WAR AND OIL PIPELINES
For the earth | 18.03.2003 18:15
Oil pipeline war on earth and people - a report on the London session of 'Behind the Propaganda - Deconstructing BP'
OIL, SOURCE OF WAR AND DEATH
Destruction of rainforest, death of indigenous people
NO TO WAR MEANS NO TO OIL EXTRACTION
A report on the London session of the risingtide 'Behind the Propaganda - Deconstructing BP'
Last Saturday was the start of the tour, in London (LARC), as part of an ongoing campaign of action against BP pipelines, including the Baku-Ceyhan plan. The meeting highlighted the devastation caused by pipelines in Ecuador, Colombia and West Papua.
A video showed the destruction of rainforest in Ecuador - the beauty and richness of the wet landscape full of life destroyed to make way for a huge dead empty tract for the pipeline. Oil leaks into the surrounding area (shots of oil-coated birds, frogs, snakes, desperately trying to hang onto life). People get burned by oil explosions. People spoke of the indigenous people dispossessed of their land by the pipeline, and of the cancers of children, women and men as a result of contamination of land and water with oil. And the brutality of the military repression of indigenous and others protesting against the pipeline.
A lawyer for campesinos and people affected by the BP oil pipeline in Colombia gave a moving and harrowing account of the way indigenous people have had their lives destroyed by the oil pipe. Having been persuaded to sell their land for about £30 for each family, they were not given information about the environmental effects and have received no compensation. BP, the state, military and paramilitary work hand in hand to beat, rape, murder, and threaten with disappearance, those working for justice. Court cases against BP have been scuppered by various means, from 'losing' the evidence against BP and the brutality against oil pipe protesters, to failing to inform those involved when and where cases were being held.
There was also a talk on West Papua, where shrimp fishing people have been persuaded to sell their land to BO for another pipeline project. A World Bank loan is aimed to get them used to having the money that will come in when the pipeline is built - 2007; meantime they would pay interest on the loan. There was some discussion between those at the meeting who thought such people were in need of money for development, and those who see that indigenous people who have food, land, and water autonomy need to be allowed to continue their autonomous way of life rather than being subjected to the propaganda of those who see them as 'poor' and therefore in need of development - the road to the cash economy and loss of autonomy.
The meeting included delicious food! Catch the tour as it goes round the UK - see below.
See www.burningplanet.net and www.risingtide.org.uk.
For more on the South Pacific/West papua see www.eco_action.org/ssp
For the video on Ecuador see www.rainforest.org.uk
NO TO WAR MEANS NO TO FURTHER OIL EXTRACTION
COMING EVENTS- "BEHIND THE PROPAGANDA - DECONSTRUCTING BP" TOUR. MARCH- EARLY APRIL
Rising Tide, with Columbia Solidarity Campaign (www.colombiasolidarity.org.uk ) and Solidarity South Pacific (www.eco-action.org/ssp ), is organising a tour about the impacts of of BP's dirty around the world. The programme includes: video footage; talks; an overview of the many strands linking oil and war; details of the growing campaign to stop BP's planned Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project; and a chance to discuss ways to take action locally and nationally leading up to the protests around the Annual General Meeting on 24th April.
Tour dates:
March 15th London – 7pm Action Resource Centre, 62 Fieldgate Street, E1 (Aldgate East tube, www.londonarc.org ) Further details:
london@risingtide.org.uk
March 26th Nottingham 7.30-9pm Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street.
March 27th – Norwich, 7-9 pm University of East Anglia (tbc)
March 31st – Brighton, 6.30-8pm Cowley Club, 12 London Road.
April 2nd – Leeds, 7-9pm – Adelphi Hotel, 1-5 Hunslet Road, LS10
Early April Bristol date tbc
Contact Rising Tide for more details about the dates and venues. London Rising Tide will be running loads of BP-related events in London- including prop and banner-making see www.burningplanet.net for details.
*****************************************************************************
Destruction of rainforest, death of indigenous people
NO TO WAR MEANS NO TO OIL EXTRACTION
A report on the London session of the risingtide 'Behind the Propaganda - Deconstructing BP'
Last Saturday was the start of the tour, in London (LARC), as part of an ongoing campaign of action against BP pipelines, including the Baku-Ceyhan plan. The meeting highlighted the devastation caused by pipelines in Ecuador, Colombia and West Papua.
A video showed the destruction of rainforest in Ecuador - the beauty and richness of the wet landscape full of life destroyed to make way for a huge dead empty tract for the pipeline. Oil leaks into the surrounding area (shots of oil-coated birds, frogs, snakes, desperately trying to hang onto life). People get burned by oil explosions. People spoke of the indigenous people dispossessed of their land by the pipeline, and of the cancers of children, women and men as a result of contamination of land and water with oil. And the brutality of the military repression of indigenous and others protesting against the pipeline.
A lawyer for campesinos and people affected by the BP oil pipeline in Colombia gave a moving and harrowing account of the way indigenous people have had their lives destroyed by the oil pipe. Having been persuaded to sell their land for about £30 for each family, they were not given information about the environmental effects and have received no compensation. BP, the state, military and paramilitary work hand in hand to beat, rape, murder, and threaten with disappearance, those working for justice. Court cases against BP have been scuppered by various means, from 'losing' the evidence against BP and the brutality against oil pipe protesters, to failing to inform those involved when and where cases were being held.
There was also a talk on West Papua, where shrimp fishing people have been persuaded to sell their land to BO for another pipeline project. A World Bank loan is aimed to get them used to having the money that will come in when the pipeline is built - 2007; meantime they would pay interest on the loan. There was some discussion between those at the meeting who thought such people were in need of money for development, and those who see that indigenous people who have food, land, and water autonomy need to be allowed to continue their autonomous way of life rather than being subjected to the propaganda of those who see them as 'poor' and therefore in need of development - the road to the cash economy and loss of autonomy.
The meeting included delicious food! Catch the tour as it goes round the UK - see below.
See www.burningplanet.net and www.risingtide.org.uk.
For more on the South Pacific/West papua see www.eco_action.org/ssp
For the video on Ecuador see www.rainforest.org.uk
NO TO WAR MEANS NO TO FURTHER OIL EXTRACTION
COMING EVENTS- "BEHIND THE PROPAGANDA - DECONSTRUCTING BP" TOUR. MARCH- EARLY APRIL
Rising Tide, with Columbia Solidarity Campaign (www.colombiasolidarity.org.uk ) and Solidarity South Pacific (www.eco-action.org/ssp ), is organising a tour about the impacts of of BP's dirty around the world. The programme includes: video footage; talks; an overview of the many strands linking oil and war; details of the growing campaign to stop BP's planned Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project; and a chance to discuss ways to take action locally and nationally leading up to the protests around the Annual General Meeting on 24th April.
Tour dates:
March 15th London – 7pm Action Resource Centre, 62 Fieldgate Street, E1 (Aldgate East tube, www.londonarc.org ) Further details:
london@risingtide.org.uk March 26th Nottingham 7.30-9pm Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street.
March 27th – Norwich, 7-9 pm University of East Anglia (tbc)
March 31st – Brighton, 6.30-8pm Cowley Club, 12 London Road.
April 2nd – Leeds, 7-9pm – Adelphi Hotel, 1-5 Hunslet Road, LS10
Early April Bristol date tbc
Contact Rising Tide for more details about the dates and venues. London Rising Tide will be running loads of BP-related events in London- including prop and banner-making see www.burningplanet.net for details.
*****************************************************************************
For the earth