Huay Muang Learning Center Proposal

By: Amelia Evans, Jenn Fischer, and Nicole SmithCIEE Fall 2011

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“[The Learning Center] will be the beginning of knowing community way of life and culture.” -Paw Biou

CONTENTS

I. Letter from the Authors II. Learning Center GoalsIII. The Proposed Space

IV. Sections of the Learning Center(1) Library(2) Exhibitions(3) Guest Speaker Area(4) Trail(5) Garden / Mushroom House

V. FundraisingVI. Learning Center StaffVII. Strategies for Spreading Awareness about the Learning CenterVIII. General Next StepsIX. Appendices

(1) Appendix A: Map of Proposed Learning Center(2) Appendix B: Collaborative Community Consultation (CCC): Huay Muang(3) Appendix C: Information for “How a Mine Works”(4) Appendix D: Further Information on the Effects of Mining(5) Appendix E: Information for “History of Huay Muang”(6) Appendix F: Information for “The Value of the Mountain”(7) Appendix G: Information for “The Legal Rights of Villagers in

Regards to Mines”

LETTER FROM THE AUTHORS

Dear Reader,

This proposal for a learning center was created in December 2011 after collaborating with

members of the Huay Muang community, especially under the leadership of Paw Biou. It was

determined that the Huay Muang Learning Center will focus on the mountain’s natural resources

and the effects of mining, particularly through displaying all of the community’s relevant

research and fostering relationships with neighboring communities. Through the incorporation

of interactive activities and other educational initiatives, the community also hopes that the

Learning Center will empower the local youth.

This proposal, however, is only the foundation for the Huay Muang Learning Center. Our goal,

as CIEE students, is to help create an inclusive space dedicated to the educational growth of

the community, along with a clear and effective pass-on for future CIEE students, so that the

project can continue to grow. Again, this proposal is only a suggested guideline for the

continual development of the Learning Center, which we hope will be supported by CIEE

students in the future.

Sincerely,

Nicole Smith Jenn Fischer Amelia Evans

LEARNING CENTER GOALS

1. To be a community center for learning and exchanging information, especially about the mountain’s natural resources and the effects of mining.This goal is the heart of the Huay Muang Learning Center proposal. As the project grows, Paw Biou and other members of the community plan to add more goals.

THE PROPOSED SPACE

The Village Wat

“If we have the Learning Center at the temple, it’s already the center of the community.” - Paw Biou

Description: The current proposed space is on the second floor of a building in the village temple area. It is now being used as a space for prayer and meditation, and also as a place for visitors to stay overnight. The space could still serve its current purposes, while also acting as the Learning Center. In the future, Huay Muang community members would ultimately like to construct a completely new building for the Learning Center, in the same lot as the current building and the village wat. The new building could also just be an extension of the current proposed Learning Center, keeping the second floor as part of it.

Importance: The Learning Center was originally going to be located up on the mountain, but instead Huay Muang community members have decided it would be better to have the Learning Center in a more central and convenient, yet still culturally significant, location. This new location will be important for organizing and spreading awareness since people staying in the wat / new Learning Center will now be able to learn about the issues in Huay Muang in a centralized location and take that knowledge back to their own communities. Having the Learning Center near the village wat will also allow for monks and other religious leaders to become more involved in the project.

Next Steps:1) Create a signThe Huay Muang Learning Center needs a sign to welcome all of its visitors! The sign could just read, “Huay Muang Learning Center,” or alternatively, another next step could be coming up with a new name or phrase for the sign.

2) See the fundraising sectionIn the fundraising section there are next steps regarding constructing a new building for the Learning Center.

3) Create photo essays of the communityIn addition to the educational exhibits, there could be photos of the community on display in the Learning Center. These photo essays could be completed by community members, local students, the research group and/or as a future project with CIEE students. The process of collaborating to create these photo essays will be important for strengthening relationships within the community and with CIEE. Topics could include community way of life and culture, portraits of those involved at the Learning Center, or the mountain and its resources. Photo essays would be important for visually highlighting the issues Huay Muang faces, as well as what makes the community unique.

4) Create a muralAt the Rasi Salai Learning Center, community members and CIEE students worked together to create a mural reflecting the issues Rasi Salai faces and the purpose of the Learning Center. The project was important for bringing students and villagers together, as well as showing a tangibile product that students could leave behind.

LIBRARY

Description: A physical space in the Learning Center dedicated to literary and other media resources that foster awareness about the environment, mines, mountain resources, and other topics related to the Huay Muang struggle. The Library should be located so that it does not block too much light.

Importance: The Library is an integral part of the Learning Center. It will centralize resources and make them more accessible to all members of the community. The Library will also serves as an archive for community resources.

Next Steps:1) Collect available resourcesAn announcement could be made to the community to bring in any relevant books or other resources they have that they would like to donate to the Learning Center.

2) Print and display pamphletsThe pamphlets on the effects of mining and the value of the mountain should be printed in large quantities and put out for visitors to pick up, as an example of work that the community and CIEE students have produced.

3) Create new resourcesCommunity members can continue to create their own resources for the Learning Center, as they did with the pamphlets. One possible project could be a short video about the issues the community is facing, similar to that which was done in Rasi Salai. Huay Muang could partner with CIEE students or The Issan Record to produce such a video.

4) Create the spaceThe library will need shelves, as well as possibly chairs and tables for study space. 5) Train someone to act as the Learning Center librarianIdeally, one person would be trained as a resource to go to with any questions about the library. This person would be in charge of keeping the library organized, according to whatever filing system is chosen.

EXHIBITIONS

“Right now, the villagers use only words to educate each other. But if we have the Learning Center, we’ll have something concrete.” -Paw Biou

Description: The exhibitions will serve as permanent visuals in the Learning Center that briefly explain topics relevant to the Huay Muang community. The signs will be hung in a visible area and should be easily understood by visitors to the Learning Center that may be very unfamiliar with the issues that Huay Muang faces. Ideally, the exhibitions will be hung on a section of wall that can be seen as soon as visitors enter the Learning Center. The community requested that the first four topics listed in the “Next Steps” of this section are covered. The community already

has a display about the effects of mining. In the future, the community will add more topics to the list of potential exhibitions.

Importance: Exhibitions are a tool to spark interest in visitors of the Learning Center. They will allow visitors to learn about Huay Muang, mines and the environment without having to listen to a speaker or read an entire book or pamphlet. The exhibitions will also serve as a reminder for those who have already studied the subject matter.

Next Steps: 1) Create an exhibition on “How a Mine Works” (See Appendix C)This exhibition will be focused specifically on the process involved in copper and iron mining, the two minerals the mining companies are interested in. Eventually it will be an “infograph” that features pictures alongside descriptions of every step and their effects on the surrounding environment.

2) Create a timeline of “The History of Huay Muang” (See Appendix E)This exhibition will feature a timeline of the important events involving Huay Muang’s struggle against ONK and Puthep mining companies. It will be a very brief summary that explains the situation to visitors of the learning center without them having to read the Collaborative Community Consultation report or another source of background information.

3) Create a display on “The Value of the Mountain” (See Appendix F)Over the last seven months Paw Biou and a group of volunteers have been using a grant from the Thai Research Fund to determine the value of the resources on the mountain (both monetarily and in terms of the importance to the Huay Muang community). This exhibition should not be created until the research is completed in approximately 5 months.

4) Create and exhibition on “Other Communities Affected by Mines” One go-to community is Na Nong Bong, but a next step would be researching other communities in Thailand and abroad to cover in an exhibit.

5) Create a display on “The Legal Rights of Villagers in Regards to Mines” (See Appendix G)This topic was not requested by the communities, but in may be of relevance in the future.

GUEST SPEAKER AREA

“Here in the village we don’t have a public area. It will be really great to have the space, like a coordination center. For example, visitors from other communities they can come and see what

is going on in our community.” -Paw Biou

Description: A designated area for guests of the community or community members who wish to educate patrons of the Learning Center may speak.

Importance: It is important for the community to be prepared to host a guest speaker and to create a space to facilitate any educational presentations. Also, since this space is already used for speakers and exchanges, it is important to create a more formal space that highlights the issues of the communities and has resources readily available.

Next Steps:1) Compile a directory of potential guest speakersIn compiling this list, include the person’s name, contact information, area of specialty, and weekly availability. This list should include local speakers as well as speakers from other communities. For example, someone from Na Nong Bong could bring in information about the effects of mining.

2) Compile a complete list of topicsA complete list of specific topics that the Learning Center should cover would be helpful in searching for guest speakers. General topics already mentioned include the effects of mining and the value of the mountain’s natural resources. More specific topics could include local plant varieties, how to manage local resources, and the effects of mining on traditional ways of life.

3) Set up the spaceOften times exchanges take place on the floor, without chairs, but for some occasions chairs may be more appropriate. The community already has a projector, as well as a moveable whiteboard for presentations. Those items should be included in the space.

4) Create a guest bookA guest book will allow visitors to leave their thoughts and comments, and create a tangible document of those who have passed through the Learning Center.

TRAIL

Description: A hiking trail intended for educating youth about the resources on the mountain. The trail will go past different plants, trees and herbs with signs indicating what they are. A trail guide will lead and explain the importance and uses of each plant. The Huay Muang community already has a trained trail guide. Eventually the trail will feature signs on trees and near plants that will have the name and a small description of the plant. Guides that lead the hike will further explain the value of each plant monetarily and “morally”. The moral value entails the use of the plant by the villagers. The guide will also explain animals that live in the mountain region but it is not advisable to mark fauna with wooden signs.

Importance: This trail will provide information that is particularly important for the youth of the village. It will help them make connections between the mountain and their daily lives, teaching them early on how important those resources are. Showing primary school age children (preferably between the 1st and 5th Grades) where the foods they eat and plants and trees they use in their every day lives come from will help them create a connection with the mountain that will make the fight against the mine as important to them as it is to their parents. Once that connection is built the children will be motivated to continue their parents’ fight in the future.

Next Steps:1) Create signs to label local floraThis will make it easier for trail guides to remember so they don’t have to identify each plant. It will also serve as a permanent, educational tool for future hikers and students.

2) Create a map of the trailFor trail guides and villagers to use. It will mark the path and sites where signs are located.

3) Create a scavenger huntOne possible activity for children could be a nature scavenger hunt, which would entail quickly and accurately identifying mountain resources on a provided list. If appropriate, the scavenger hunt could be a competition with prizes.

GARDEN / MUSHROOM HOUSE

Description: In addition to on the trail, community members, students, and visitors can learn about the local natural resources of Huay Muang in a garden that is a part of the Learning Center. The garden could be limited to growing only local varieties of plants. An important part of this garden would be a mushroom house, as mushroom-gathering is a big part of living off the land. The garden could be located in whichever part of the large vacant lot surrounding the Learning Center building and the wat is most convenient and feasible, or even in a different area entirely. Currently, the community is not ready to take on creating a garden so it is definitely a project for the future.

Importance: The garden will add another interactive element to the Learning Center, which will be especially important for helping to inspire and educate the youth about the natural resources and way of life that Huay Muang community members are trying to protect. Being able to see and work in the garden will also provide something tangible, and memorable, for visitors. A garden and mushroom house like this in Rasi Salai were seen as very successful for these reasons.

Next Steps:1) Decide on the spaceThe space will have to be determined with considerations for soil fertility and other activities in the area, mainly those of the monks living there.

2) Get the seeds, and all other materials needed for starting a gardenSeeds can be obtained from a seed exchange, or by donation from community members. Other materials such as shovels, hoes, and an irrigation system, could also be obtained through donations or by fundraising.

3) Connect with the agricultural learning center that is also in Huay MuangThere is already a learning center in Huay Muang devoted to organic agriculture. The two learning centers could partner up and share resources to realize the full potential of the garden. The community is even considering connecting with that learning center for other programs.

4) Select and train a garden managerIt would be important to have at least one person overseeing the garden and mushroom house. This person would be responsible for ensuring the garden is well-managed, and also for providing information about the contents of the garden to visitors and students.

FUNDRAISING

1) Public recognition for donations

In the current space there are already names up on the wall for those who made donations to the temple area. This could continue for those who make donations to the Learning Center, and could also be incorporated into the mural if that is a next step chosen to be completed. According to Paw Biou, the community is always dedicated to giving donations.

2) Handicraft gift shop Any interested community members could use the space to sell handicrafts to visitors. Some or all of the profits could go toward the Learning Center. The treasurer will be responsible for collecting and distributing the profits to different Learning Center initiatives. A next step for this would be to survey the community to figure out who is interested and what crafts would be available, if any.

3) Sell T-ShirtsThis is something the community already does to raise money when necessary.

LEARNING CENTER STAFF

PresidentThe President will be responsible for appointing villagers for roles and delegating tasks. The President is responsible for clearly defining the collective vision of the Learning Center. The President will also be responsible for facilitating an ongoing analysis of the Learning Center to assure community progress. This role is important because it allows the community to keep focused on the overall goal.

Vice PresidentThe Vice President will be responsible for being prepared in the absence of the President. This role is important because it services all divisions of the Learning Center with the collective vision in mind. Also if the President is unable to attend meetings the Vice President will be able to stand in.

Community Outreach ChairThe responsibility of the Community Outreach Chair is to manage relationships with outside communities. The chair will also reach out to other communities and organizations for exchanges and guest speakers. The Community Outreach Chair will manage and organize materials for communication with mining communities and the government. There could be a total of 2-3 Community Outreach Chair positions, with all of the chairs working together. This an important role in maintaining a community network.

SecretaryThe Secretary will be responsible for taking notes at the meetings. The Secretary will also be responsible for keeping an attendance record of all villagers that are active in the Learning Center. Record-keeping is important to know which members to contact for events and to notify villagers of updates and meeting times. This role is also important in documenting the progress of the Learning Center and subjects covered in meetings.

TreasurerThe Treasurer will responsible for managing all Learning Center funds.The Treasurer will control the collection and disbursement of funds, as well as the bookkeeping. The Treasurer will oversee fundraising activities and appoint roles for the such activities. The Treasurer will also prepare the Learning Center budget.

Other RolesOther roles at the Learning Center could include a Librarian, Trail Guide, and Garden Manager, as mentioned in other sections.

Next steps:1) Decide on how Learning Center staff members should be selectedWhether the staff members are elected or appointed, the community needs to decide how to select the Learning Center staff.

2) Make selectionsSelections should be made as soon as possible, so the selected staff members can start working together as soon as possible. This should have happened by the time the next group of CIEE students picks up the project.

STRATEGIES FOR SPREADING AWARENESS ABOUT THE LEARNING CENTER

1) News ArticleAn article on the new Huay Muang Learning Center in a local newspaper or The Isaan Record would help to generate public awareness. Topics could include a general overview of the Learning Center, its focus on environmental education, or profiles of those managing it.

2) CIEECIEE students can help spread information to other communities about the Huay Muang Learning Center, as well as help to create a Learning Center network. In the coming semesters, they can also work on outlined next steps.

3) VideoAs also explained in one of the next steps for the library, Huay Muang community members could partner with CIEE students or The Isaan Record to create a short video documenting the issues they face. The video could also be a means for advertising the Learning Center.

4) University StudentsContacting students studying environmental issues at the university in Loei province would help to raise awareness about the Learning Center among young adults, and could also initiate connections with potential guest speakers and other university resources.

GENERAL NEXT STEPS

● Set up exchange with P’BanyaP’Banya is a part of an NGO working with Rasi Salai, and he has a lot to say about what has been most successful at their Learning Center and when partnering with CIEE.

● Connect Huay Muang with outside communitiesHuay Muang villagers have expressed interest in networking with other communities in

Thailand and abroad who face issues related to mining. A next step would be researching such communities and getting their contact information for Huay Muang villagers.

● After school programEventually, a regular after school program would take the Learning Center to the next level. Next steps for this include finding regular teachers or supervisors, developing a curriculum, and finding students who want to participate.

APPENDIX AAPPENDIX B

APPENDIX C

How Mining Works:

The following is a description of how the process of copper mining will look in Huay Muang if a mine is constructed...

● Ore will be collected from the mountain with large vehicles and explosives, releasing heavy metal particles into the air and destroying vegetation.

● The ore will then be leached by diluted sulfuric acid to release the copper from the ore. The surrounding area could be contaminated.

● Then, the ore will go through froth flotation, where the copper is separated from waste rock. This will contaminate huge amounts of water and create 99 tons of waste rock for every one ton of copper collected.

● All contaminated water will be kept in a tailings dam, where contaminants may leach into the soil.

● The copper will then be smelted. The high temperatures will release toxins into the air and create a lot of waste.

*Taken from the CIEE pamphlet on the value of the mountain, written by Aiden Forsi, Erica Messner and Kate Rochet (Fall 2011).

APPENDIX D

The Effects of Mining:

The following are a few examples of the chemicals and heavy metals that could be released during the copper mining process. Some of these heavy metals are naturally occurring, but the mining process causes them to be released into the environment at many times thenatural rate.. This causes problems such as infertile soil, acid rain, severe health ailments and contaminated water. For those subsisting on the land, these impacts could potentiallydevastate their way of life.

● Lead 15- Can be inhaled by breathing fumes or crushed particles- It can also contaminate food and water- Contributes to headaches, dizziness, and memory problems

- Can cause brain damage in adults and especially children, eventually leading to death

● Sulfer Dioxide 16- Causes breathing difficulties, chronic respiratory illness- Can be ingested by inhalation of toxic fumes.- Also contaminates soil and water through acid rain

● Cadmium 18- A heavy metal that damages lungs, and can cause kidney disease and fragile bones- Spreads through the air or contaminated foods and can dissolve in water and bind to soil contaminating fish and plants

● Mercury 17- Can be inhaled through breathing contaminated air, and consuming contaminated water and food - Can permanently damage the brain, kidneys and unborn babies- Young children are very susceptible to mercury poisoning

*Taken from the CIEE pamphlet on the value of the mountain, written by Aiden Forsi, Erica Messner and Kate Rochet (Fall 2011).

APPENDIX E

History:

● 1892: Huay Muang was first established as Song Gahn Boo village by Tow Grie and 40 others The settlers had immigrated from Laos and other parts of Thailand to the base of the mountain Phu Hin Lek Fai. The mountain, named for the iron rocks found on its hills that when smashed together produced fire, served as a important food source for the villagers. Its soils were fertile and rich so that many plants and animals could thrive in the area. Fresh water from the mountain flowed down into the village.

● 1897: A disease killed or scared off all but eight people in the village. Those left in the village discovered with the help of their spiritual leader that there was a holy spirit in the land. The spirit warned the villagers not to continue using their water resource or to plant anything near it if they wanted to continue peacefully living there. The villagers consented and renamed their village after the new water source that they started to use, the Huay Muang creek. After this, the village began to grow and prosper.

● 1984: The village became so large that it split into two communities.● 1991: The Ministry of Industry granted a survey license to the Puthep Company Limited.● 1997: Puthep found copper and gold deposits on the mountain and subesquently

requested a survey license for 50,000 rai of land surrounding the mountain.● 1998: A third community emerged. Today the three communities are all called Huay

Muang, and live at the base of the mountain. Although they may have expanded and changed, the villagers still feel the initial connection to and respect for the mountain that has allowed them to prosper since they first moved there, over 100 years ago.

● 2006: Puthep began surveying the 50,000 rai around the mountain.

● 2008: Puthep stopped surveying the 50,000 rai around the mountain. They are currently applying for a mining license. Huay Muang villagers set up the Phu Hin Lek Fai Preservation Network and sent a letter opposing the mining concession to the Governor.

● 2010: Another company, ONK mining, expressed interest in mining for iron in the area. ONK is in the very early stages of research and has not been granted any licenses or concessions by the government.

*Taken from the CIEE pamphlet on the value of the mountain, written by Aiden Forsi, Erica Messner and Kate Rochet (Fall 2011).

APPENDIX F

Monetary Value of the Mountain:

Total of 3 Huay Muang Villages

No. Products Number of land Price

1 Corn 1,904

2 Rubber 2,505

3 Sugarcane 65

4 Rice 1,776

5 Tamarind 237

6 Cassava 5,809

7 Mushroom-bamboo shoot 4,100,240

8 Animals 3,201,698

9 Herbs and woods 1,093,240

10 Annual income 61,913,205

11 Debt 30,066,000

12 Cost of production 16,736,655

TOTAL: 23,505,728 bahtPer Villager: 11,700 baht

The total represents how much money is made each year by the three villages in Huay Muang. Per person, this is about 11,700 baht a year. The royalty rate for copper in Thailand is 2.5 percent. In nearby Na Nong Bong, a community that has a gold mine, this royalty has been close to 7,300 baht per person in the subdistrict over the course of a year. Using these approximate figures, mining of the Phu Hin Lek Fai would result in an estimated loss of 4,400 baht per villager per year, and an estimated 11,700 baht loss per villager per year when the mining stops and the mountain is gone.

10 Food Sources from the Mountain:1. Bamboo shoots2. Cicada Eggs3. Bpon Oranges4. Tiger Grass5. Mushroom6. Bees7. Kok Oranges8. Rain Tree Vegetable9. Sweet Vegetable10. Wasps

10 Animals Found on the Mountain:1. Bird2. Nim3. Monkey4. Rat5. Snake6. Pung Pon7. Squirrel8. Bang 9. Toh10. Gra Tae

9 Herbs Found on the Mountain:1. Waan Tuub Muub 2. Ma Kham Pom 3. Lin Fah4. Hu Sua Pa 5. Ga Salak 6. Mai Chang Nao 7. Sa Boo Dam 8. Krua Mag Peng 9. Mai Siew Som

Cultural Value of the Mountain:

Phu Hin Lek Fai is necessary to the villagers’ culture and spirituality in addition to their way of life. “The mountain gives life to the community,” said Vice Headman Samoot. The villagers

celebrate the cultural and spiritual importance of the mountain with several ceremonies each year.

In addition to these ceremonies, the community recently constructed a Buddha statue together. This allows villagers to show their love for the mountain and desire to preserve the forest. “We believe that near the Buddha image is the center of the spirit of the mountain,” said Vice Headman Samoot. On every holy day, villagers sacrifice and pay respect to the Buddha image. On the Thai New Year the villagers hold a holy ceremony and bathe the Buddha image for Song Kran Day.

*Taken from the CIEE pamphlet on the value of the mountain, written by Aiden Forsi, Erica Messner and Kate Rochet (Fall 2011).

APPENDIX G

Legal Rights of Villagers in Regards to Mines:

The villagers of Huay Muang have legal rights that will be violated if the mine is built. The right to food, clean water, culture and health, all considered basic human rights and granted to the villagers from a variety of documents as can be seen below, will all be ignored if the mine is built. Despite attempts from villagers to contact the Human Rights commission so far, the human rights of the villagers continue to be ignored as the mining company attempts to get a license for their land.

Thailand’s Mineral Act 196Stipulates that public waterways cannot be compromised without a license from the Local Mineral Resources Official.

● Section 69: Mining processes shall not “render poisonous minerals or other poisonous matters harmful to persons, animals, vegetation, or properties” near the site of the mine.

● Sections 88/9 and 88/11: Villagers have the right to a discussion of the proposed mines and an opinion hearing after the mining license has been granted.

International Covenant of Economic, Social Cultural Rights● General Comment 12.8: The committee considers that the core content of the right to

adequate food implies: the availability of food in a quantity and quality sufficient to satisfy the dietary needs of individuals, free from adverse substances, and acceptable within a given culture.

● General Comment 12.12: Availability refers to the possibilities… for feeding oneself directly from productive land or other natural resources.

● General Comment 12.27: As part of their obligations to protect people’s resource base for food, states parties should take appropriate steps to ensure that activities of the private business sector and civil society are in conformity with the right to food.

● General comment 15.1: Water is a limited natural resource and a public good fundamental for life and health. The human right to water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity. It is a prerequisite for the realization of other human rights… The continuing contamination, depletion and unequal distribution of water is exacerbating existing poverty. States parties have to adopt effective measures to realize, without discrimination, the right to water, as set out in this general comment.

● General Comment 15.33: Steps should be taken by states parties to prevent their own citizens and companies from violating the right to water of individuals and communities in other countries. Where States parties can take steps to influence other third parties to respect the right, through legal or political means, such steps should be taken in accordance with the United Nations Charter and applicable international law

Provisions of the Thai Constitution of 2007● Chapter III, Part 6, Section 44: A person shall enjoy the right to work safety and welfare

and to living security irrespective of whether he is employed or unemployed in accordance with the provisions of the law.

● Chapter III, Part 12, Section 66: Persons assembling as to be a community, local community or traditional local community shall have the right to conserve or restore their customs, local wisdom, arts or good culture of their community and of he nation and participate in the management, maintenance and exploitation of natural resources, the environment and biological diversity in a balanced and sustainable fashion.

● Chapter III, Part 12, Section 67: The right of a person to participate with state and communities in the preservation and exploitation of natural resources and biological diversity and in the protection, promotion and conservation of the quality of the environment for usual and consistent survival in the environment which is not hazardous to his health and sanitary condition, welfare or quality of life, shall be protected appropriately. Any project or activity which may seriously affect the quality of the environment and on health of the people in the communities have been studied and evaluated and consultation with the public and interested parties have been organized, and opinions of an independent organization.

*Taken from the CIEE pamphlet on the value of the mountain, written by Aiden Forsi, Erica Messner and Kate Rochet (Fall 2011).