Eleven civic organisations and other stakeholders joined with the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) to create a civil society initiative to engage decision-makers on major environmental issues amidst growing concerns about the economic exploitation of Guyana’s natural resources.
The GHRA said the initiative was prompted by profound concerns over economic exploitation of all forms of Guyana’s natural resources (forests, minerals, wildlife, fish, freshwater and bio-diversity) under agreements which could devastate the natural environment and imperil the future well-being of the society.
The movement created on Saturday would promote more effective civic influence over environmental decisions which affect the life and livelihood of future generations, the GHRA said in a press release. Like other small and poor societies around the world, Guyana is under considerable pressure from global business conglomerates to entire into one-sided agreements.