A panel of politicians from all stripes will debate this and other provocative questions at a public event planned in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC) in Ottawa, May 13 and 14.

Last January, Liberal MP John McKay introduced Private Member's Bill C-474 -- also known as "The Sunshine Bill." McKay has worked hard over the years to enhance transparency and accountability in the Canadian mining industry.

If passed, the bill would have required all mining companies to publicly disclose payments they made to foreign governments and officials to secure mining concessions. The bill was intended to "shine light" on corruption, bribery and other common practices.

The bill was quietly defeated in the House of Commons on April 9. But the movement to ensure Canadian mining companies act transparently and with respect to human rights and environmental sustainability continues!

MCC encourages its supporters to support the Open for Justice campaign as a way of building the momentum for mining justice and fairness.     

Robots that kill have long been regular fare in the movies. However, rapid advances in technology suggest that it will not be long before "fully autonomous weapons" -- which can fire on targets of their own choosing -- are in actual use.

Longtime MCC partner, Mines Action Canada, has joined with others to support the international Campaign to Stop Killer Robots.  The campaign calls for a pre-emptive and comprehensive ban on the development, production, and use of fully autonomous weapons