Help Kewunor save their homeland
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The community of Kewunor is at risk of being illegally demolished by the Italian owned Trassaco development company and the American owned Hilton Group. Located on the Volta river estuary (where the river meets the ocean), Kewunor is a beautiful island and fishing community which has been inhabited by the people for 120 years. About 1200 people live on the Island; there is a school of about 400 students, two churches, many restaurants and bars, and two guest house/hotel beach camps.The community is in need of financial support for the legal fees to fight these transnational corporations from stealing their homes, demolishing everything, and building a five star resort, leaving the community with no where to go, and cutting off local access to one of the most precious places in Ghana .The community is filing an injuction to stop the construction on the island and will not stop fighting until they claim the island of Kewunor for the people of Kewunor once for all.
#SaynotoTrassaco
#HaltHilton
#AfricaforAfricans
BACKGROUND
In October of 2013 Kewunor received a formal letter from the Italian development company, Trasacco, evicting them from their land. The letter was not accompanied by any legal documents proving land ownership. According to the letter, everything was set for demolition, including the newly constructed school built from community support and donations. Familles who make their living fishing from the river and the ocean, or collecting and selling coconuts from the land for 120 years were told that the land on which they resided was no longer theirs and they had no right to live there anymore.
In response the community and advocates mobilized by protesting at the construction sites and wrote to local media stations about the issue. Multiple community leaders were arrested and imprisoned for weeks, and the security which 'protected' the workers and equipment harassed the community. Trasacco slowed their work significantly, but even after being told to halt work until a resolution had been met by the Ghanaian government, they continued to come to the land with surveyors. They built an enclosure to house construction equipment and built skeletons of buildings that would serve as their headquarters. Eventually, Trassaco halted construction completely with the promise to return.
Through a press release the community has learned the Trassaco has now 'sold' some of the land to Hilton group, and that they intend to begin construction again December 2017.
Neither company has contacted or communicated with the local community, never calling it by name in emails and press releases, essentially denying the existence of Kewunor and refusing the people's right to the land.
The community has asked repeatedly why they are there, what plans they have for the land, whether they intend to resettle the people as promised and more importantly, why they continue to look at inhabited land rather than the plots of land that are free and undeveloped. There has been no formal response to date.
From a visit to the Accra headquarters we know that Trassaco has detailed plans to build beach chalets each costing 650,000 USD, and a marina on the estuary which they have renamed 'Ada Turtle Bay'.
This is the attempted erasure of a people for the sake of profit. We believe that there is much more to life than silver and gold, and human lives can never be sold. Please support the basic human rights of young our fellow human beings.
Share and repost this link
#halthilton
#saynototrassaco
#africaforafricans

Above is the site plan made by Trassaco
Thank you to the many people who have shared this story. The community of Kwunor is in need of funds to cover legal fees and transportation between the community and Accra. Many people have donated their time and personal funds to ensure that this issue is addressed. Please subscribe for updates.
#SaynotoTrassaco
#HaltHilton
#AfricaforAfricans
BACKGROUND
In October of 2013 Kewunor received a formal letter from the Italian development company, Trasacco, evicting them from their land. The letter was not accompanied by any legal documents proving land ownership. According to the letter, everything was set for demolition, including the newly constructed school built from community support and donations. Familles who make their living fishing from the river and the ocean, or collecting and selling coconuts from the land for 120 years were told that the land on which they resided was no longer theirs and they had no right to live there anymore.
In response the community and advocates mobilized by protesting at the construction sites and wrote to local media stations about the issue. Multiple community leaders were arrested and imprisoned for weeks, and the security which 'protected' the workers and equipment harassed the community. Trasacco slowed their work significantly, but even after being told to halt work until a resolution had been met by the Ghanaian government, they continued to come to the land with surveyors. They built an enclosure to house construction equipment and built skeletons of buildings that would serve as their headquarters. Eventually, Trassaco halted construction completely with the promise to return.
Through a press release the community has learned the Trassaco has now 'sold' some of the land to Hilton group, and that they intend to begin construction again December 2017.
Neither company has contacted or communicated with the local community, never calling it by name in emails and press releases, essentially denying the existence of Kewunor and refusing the people's right to the land.
The community has asked repeatedly why they are there, what plans they have for the land, whether they intend to resettle the people as promised and more importantly, why they continue to look at inhabited land rather than the plots of land that are free and undeveloped. There has been no formal response to date.
From a visit to the Accra headquarters we know that Trassaco has detailed plans to build beach chalets each costing 650,000 USD, and a marina on the estuary which they have renamed 'Ada Turtle Bay'.
This is the attempted erasure of a people for the sake of profit. We believe that there is much more to life than silver and gold, and human lives can never be sold. Please support the basic human rights of young our fellow human beings.
Share and repost this link
#halthilton
#saynototrassaco
#africaforafricans
Above is the site plan made by Trassaco
Thank you to the many people who have shared this story. The community of Kwunor is in need of funds to cover legal fees and transportation between the community and Accra. Many people have donated their time and personal funds to ensure that this issue is addressed. Please subscribe for updates.
Organizer
Monique Vanden
Organizer
Bend, OR
