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Megaprojects: Are they a way towards development or a sentence to marginalization?
Kothari and Stavenhagen surprised by the force of Mexican civil society when confronting authorities that do not hear their demands or suggestions.
The seminar ?Development Megaprojects and Human Rights: the case of La Parota? was carried out on Friday the 14th of September, at the Ex Temple of Corpus Christi in Mexico City. The event was organized by the Espacio de Derechos Econ?micos Sociales y Culturales (Espacio DESC).
The purpose of the seminar was to generate time for debate and reflection on the development megaprojects and their negative impact when imposed on communities of indigenous and farmers, without taking into account their interests and priorities.
Those who took part in the event were representatives from the affected communities, civil society organizations, specialists on the issues of water, energy and human rights and two UN Special Rapporteurs who have closely followed the case for the past three years, Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, Miloon Kothari, and Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedom of Indigenous People, Rodolfo Stavenhagen. Both Rapporteurs spent the week in Mexico on a non-official visit, during which time they met with those affected by the dam, supporters and non-supporters, with the General Director of the Federal Commission of Electricity (CFE), the governor of the State of Guerrero and representatives from other institutions.
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