From the Mountaintop

Around 15 hours after we moved into our new home in Nippa, KY, our group headed out for Mountain Justice Camp at Jenny Wiley’s last resort. The camp served as an orientation to the issues, the movement, and the people who surround mountain top removal coal mining. Our campground was settled on a valley fill created by the construction of the highway, nestled within a temperate forest, and overlooking the scarred Black Mountain. We attended different workshops throughout the day on topics ranging from MTR 101, cultural organizing in Appalachia, to facilitation (no CIEE, you will never escape us!). As we learned about the history of resistance we were told that this movement “stands on the shoulders of giants”, referring to the Battle of Blair Mt. and other legendary events that initiated this movement over the past century. At night we heard from residents from the coalfields, Ken Heckler (the only US congressmen to march with MLK!), Larry Gibson, and Wendell Berry. Wendell Berry offered words of wisdom concerning the sense of urgency so many feel in the environmental justice movement:

“I don’t think we can treat these ecological crises as emergencies. You’ve got to maintain the integrity of your own life… You’ve got to be able to stick for a long time.”

Over the four days we learned a lot about what it is we’re jumping into. It would be an understatement to say that coal is a contentious subject in this region. It has divided communities over what will be the future of Eastern Kentucky and the region of Appalachia. On Monday we attended a Kentucky Sustainable Energy Alliance (KySEA) meeting in Lexington. We were briefed on the past Kentucky General Assembly, where House Bill 408, the one that would pave the way for a renewable energy future was barely considered. We are learning that this is going to be an uphill struggle, but also that this movement is filled with a diversity of people working on all sides. There are those in suits who focus on policy and legislation, the young college activists who are educating their campuses, and those from the coalfields who lock down on mining sites so that the machinery cannot operate.

All of the things we have learned have made us even more excited for our project. After talking with Lisa from KFTC, we have decided to create a report that portrays a snapshot of alternative economic projects in the region. What we’ve found is that plenty of institutions have created statistical analyses of Kentucky’s capacity or suitability for industries other than coal, but none that are aimed at the community audience or pay heed to the cultural distinctness of Eastern Kentucky. We are so excited to begin profiling, interviewing, and learning from community members from all over the region who have already taken on that nebulous concept of “Green Jobs” and created sustainable work for themselves.

By Becky Goncharoff, ENGAGE Kentucky Base Intern

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.

Voices from Appalachia

After many months of hard work, I am proud to present Voices from Appalachia, a series of profiles highlighting the human rights violations faced by communities in eastern Kentucky.

In 2009, ENGAGE members worked with KFTC and Floyd County community members to document the community’s experiences with coal mining in their county. The report features a history of coal in the region, and profiles of affected community members as well as community members who are proactively working towards change. The process of creating the report fostered a stronger community identity and helped the community understand the rights they share.

Future steps will involve working with KFTC to determine the best ways to apply the messages and lessons of the report in community outreach and educational and legislative settings.

Click here to go to the ENGAGE wiki where you can download a copy of the report.

Thanks to the many ENGAGE and KFTC members who were involved in putting this report together!!

Appalachian Studies Conference

This last weekend (March 18-21) Mariela and I got the chance to attend the 33rd Annual Appalachian Studies Conference at North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega, GA. The weekend was a big success.

We were invited by Professor Sue Tallichet from Moorehead State University to speak on a panel with her discussing the book Reformers to Radicals: The Appalachian Volunteer and the War on Poverty by Thomas Kiffmeyer. I spoke on the panel about our project in Floyd County to make connections between radical reform movements of the 60s to what strategies and ideas youth movements are working on today. The panel went really well and we got a lot of feedback from fellow panelists on our project.

Throughout the conference we got to meet and make connections with a lot of really great people who are doing very interesting work. We had 170 printed copies of the final draft of the Floyd County report. Over the weekend we gave out about 25-30 to various groups and Mariela took the rest back to Kentucky to be sent on to the Floyd County Chapter for them to distribute and use as they find useful. In addition to the conference KFTC distributed copies of the report to legislators during their lobbying week in Washington D.C. earlier this month. It's clear that the report is definitely getting out there and is starting to gain a certain amount of visibility, which is exciting news.

Black Gold

After having the wonderful opportunity to go the meet-up in Kentucky, I wrote this speech to describe to a class at my school some of the things I saw, the people I met, and the thoughts I had.

This weekend I went to eastern Kentucky, to the heart of Appalachia. In a meeting in Hazard, Kentucky, I met a woman named Pam Maggard. Pam was at the meeting because trucks barrel down her small street from early in the morning until late at night. The trucks come every day, even on Halloween. They leave the roads and the houses along them black with dust, so that parents worry about letting their kids play outside.

As I speak, trucks all across this part of America are rushing to and from of pitted mountains, carrying coal to places that have not been blessed with their own deposits.

At Carleton, we live in a time and a place where protecting the environment is important to a lot of people. Recycling is automatic and climate change is bad. But I don’t hear too much about the impact of our decisions about the environment on people.

Sometimes the thread that links someone like me and someone like Pam Maggard is hard to find and easy to ignore. But now I know. Workers blast open a mountain, load coal onto trucks, speed them through Pam Maggard’s neighborhood to a chain of factories. I plug in my computer, and electricity brightens the screen.

When you follow the thread to the source, the human impacts are everywhere. Bev May is a nurse practitioner who sees former miners trailed by tanks of oxygen. The Bailey’s house cracked through the brick from the daily blasts at a mine. Water is contaminated and people like Clinton Handshoe and Lucy Gearhart must pay for bottled water, week in and week out. Creeks and ponds like the ones where Josephine Martin where used to fish break and fill with toxic runoff.

But everyone understands that people need work, and coal companies provide some of the only jobs. Everyone has some connection to the industry. “It’s like a civil war,” Pam told me. The coal companies pay for local elementary schools to run a pro-coal energy program. In the windows of some shops and restaurants, signs read, “Black gold” and “We support Kentucky’s coal industry!”

The Carleton Voice states that our wind turbine accounts for about a third of our electricity, with the remaining 2/3 coming from conventional sources like coal. One of the things that is so special about our wind turbine is that we can see it. We can’t see the coal mines from our bedroom windows, but it doesn’t matter. We have to look beyond the obstacles of distance and abstraction and see Pam Maggard, Bev May, Clinton Handshoe, Lucy Gearhart, Josephine Martin.

Everything we do connects in some way to other people, especially in the things we use. Nothing comes from nowhere. Someone made every component of everything we use, someone transported it, someone sold it to us. And each of those actions--the making, the transporting, the selling--affected other people.

As society gets more and more complex, everything affects more and more people. Take a computer. 66 minerals go into the production of a computer, even before electricity is required to run them.

It’s not a simple matter. We can’t avoid interacting with other humans. But we can be aware that our decisions of what to buy, what to use and how to use it affect real, identifiable people with names and faces. We need electricity. But maybe we don’t need so much.

Reducing our consumption of electricity and connecting our actions to the lives of other people are small, important steps. But I believe that consumer power is not our only power. The laws of our country dictate the rules and regulation of coal mining, and we can advocate for responsible laws. Once we have laws, we can make sure that they are being enforced.

“We have some good laws,” says Rick Handshoe, a retired police radio operator from Floyd County, Kentucky. The problem is the inspectors and the officials who don’t hold the companies to them or fine coal companies pocket change when they are in violation. Rick spends hours each week meeting with inspectors, leading them to contaminated ponds, and painstakingly documenting the effects of mining on the county where he grew up. To prove that a particular stream naturally flowed year-round, he once photographed the running water every week for a year.

Rick, Pam, and thousands of people in Eastern Kentucky are fighting the assaults on their health, their homes, their water and their culture, but their voices are often unheard.

According to the Department of Energy, coal produces more than half of the electricity consumed in America. But the places where coal comes from are disproportionately poor and forgotten. According to the Census Bureau, the median income of Floyd County is $21,168, a little more than half of the national median of $41,994. Two out of three of my friends from Kentucky have never set foot in a county where coal is mined.

But if we, as outsiders, refuse to ignore the people who feel the effects of our illuminated rooms and clacking computers, if we shine the light of the media on this marginalized part of our country, if we question and demand action from our Congress, our President, and our corporations, maybe the coal industry will be held accountable to protecting people to whom we are linked every day.

After a long hiatus from this blog, we are back and hoping to update more regularly. At least as appropriate based on our group's activity. A lot has happened since June 19, 2009, that's for sure. We have completed the ESCR report with the Floyd County KFTC chapter, and are putting on the finishing touches for its first round of printing and distribution at the end of this month. Since then, it's been lots of conference calls and meetings to coordinate the project long distance. See the post immediately below for a recap of the weekend meet-up we just had in eastern Kentucky, internship and staff positions, and upcoming events. We'll be in touch!

Engage Human Rights crew