----- Forwarded message from Beate Wiemers <[log in to unmask]> -----
    Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:29:17 +0200
    From: Beate Wiemers <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: Beate Wiemers <[log in to unmask]>
 Subject: Hasankeyf - Save Mesopotamia
      To: [log in to unmask]

Save Hasankeyf - Stop Ilisu!    


The 135 m high Ilisu-dam is planned to be built at the sight of the village
Ilisu on the Tigris River in the southeast of Turkey. Ilisu will not be the
only village to drown in the reservoir; Hasankeyf, an antique city worthy to be
declared a World Heritage Site, will also be flooded along with many
archaeological sites in the Tigris valley, which was part of biblical
Mesopotamia.

These days the Ilisu dam is one of the most controversial dam projects in the
world. Considering that there are more than 40,000 mega-dams (higher than 60 m)
in the world now, plus thousands of planned dams, why then is there such
international solidarity against this particular dam?

There are two factors that make Ilisu unique. The first factor is the level of
sheer destruction: Ilisu will forcibly displace a huge population and destroy
the surrounding ecosystem, as well as innumerable cultural treasures. The other
factor is the dominant role of Austria, Germany and Switzerland, which makes
Ilisu into a very European scandal. "Our" firms want to build, "our" banks are
financing the construction, and our states want to insure the project. This
baleful triumvirate is boosting a project that would never be tolerated within
Europe itself, and proudly presents it as a sign of the flourishing export
economy. This is globalization in its ugliest form: a very few will benefit
financially, while thousands will lose their homes and means of survival,
ancient cultural artifacts and sights will be destroyed, and 400 km of river
ecosystems will be wiped out. For 20 years now I have been working on projects
having to do with rivers and dams. The Ilisu-project is the worst and most
shameful project I have come across in my entire life! 
We can stop it!

But there is nothing lost yet, and change is possible. Many projects have been
stopped after the "final decision" to proceed: think of the Austrian power
plant Hainburg at the Danube, the atomic reprocessing plant Wackersdorf in
Germany, the planned dams at the river Loire in France, etc. Opposition to
these projects never ceased until they were finally stopped.

Raise your voice!

Please help to save this unique cultural and natural landscape in biblical
Mesopotamia and stop this project and this kind of export economy. Raise your
voice, support us!

www.stopilisu.com



----- End forwarded message -----

-- 
Umberto Albarella
Department of Archaeology
University of Sheffield
Northgate House
West Street
Sheffield S1 4ET
United Kingdom
Telephone: (+) 44 (0) 114 22 22 943 
Fax: (+) 44 (0) 114 27 22 563 
http://www.shef.ac.uk/archaeology/staff/albarella.html
For Archaeologists for Global Justice (AGJ) see:
http://www.shef.ac.uk/archaeology/global-justice.html

"There is no way to peace. Peace IS the way".


Save Hasankeyf - Stop Ilisu!    





The 135 m high Ilisu-dam is planned to be built at the sight of the village Ilisu on the Tigris River in the southeast of Turkey. Ilisu will not be the only village to drown in the reservoir; Hasankeyf, an antique city worthy to be declared a World Heritage Site, will also be flooded along with many archaeological sites in the Tigris valley, which was part of biblical Mesopotamia.



These days the Ilisu dam is one of the most controversial dam projects in the world. Considering that there are more than 40,000 mega-dams (higher than 60 m) in the world now, plus thousands of planned dams, why then is there such international solidarity against this particular dam?



There are two factors that make Ilisu unique. The first factor is the level of sheer destruction: Ilisu will forcibly displace a huge population and destroy the surrounding ecosystem, as well as innumerable cultural treasures. The other factor is the dominant role of Austria, Germany and Switzerland, which makes Ilisu into a very European scandal. "Our" firms want to build, "our" banks are financing the construction, and our states want to insure the project. This baleful triumvirate is boosting a project that would never be tolerated within Europe itself, and proudly presents it as a sign of the flourishing export economy. This is globalization in its ugliest form: a very few will benefit financially, while thousands will lose their homes and means of survival, ancient cultural artifacts and sights will be destroyed, and 400 km of river ecosystems will be wiped out. For 20 years now I have been working on projects having to do with rivers and dams. The Ilisu-project is the worst and most shameful project I have come across in my entire life! 

We can stop it!



But there is nothing lost yet, and change is possible. Many projects have been stopped after the "final decision" to proceed: think of the Austrian power plant Hainburg at the Danube, the atomic reprocessing plant Wackersdorf in Germany, the planned dams at the river Loire in France, etc. Opposition to these projects never ceased until they were finally stopped.



Raise your voice!



Please help to save this unique cultural and natural landscape in biblical Mesopotamia and stop this project and this kind of export economy. Raise your voice, support us!



www.stopilisu.com