by Rolly Montpellier
(Canada)
Have you ever thought about what you value so much that you'd be willing to die for? What immediately comes to my mind is that I would do anything to keep my children and grandchildren safe. And millions of activists around the globe feel the same way. These are people who have taken up the fight to save their community and their way of life. What would you sacrifice to save our planet Earth? Would you pay the ultimate price? Is it a planet to die for?
The country of Honduras is a hotbed for the persecution of activists determined to save their way of life from the ravages of resource extraction and exploitation by their government and foreign companies. Death has become a part of life for environmental activists in Honduras. On March 3, 2016, Berta Cáceres was assassinated in her home after years of threats to her life and that of family members. She was murdered by US trained Special Forces after being on a military hit list reports The Guardian in a June article.
Global Witness reports that at least 116 environmental activists were murdered in 2014. And 2015 has since become the worst year ever with 185 murders in 16 countries around the world.
Billy Kyte is a Global Witness campaign leader and the author of On Dangerous Ground. The report documents the killings by country during the previous five years:
We're seeing industries like mining, hydro dams and agribusiness encroaching more and more into previously untouched areas rich in resources and coming into conflict with local communities who live there, particularly indigenous peoples.
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