Abstract
While forestry, mining and other forms of natural resource development can provide developing countries with economic benefits, such projects can also carry significant social, environmental and economic costs to local indigenous peoples. This case study examines the direct and indirect impacts of the Barama Company Limited (a subsidiary of the Malaysian-based Samling Group) on local Amerindians in Guyana, South America, and explores what the company could have done differently in order to reduce negative out-comes for local Indigenous peoples. The case study followed an iterative research design (Hammersley and Atkinson, 1995) and includes qualitative field data from 2000 as well as extensive document analysis.1
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
APA (1999): Amerindian Peoples Association, ‘Report of the First National Toushaos Conference, 27–30 April’, Sustainable Development Networking Programme [website] (updated 27 September 2003) http://www.sdnp.org.gy/apa/topic6.htm, accessed 27 September 2003.
APA and WRM (1994): Amerindian Peoples Association and the World Rainforest Movement, Joint Survey of the Barama Company Limited Concession Area (Georgetown: APA).
Colchester, M. (1997) Guyana: Fragile Frontier (Moreton-in-Marsh: WRM).
Colchester, M., La Rose, J and James, K. (2002) Mining and Amerindians in Guyana (Ottawa: The North-South Institute) http://www.nsi-ins.ca/ensi/pdf/guyana/guyana_final_report.pdf
Colchester, M., Sirait M. and Wijardjo, B. (2003) The Application of FSC Principles 2 & 3 in Indonesia: Obstacles and Possibilities (Moreton-in-Marsh: FPP).
Forests Act (Act No. 15 of 1953), Laws of Guyana Cap. 67:01 (Government of Guyana, Ministry of Legal Affairs).
FPP et al. (2000): Forest Peoples Programme, Philippine Indigenous Peoples Links and World Rainforest Movement, Undermining the Forests: The Need to Control Transnational Mining Companies: A Canadian Case Study (Moreton-in-Marsh, UK/Stanford-in-the-Vale, UK/Montevideo: FPP/PIPL/WRM), World Rainforest Movement [website] (n.d.) http://www.wrm.org.uy/publications/undermining.pdf, accessed 27 September 2003.
FSC (2003): Forest Stewardship Council Forest Stewardship Council (International Centre, Bonn, Germany), ‘FSC Social Strategy: Building and Implementing a Social Agenda, Version 2.1’, Forest Stewardship Council [website] (updated 24 September 2003) http://www.fscoax.org/principal.htm, accessed 27 September 2003.
GINA (2002a): Government Information Agency (Guyana), ‘GINA Daily Bulletin: Port Kaituma Has Not Been Neglected’ (3 August), Sustainable Development Networking Programme [website] (n.d.) http://www.sdnp.org.gy/mininfo/gina/daily/b020803.html, accessed 27 September 2003.
GINA (2002b): Government Information Agency (Guyana), ‘GINA Daily Bulletin: Minister Nokta Praises Four Miles CDC for Constructing Playfield, Community Center’ (26 August), Sustainable Development Networking Programme [website] (n.d.) http://www.sdnp.org.gy/rnininfo/gina/daily/b020826.html, accessed 27 September 2003.
Global Witness (1997): Global Witness Limited, ‘Just Deserts for Cambodia? Samling/SL International, a Case Study’, Global Witness [website] (updated 19 September 2003) http://www.globalwitness.org/campaigns/forests/cambodia/deserts/samling.htm, accessed 27 September 2003.
Golden Star (2002): Golden Star Resources Limited, ‘Press release: Golden Star and BHP Enter Into Joint Venture on the Cuyuni Property in Guyana’ (25 April 2002), Golden Star [website] (n.d.) http://www.gsr.com/News/042502.htm, accessed 27 September 2003.
Government of Guyana (1996a): Guyana News and Information, ‘National Development Strategy, Chapter 21: Women, Gender and Development’, Guyana [website] http://www.guyana.org/NDS/chap21.htm, accessed 27 September 2003.
Government of Guyana (1996b): Guyana News and Information, ‘National Development Strategy, Chapter 22: Amerindian Policies’, Guyana [website] http://www.guyana.org/NDS/chap22.htm, accessed 27 September 2003.
Government of Guyana (1996c): Guyana News and Information, ‘National Development Strategy, Chapter 30: Forest Management’, Guyana [website] http://www.guyana.org/NDS/chap30.htm, accessed 27 September 2003.
Haden, P. (1999) Forestry issues in the Guiana Shield region: A Perspective on Guyana and Suriname (European Union Tropical Forestry paper 3) (London: ODI).
Hammersley, M. and Atkinson, P. (1995). Ethnography: Principles in Practice, 2nd edn (London: Routledge).
Hogg, D. (1993) ‘The SAP in the Forest: The Environmental and Social Impacts of Structural Adjustment Programmes in the Philippines, Ghana and Guyana’ (London: Friends of the Earth) in Colchester (1997), supra, p. 40ff.
IAIP (1997): International Alliance of Indigenous-Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests, ‘Third Conference, Resolution of the Guyanese Organization of Indigenous Peoples in Support of the Indigenous Peoples of the Morvica Reservation in Guyana’ (3–8 March 1997, Nagpur, India), International Alliance o f Indigenous-Tribal Peoples [web-site] (n.d.) http://iaip.gn.apc.org/third/resolu~1.htm, accessed 27 September 2003.
IMF (2000): International Monetary Fund, ‘Guyana Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper Prepared by the Guyanese Authorities’ (30 October), International Monetary Fund [website] (n.d.) http://www.imf.org/external/NP/prsp/2000/guy/01/103000.pdf, accessed 27 September 2003.
Jalong, T. (2002) Sahabat Alam Malaysia (Sarawak), ‘Press statement: The Penan, Kayan and Kenyah Protest Against Logging and Sand Mining Activities on Native Lands’, Native Forest Network [website] (n.d.) http://www.nfn.org.au/pressrel/alert25.html, accessed 27 September 2003.
Johnson, A. (1996) Metla, Finnish Forest Research Institute, ‘Asian Loggers Latest Threat to Brazil’s Rainforest’ (3 September 1996), Metla [website] (updated 24 September 2003) http://www.metla.fi/archive/forest/1996/09/msg00020.html, accessed 27 September 2003.
Loone, S. (2002): Mkini Dotcom Sdn. Bhd., ‘Malaysian Timber Consortium Accused of Illegal Logging in PNG’ (9 May 2002), Malaysiakini [website] (updated 27 September 2003) http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/200205090015528.php, accessed 27 September 2003.
Magin, G., Marijnissen, C., Moniaga, S. and Meek, C. (2001) Forests of Fear: The Abuse of Human Rights in Forest Conflicts (ed) Jessica Wenban-Smith [online text] (Moreton-in-Marsh: Fern) http://www.fern.org/pubs/reports/fear.pdf
National Commission on Women (2001): ‘Issues facing Indigenous women in Guyana’, cited in Gender Dialogues, vol. 3. (April) http://www.eclacpos.org/gender/Apr2001/Indigenous%20Womenl.htm
North-South Institute. (2002) Canadian Development Report 2001/2. (Ottawa: North-South Intitute).
RAN (1995): Rainforest Action Network, ‘Worldwide Forest/Biodiversity Campaign News: Georgia Pacific of US Kisses Off Guyana’s Forests’ (12 September 1995), Pandora [website] http://pandora.nla.gov.au/parchive/2001/Z2001-Feb-28/forests. org/recent/1995/guykiss.htm, accessed 27 September 2003.
Samling (2003a): Samling Strategic Corporation Sdn. Bhd., ‘Giving Back to the People’, Samling [website] (updated 10 January 2003) http://www.samling.com.my/content/forestry/community.html, accessed 27 September 2003.
Samling (2003b): Samling Strategic Corporation Sdn. Bhd., ‘The Samling Commitment’, Samling [website] (n.d.) http://www.samling.com.my/content/corporate/index.html, accessed 27 September 2003.
Samling (2003c): Samling Strategic Corporation Sdn. Bhd., ‘Responsible Forest Management’, Samling [website] (n.d.) http://www.samling.com.my/content/forestry/forestmgmt.html, accessed 27 September 2003.
Sizer, N. (1996) Profit Without Plunder: Reaping Revenue from Guyana’s Forests without Destroying Them (Washington: World Resources Institute) http://pubs.wri.org/pubs_content.cfm?PubID=2730, accessed 27 September 2003.
Stabroek News (2002a): Stabroek News, ‘Barama Granted Concessions for Essequibo Project’ (30 June 2002), Land of Six Peoples [website] (updated 27 September 2003) http://www.landofsixpeoples.com/news02/ns206304.htm, accessed 27 September 2003.
Stabroek News (2002b): Stabroek News, ‘Conservation Group Signs Deal with Barama, Forestry Commission: Forest Management Certification Key Issue’ (1 November 2002), Land of Six Peoples [website] (updated 27 September 2003) http://www.landofsixpeoples.com/news022/ns211016.htm, accessed 27 September 2003.
Stabroek News (2003a): Stabroek News, ‘Barama Moves to Fully Certify Forest Concession: Guyana to Earn More from Premium Markets’ (27 February 2003), Land of Six Peoples [website] (updated 27 September 2003) http://www.landofsixpeoples.com/news301/nc302276.htm, accessed 27 September 2003.
Stabroek News (2003b): Stabroek News, ‘Barama Moving Towards Certified “Green” Exports’ (3 March 2003), Land of Six Peoples [website] (updated 27 September 2003) http://www.landofsixpeoples.com/news301/ns303035.htm, accessed 27 September 2003.
UNCTAD (2002): United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, World Investment Report 2002: Transnational Corporations and Export Competitiveness (Geneva: UNCTAD).
UNDP (2001): United Nations Development Programme, ‘Human Development Index’, United Nations Development Programme [website] (n.d.) http://www.undp.org/hdr2001/indicator/cty_f_GUY.html, accessed 27 September 2003.
Verbeeke, J. (1994) United Nations Development Programme Country Office: Guyana National Report on Indigenous Peoples and Development (Geneva: UNDP) [HTML version, SDNP, Guyana] http://www.sdnp.org.gy/undp-docs/nripd/
Whiteman, G. and Mamen, K. (2002) Meaningful Consultation and Participation in the Mining Sector? A Review of the Consultation and Participation of Indigenous Peoples within the International Mining Sector [online text] (Ottawa: The North—South Institute) http://www.nsi-ins.ca/download/Iit_rev/lit_rev_final.pdf
World Bank (2001a): The World Bank Group, ‘Country brief: Guyana’, World Bank [website] (n.d.) http://lnwebl8.worldbank.org/Extemal/lac/lac.nsf/Countries/Guyana/113D6E9973AEDB62852569040050F087?OpenDocument, accessed 27 September 2003.
World Bank (2001b): The World Bank Group, ‘GRIS II: Governance Research Indicator Country Snapshot — Comparison within Guyana for All Six Governance Indicators’, World Bank [website] (n. d.) http://info.worldbank.org/beeps/kkz/sc_chart.asp?Country_ID=29&Country_Name=Guyana, accessed 27 September 2003.
WRM/FM (1998): World Rainforest Movement and Forests Monitor Limited, High Stakes: The Need to Control Transnational Logging Companies: A Malaysian Case Study. (Ely: Forests Monitor Limited). Forests Monitor [website] (updated 30 July 2003) http://www.forestsmonitor.org/reports/highstakes/title.htm, accessed 27 September 2003.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2004 Gail Whiteman
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Whiteman, G. (2004). Forestry, Gold Mining and Amerindians: The Troubling Example of Samling in Guyana. In: Bird, F., Herman, S.W. (eds) International Businesses and the Challenges of Poverty in the Developing World. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230522503_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230522503_12
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-51533-2
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-52250-3
eBook Packages: Palgrave Business & Management CollectionBusiness and Management (R0)