tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64575944734563789062012-02-16T02:29:19.213-08:00Gwenfar's Lottienoreply@blogger.comBlogger21100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457594473456378906.post-44162259242457766852008-10-06T06:38:00.000-07:002008-10-06T06:39:13.887-07:00<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">July 2008</span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"></span><br />Since 2005, WDM has been campaigning to urged the UK water company Biwater to withdraw their legal action in which they are claiming up to US$20 million in damages from the Tanzanian government following the collapse of a controversial water privatisation contract in 2005. On 28th July 2008, WDM learnt that Biwater has failed to win its case at the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes. The Tribunal has found that while technical breaches of Biwater’s investor rights did occur, Biwater was not entitled to compensation because the breaches were worth zero in monetary value. WDM supporters sent letters and e-mails to Biwater, and undertook a variety of public stunts, asking Biwater to withdraw their action against the government of Tanzania. WDM has produced a media briefing that gives further detail and analysis of the case. It can be found here: <a href="www.wdm.org.uk/greatexpectations">www.wdm.org.uk/greatexpectations</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6457594473456378906-4416225924245776685?l=oxfordwdmcs.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Gwenfar's Lottienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457594473456378906.post-36629125906416479232008-10-01T06:45:00.000-07:002008-10-06T06:38:39.487-07:00<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 0); font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">June 2008</span></span><br /><br />In March 2008 WDM were asked by campaigners in Bangladesh to support their campaign against a new open-cast mining project near Phulbari. UK company Global Coal Management (GCM) initiated the plan for the mine, threatening up to 40,000 people with resettlement, and thousands more at risk of water contamination. Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Barclays Bank were both giving financial backing to this new mine. In April 2008, ADB, who was to loan US$100 million to the project, announced it was pulling out of the venture. Also in April, WDM attended the Barclays AGM and demanded Barclays disassociated itself from the project because of environmental and social concerns. During April and May thousands of WDM supporters wrote to Barclays Bank demanding it sold its shares in the mine. On 7th June Barclays announced that it had sold it shares in the mine. This is another blow for GCM, and a victory for some of the poorest people in Bangladesh. WDM will continue to campaign to ensure that other UK banks to remove all financial involvement in the project both now in and in the future. For more info, see: <a href="http://www.wdm.org.uk/campaigns/others/bangladeshmine/index.htm">http://www.wdm.org.uk/campaigns/others/bangladeshmine/index.htm</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6457594473456378906-3662912590641647923?l=oxfordwdmcs.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Gwenfar's Lottienoreply@blogger.com0