Camino

"Camino" is a new program in 2020 of the Edmund Rice Centre's international programs, promoting collaboration and dialogue on human rights and development across the global north-south socio-economic divide between concerned organisations and individuals within Australia.

Internationally it is informed by the work of:-

  • SICSAL: Servicio International Cristiano de Solidaridad con los Pueblos de América Latina "Mons Oscar Arnulfo Romero" (International Christian Service of Solidarity with the Peoples of Latin America - "Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero") - www.sicsal.net ;
  • the International Allies alliance campaigning in support of local communities impacted by major financial claims or threats against national governments in ISDS lawsuits ("Investor State Dispute Settlement") most commonly from mining and other extractive industries;
  • campaigning towards the implementation within the body of International Humanitarian Law ("IHL") of a binding treaty on transnational corporations ("TNC's") and other business enterprises with respect to human rights;
  • north-south collaboration to build other mechanisms to impose accountability structures on transnational corporations for the human rights implications of their conduct in Australian and in developing nations - recognising that Australia is a major global player in the challenging extractives sector in terms of:
    1. hosting headquarters of some large and many mid-level TNC's in the extractives sector;
    2. listing of extractives sector TNC's on the Australian Stock Exchange;
    3. significant capital investment of major community institutions and especially of industry superannuation funds and other major investment institutions in TNC's within the extractives sector with little leverage or accountability concerning impacts on human rights of such deployments of community capital.