From Cornfields to Coalfields -- I'm in the mountains!

I arrived at Mariela's house in Lexington last Thursday. Since getting here, Mariela and I have had some inspiring and informative meetings in preparation for the upcoming interns, convergence, and overall development of the ENGAGE project here in Kentucky.

Just before coming to Kentucky I read an article in The Nation, highlighting the growing grassroots movement against unjust coal mining practices in Appalachia. The article pointed to the increasing success of this movement, as it focuses more and more on the effects of coal on people here in the region -- rather than solely the effects on the environment and climate change, oftentimes the focus at the national level. It has been helpful to read the news about the current political situation surrounding coal and then hear about it from the perspectives of various people and organizations in Appalachia.

I was able to meet Rick Handshoe on Saturday. Since Lisa Jackson's announcement about potential EPA regulations, it seems that people here are finding a few outlets where their voices are heard. Rick has continued on steadily, steadily monitoring his and neighboring communties' streams and water supplies, and reporting his findings as needed. But now, he has been able to speak directly with various influential figures in the world of coal and coal regulation. In fact, last week Rick didn't even have to report that the stream near his property became darker than is natural or healthy -- the inspectors came themselves. The mining company has attempted to hold back pollutant discharges with curtains, but seeing that these aren't working they are transitioning to aerators. He says these efforts are all a good sign -- small steps towards meeting regulations. But he and other community members are preparing themselves in case spoken promises are not kept.

On Monday (on the way I saw Reclamation --below), we were honored to follow through on KFTC organizer Kevin Pentz's invitation to the Alliance for Appalachia meeting at Natural Bridge State Park. We heard from about a dozen organizations about the major work they had been doing, and got to see in person some of the most active and influential activists in the region. We were able to give a short presentation about our project and to express interest in future collaboration with all of them. Everyone there was very positive about the reports and interested in further distribution. In fact, next time we should consider a kick-off party, and we should definitely put out a press release...!

Most organizations at the Alliance meeting seemed relatively positive, though cautious (maybe in shock?) about the recent political discussions. The organizations are all doing incredible work -- related to scientific and legal research, organizing and advocacy, media, etc. -- to educate themselves and others about legislation, the different directions (positive and negative) each piece of legislation could go, and the effects that will have on people and the environment. I cannot express my level of respect for those doing this work, especially those in mine-affected communities, where mentality, health, and relationships of the people there are not the most conducive to such hard work. As Rick said, he is not an angry person by nature, but sometimes you have to be the one to step up and get angry in order to get anything done. This alone can take a toll on one's energy.

It was also a real pleasure to deliver a whole stack of reports to the Floyd County Chapter Meeting Monday night. Audra, one of the members at the meeting, rushed off to distribute some to the library and various other places in town, and everyone took some to show around their community. I hope it also made for a good visual introduction to KFTC's work and the issues for one local woman, who was at her first KFTC meeting.

Beyond these great opportunities to meet active folks in the area, Mariela and I have been moving forward with planning for interns and the convergence. We visited Morehead, where the convergence will take place, the day after I got to Lexington. It is a beautiful campus in a small town, and I hope that especially everyone who has been involved with the human rights report can make it out to the convergence in order to support our relationships here and the project (register here!). On Monday we invited Floyd County community members, in addition to those present at the Alliance for Appalachia meeting.

All in all, I am overwhelmed at what this summer will bring!...much more to come.

Sounds of Solidarity

The sun was just rising behind the traditional Buddhist wat, when the Internet connection finally came through. I couldn’t help but grin when I heard the familiar twang of Eastern Kentucky voices. The skype call between villagers of Na Nong Bong in Northeast Thailand and community organizers of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth had officially begun. Each community has experienced similar struggles; a gold mine was built in Na Nong Bong 6 years ago, and the consequences of Appalachia coal mining have continued for over a 100 years in Floyd County, KY. Both communities have been organizing around their respective mining issues for years, but now they have decided to make a connection in order to share stories, support, and strategies.

I found the situation to be pretty surreal. I didn’t realize people in Thailand had even heard of Kentucky when I arrived 3 months ago, and I didn’t expect the two areas to have anything in common. They each talked about how the mine had made their water unfit for human consumption, destroyed their landscape, and broken old friendships. Ecological degradation, human rights violations, and hope for the future have created a relationship between the mountain communities.

The relationship between Na Nong Bong and Kentuckians for the Commonwealth is still very young. The conversation was largely focused on background stories. I hope that in the future community members can exchange organizing strategies and that they come to realize how they can assist each other. Despite their similarities, differences remain. Much of Kentucky’s energy depends on coal, where as gold is a commodity to be bought and sold. Kentuckians have been fighting mines for decades, whereas Na Nong Bong is new to the struggle. However, under a common language of human rights these communities can find solidarity.

As I listened to the conversation that spanned 3,000 miles, I thought about the power of solidarity. What if people from rural Thailand no longer thought of Hollywood and our other cultural exports when they thought of the United States, and instead thought of friends with a common struggle in the hollers of Appalachia? What if people in Eastern Kentucky realized that they have more in common with people in Isaan than their policy makers in Washington D.C.? There is immense power in making these types of connections across cultural and political boundaries that have otherwise separated us. Hearing each group say, “Our problems are the same,” and “We have friends across the world,” sent chills up my spine.

Members of our group often lament that our work we do in Thailand is much needed in the United States, and that we should be building relationships with communities at home instead of here. When it comes to mining, the struggle is the same. Some students from past semesters in Thailand were there in Kentucky, talking to their former host families in Na Nong Bong via skype. There need not be a separation between struggling for the recognition of human rights and the preservation of livelihoods in Thailand or the United States. It is the same struggle and the more aware we become of this connectedness, the more powerful our movement will be.

Written by Rebecca Goncharoff, current study abroad student with CIEE Thailand in Khon Kaen, Thailand. Rebecca is originally from Paris, KY and is studying at Transylvania University.