Extraction in the Era of Global Change: Latin America Pre-Conference 2026

Invite Only Event

Date: April 30th, 2026

Time: 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM EST

Location: Balsillie School of International Affairs

(67 Erb St. W, Waterloo, ON N2L 6C2). Tiered Classroom 143 & Online

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Balsillie School of International Affairs

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM

Morning Arrival & Opening

8:30 AM: Coffee and Tea Service
8:45 AM: Brief Introduction and Opening Remarks (15 minutes)
9:00 AM - 10:10 AM
9:00 AM - 10:10 AM

Legal Frameworks and Human Rights

Focus: International law, human rights, and accountability strategies.
9:00 AM: Andrew Thomson – UNDRIP and the 45th anniversary of the COBO report.
9:10 AM: Shin Imai – Promoting corporate accountability, mining law, and human rights.
9:20 AM: Nancy Tapias Torrado – Indigenous women-led mobilizations: Use and limitations of "free, prior and informed consent – FPIC."
9:30 AM: Grahame Russell –  Hudbay Minerals lawsuits in Guatemala.
9:40 AM: Panel Discussion (20 minutes). 

10:10 AM - 11:10 AM
10:10 AM - 11:10 AM

Resource Extraction in Latin American Communities

Focus: In-depth look at extraction in Latin American contexts and local community impacts.
● 10:10 AM: Aldo Orellana López – From coal to copper, the impacts of mining in South America
● 10:20 AM:
Alfonso Morales – Indigenous communities in Ecuador.
● 10:30 AM: Paulina Personius –
Impact of mining waste on nearby communities.
● 10:40 AM: Jorge Camacho –
Cases of human rights violations in the extraction industry.
● 10:50 AM:
Panel Discussion (20 minutes)

11:10 AM - 11:25 AM
11:10 AM - 11:25 AM

BREAK

11:25 AM - 12:05 PM
11:25 AM - 12:05 PM

Indigenous Perspectives: Land, Community and Stewardship

Focus: Physical and social impacts of extraction on Indigenous health and well-being.
● 11:25 AM: Dorothy Flood-Larkman –
Respecting Indigenous land rights and allyship.
● 11:35 AM: Helena Blanco –
Indigenous territorial and women’s rights; autodetermination.
● 11:45 AM: John Lewis –
Traditional forest management practices by Indigenous
communities.
● 11:55 PM:
Panel Discussion (20 to 30 minutes)

12:25 PM - 1:10 PM
12:25 PM - 1:10 PM

Lunch

1:10 PM - 2:10 PM
1:10 PM - 2:10 PM

Critical Minerals, Safety, and Sustainable Practices

Focus: Green technology, critical minerals dependence, and mitigation techniques.
1:10 PM: Alberto Fonseca – Beyond trade-offs: the benefits of impact assessment (when done right) to the mining industry.
1:20 PM: Andres Recalde – Corporate Approaches for Project Social Acceptability
1:30 PM: Ruby Patterson – When a Mineral Becomes “Critical”: Safety, Health, and Risk in Frontier Extraction
1:40 PM: Craig Johnson – Lithium politics in South America.
1:50 PM: Panel Discussion (20 minutes)

2:10 PM - 3:10 PM
2:10 PM - 3:10 PM

Health Impacts of Extraction on Indigenous Peoples

Focus: Strategies for land defense, food sovereignty, and territory protection.
● 2:10 PM: Melody Morton Ninomiya – Mental health impacts of land dispossession.
● 2:20 PM:
Esther Yazzie-Lewis – Health impacts of uranium mining on Navajon communities.
● 2:30 PM: Ketan Shankardass –
Giant Mine extraction legacy and remediation.
● 2:40 PM:
Panel Discussion (20 minutes)

310 PM - 4:00 PM
310 PM - 4:00 PM

Closing Remarks & Networking Reception

3:10 PM: Summary of key action items and closing statements.
3:25 PM: Networking reception with light refreshments.

Balsillie School of International Affairs

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