JATAM (Mining Advocacy Network) is a network of non-governmental organizations (NGO) and community-based organizations (CBO) working on issues concerning human rights, gender, the environment, indigenous people and social justice in relation to the mining, oil, and gas industries.
Indonesia has not only endured the destructive practices of mining, oil and gas companies on their land and natural resources but it has also been a victim of a sad and disturbing list of human rights violations including such atrocities as forced evictions to loss of livelihoods to abuses against women and children.
JATAM 's philosophy of the fair treatment and involvement of all people with respect to basic human rights and environmental policies is the key motivator behind their activities. JATAM 's activities are conducted with the purpose of the establishment of rights for all Indonesians to live in a healthy, productive, happy and most of all sustainable environment.
JATAM 's goals are to support Indonesian communities, especially indigenous communities, against the dehumanization and environmental destruction caused by the invasion of the mining, oil and gas industries. The basic foundation of JATAM’s activities involves the advocacy for fair and wise management of Indonesia’s mineral and energy resources in order to meet the needs of the people while guaranteeing a sustainable resource for future generations.
JATAM is now working in many regions throughout Indonesia where mining and oil operations have been destroying surrounding areas.
ORGANIZATION
JATAM is open to those, both organizations and individuals, who are eager to fight against the injustices caused by mining. Many people and resources are needed to achieve JATAM’s objectives. JATAM’s constituents include individuals, communities victimized by mining, and NGOs committed to mining advocacy.
JATAM is a network movement whose components consist of a village node, regional/island node, national node, a regional board and a support body. Each node possesses autonomy for managing it’s own network.
HISTORY
The network was first established at a Mining Advocacy Workshop organized by WALHI (Friends of the Earth Indonesia) in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan in 1995. The Workshop was attended by 45 participants from throughout the country, including representatives from NGOs like Taratak (West Sumatra), LPLH (Aceh), LEWIM (South Kalimantan) and Yayasan Tanah Merdeka (Palu). Four foreign NGO activists also attended this meeting. All participants shared a common awareness for the need of a network to conduct mining advocacy.
JATAM was formally established at a Repositioning Workshop in November 1999, in Tomohon, Manado, North Sulawesi. The workshop developed strategies to tackle mining advocacy and resulted in a position to call for an end to all new mining activities and urged the government of Indonesia to revoke all licenses already issued and to improve the existing mining policy. Further consolidation of the JATAM network occurred at JATAM’s recent national meeting in November 2003 in Ciloto, Bogor, West Java. This meeting resulted in a new mandate for JATAM to promote wise and fair management of Indonesia’s mineral and energy resources in order to meet the basic needs of the people while securing a resource that is sustainable for future generations.
