He Speaks Science, She Speaks Human Rights:
Bridging the Divide Between Science and Human Rights

At the fifth AAAS Science and Human Rights Coalition meeting on January 11, 2011 Global Rights’ Natural Resources and Human Rights Initiative Director, Maria Koulouris, discussed her experience working alongside geochemist Mark Logsdon to document economic and social rights (ESR) violations linked to the extraction of gold in the Republic of Guinea. Maria and her local partner Centre du Commence International pour le Développement (CECIDE) called on Mark to assess the way in which the mining operation was affecting lives of local residents, including their basic rights to clean water and food.


With Marks' objectiveness and scientific expertise, Global Rights and its partners were able to conclude that certain specific practices of the gold mining company were incompatible with local communities’ right to water resources and land, which their traditional lives depend on.

With Maria’s technical support, the collected information will be used by CECIDE to produce a comprehensive human rights report documenting economic and social rights violations linked to gold exploitation. CECIDE will also use the report to push both Government officials and the mining company to demand that adequate measures be taken to ensure that the rights of local populations not be violated in the context of mining.

The relationship between science and human rights is often ignored or not understood. However, as seen in this case, a geochemist’s knowledge and skills is not only strengthening Global Rights’ work, but also gives local Guinean organizations and local communities the power to advocate for their own rights.

Learn more about Maria’s work in Guinea >>

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