Fair Trade Jewelry

The 16th August Union

Petition

In the summer month of August 2007, five local native gemstone collectors on Greenland were forced to abandon their ruby prospecting camp in the field, by the Greenland Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum (BMP) and the Greenland Police, and banned from all collection and trade in all of Greenland.

The authorities denied the five local people permission to continue practicing their historical and tradtional rights of collecting the stones out in nature as their ancestors have done through generations, and centuries.

(Thue Noahsen, here with chainsaw, had an export license under Section 32 that was violated when he was detained at Kangerlussuaq airport and stripped of 5 kg of ruby rough by Greenland Police at the request of BMP.)

Since then members of the 16th August Union have had their stones confiscated from them by the BMP and have been effectively criminalized and prevented from earning an honest living through collecting and jewellery activities.

(Niels Madsen - One of the Five Inuits who had their rights under Section 32, violated)

As a union, we believe this criminalization, obstruction and breach of our historical and traditional right to collect rocks is an unconstitutional abuse of power on behalf of the authorities.

We therefore respectfully request that everybody support our petition on behalf of the whole population of Greenland to enshrine our rights in a clear, transparent law that secures the following simple idea.

"The fundamental rights for indigenous and native Greenlanders under section 32 of the current Constitution to be able to collect, transform, commercialize and export all natural minerals of any sort.
Of course except oil gas, radioactive elements and areas with monopoly."

The signatures will be handed to the chairperson of Greenland parliament Ruth Heilmann, the Prime Minister of Greenland Hans Enoksen and all the political parties in Greenland at the next session of the Parliament.

(The petition is both on the internet and in a physical paper edition, please be aware to only sign one of them)

Last 10 of 45 signatories

Deborah,
"The little people always gets stepped on, no matter where they are living in this world. This must be stopped, we all have to stand up for each other against the ones that want to keep us down."

Dee Christensen,
"As a Danish national - now living in England - I feel ashamed that the Danish government is allowing this to happen. "

Julie Lawrence

Sharon Rose

xxxxxxxx,
"Lets protect the rights of indigenous people and sponsor a lucrative alternative income that fits with their natural carving and artistic talents. Free Greenlanders from outdated colonial law and allow them to mine ruby artisanally."

xxxxxxxx

Eimear Looney

xxxxxxxx,
"Their history gives them the right"

S.E. Hardy

Adem Certel