Press Release: Freeport announces grant to promote human rights Irian Jaya
Saturday, April 21 2001 - 04:00 AM WIB
Judge Gabrielle Kirk McDonald announced today that Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc has awarded a grant of $248,000 to the HAMAK Foundation headed by Ms. Yosefa Alomang for the purpose of promoting human rights in Irian Jaya (Papua) with a special focus on women and children.
Judge McDonald, a member of the FCX Board of Directors and Special Counsel to the Chairman on Human Rights, said the Freeport grant would help enable HAMAK to build an office and training facility, to implement human rights education and training programs and to conduct a major workshop on human rights in 2002.
``We have worked with Ms. Alomang and HAMAK on several human rights initiatives, and the results have helped promote dialogue, understanding and mutual trust as positive and peaceful alternatives to the conflicts of the past,'' Judge McDonald said.
`We are especially enthusiastic about this grant due to the special focus on women and children, who, unfortunately, are often in the weakest position to defend their rights. Ms. Alomang has been an effective spokeswoman for the women and children of Papua and this will enable her to develop programs that will proactively help these groups.''
Judge McDonald is an internationally known human rights expert. A former U.S. District Court Judge and noted civil rights attorney, she served as President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands. The Freeport grant is based on the formal request submitted by HAMAK and is the culmination of discussions between Judge McDonald and Ms. Alomang over the past 10 months both in Indonesia and the U.S.
FCX is engaged in mineral exploration and development, mining and milling of copper, gold and silver in Irian Jaya, Indonesia, and the smelting and refining of copper concentrates in Spain and Indonesia.
Contact: Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc., New Orleans, Financial Contact: Chris D. Sammons, 504/582-4474; or
Media Contact: William Collier, 504/582-1750 (*)