on the jewelry industry titled “Reshaping the Industry to Protect the Amazon.” Other presentations include an update on Amazon Aid’s initiatives and a report from Instituto Socioambiental (ISA) about situations on the ground in Indigeous territories in Brazil.
“The world is waking up to the consequences of extractive practices that are linked to human and environmental abuses,” says Amazon Aid Foundation Founder Sarah duPont. “So while the Amazon is at the tipping point, there is hope. Hope that we will educate, activate and protect the rainforest and make transformational change in our approach and relationship to each other and the planet we inhabit. The Cleaner Gold Network is a place for us to come together and enact the change we want to see.”
Amazon Aid Foundation’s focus on illicit and unregulated gold mining in the Amazon includes the documentary “River of Gold” and accompanying curriculum, the newly published white paper “Tracking Amazon Gold,” activations to support human rights and the environment, and the formation of the Cleaner Gold Network. The Cleaner Gold Network is an alliance of consumers, scientists, artists, educators, indigenous communities, NGOs, and companies from the gold sector, engaging in a multi-initiative approach to raise awareness and promote solutions for illicit and unregulated gold mining in the Amazon.
The Cleaner Gold Network is based on the principles of human rights, science, transparency, support for democratic participation, and respect for the sovereign rights of Amazon region countries over territories and natural resources, including the sustainable use and development of those resources, as recognized by international law.
