Press advisory
groundWork and the international Global
Community Monitor to work with Southern African communities
to develop community based air pollution monitoring systems
Local NGO groundWork and two US-based NGOs - the Global Community
Monitor and the South African Exchange programme on Environmental Justice
- are joining forces to work with community based organisations in Southern
Africa to develop community based air monitoring systems. This is in order
that communities throughout Southern Africa can challenge and work with
government and industry to improve air quality in their neighbourhoods.
From January 19th to February 15th groundWork
and GCM will host a series of community workshops in Durban, Sasolburg,
Secunda and Cape Town in South Africa, and Swaziland and Mozambique
to develop community based monitoring systems. These monitoring systems
will use the simple, community-based “bucket brigade” method of taking
air samples. The “bucket brigade” method of air sampling was first introduced
into South Africa by groundWork in May 2000.
“This new expansion of community right to know throughout Southern Africa
is in direct response to the failure of industry and governments to monitor
and clean up toxic pollution that trespasses into fence-line communities,”
said Ardiel Soeker, groundWork’s Air Quality Coordinator. “The
new Bucket Brigade effort will be reaching thousands of families for the
first time so that they can demand clean air.”
“The success of the South Africa Bucket Brigade has increased the demand
for community air monitoring around the globe,” said Denny Larson of GCM.
“Now communities in the developing world want to know what they are breathing
and how to get corporations to clean up their act.”
This is part of the three-year groundWork programme that seeks
to assist community organisations in Southern Africa who are fighting
industrial pollution in their neighbourhoods. Outside of SA, groundWork
will be working with Yonge Nawe in Swaziland and Livaningo in Mozambique.
Locally, groundWork will be working with SDCEA (South Durban), the Tableview
Residents’ Association (Cape Town) and the Sasolburg Environmental Committee.
“This partnership between community based, national and international based
organisations provides a modus operandi for assisting community
based organisations to hold big multi-national industry accountable for
their actions in Southern Africa,” says Ardiel Soeker,
For more information contact:
Ardiel Soeker (groundWork): 021-761 8669
Bobby Peek (groundWork) 082 464 1383
Denny Larson (GCM): 091 - 415 - 845 4705 or dennylarson@earthlink.net
Anabela Lemos (Livaningo, Mozambique): 09258 – 491994 or livaningo@fmp.org.mz
Thuli Makama (Yonge Nawe, Swaziland): 09268- 404 1394 or yonawe@realnet.co.sz
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