Papua New Guinea is a part of the world that few Canadians ever think about. But for the people of Porgera, their lives have been shaped by the decisions of Canadian companies.

It's hard to wrap your head around the atrocities that people in Porgera have suffered over the last thirty year. Environmental devastation. Murder as a matter of course. Hundreds of women and girls who have been raped.

So why is Barrick Gold, the company that has operated the mine for the last decade and a half, still celebrated across the country? And why is Barrick's founder, Peter Munk, still viewed as a philanthropic and corporate icon?

Featured in this episode: Everlyn Gaupe, McDiyan Robert Yapari, Stanley Peter, Cressida Kuala, Catherine Coumans, Richard Poplak

To learn more:

“Canadian Mining's Dark Heart” by Richard Poplak in The Walrus

“The Shooting Fields of Porgera” by the Akali Tange Association

“Raped by Canadian Gold Mine Guards, These Women Are Looking for Justice” by Hilary Beaumont in VICE News

Additional music from Audio Network

This episode is brought to you by Rotman's Executive Leadership Online & Dispatch Coffee

Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.com

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