Source International is working together with the River Movement of Mongolia in order to obtain the respect of Human Rights of local herders in the upper Ongii river, in central Mongolia.
Ongii river is one of the just few rivers that flows over the Gobi desert and from its water depend the life of thousands of nomadic herders. Since 1994 an alluvial gold mine is extracting gold from the upper basin of the river. The mine has depleted the water reserve of the river and has polluted the little water remained. Hundreds of families has been displaced directly from the mine or indirectly from the water scarcity and pollution.
Local activists are imprisoned or threatened and we are working with the local group “the river movement” in order to demand the company and obtain a compensation for local peoples.
Here you are some pictures. Soon we will publish the complete study. Remember that this project has been possible thanks to the support of Lush Charity Pot. Remember about it next time you need a body cream!
We broke our car during the trip to the mine but we repaired it with the help of local activists and herders.
Some gher (the traditional tent that serve as house) are very close to mining wastes.
The water leaching.
A local activist shows the hat symbol of his Naadam (very important traditional horse race in Mongolia) victories. Since the mine occupied all the land horse-race are no more possible in the Ult valley.
Local herders are obliged to continue their traditional life surrounded by mining wastes.
The entire upper valley of Ult river is occupied by the mine.
The alluvial mine in Ult valley is 16 km long.
Aum Company extracts gold with water leaching.
Ninjas work very hard for a few coins and they get old very soon. This lady is 30 years old…
At the end of the mine some poor people try to collect the discard of the industrial mine. They are artisanal miners, in Mongolia they are called Ninja because they tend to disappear very quickly.
The team is collecting water and sediment samples.
“The pink” a local activist.
Cultural exchange. Flaviano is cooking pasta in a gher in the middle of Mongolian steppes! ;-)
This project has been possible thanks to Lush cosmetics. Think about this next time you need a body cream!
The leader of the local anti-mining movement Munkhbayar Tsetsegee (2007 Goldman Prize) is currently in jail. We have visited him in Kharkhorin and we brought him some fresh food.
Our press conference get the attention of all major newspaper of Mongolia.
)%20-%20Copia.png)