Oil Justice : An Initiative by War On Want For Supporting Communities Affected by Oil Companies

This week I received an e-mail from War on Want confirming the onset of their Oil Justice Campaigns.I would have written this post even earlier but could not do so due to a few medical conditions I have been suffering from.This,unlike activism campaigns of protecting humanity from further abuse involves murders and other heinious crimes that have already taken place.Please take this seriously and show support,for humanity's sake,indeed.






Dear Miss Biswas,
Globally the operation of big oil companies has been devastating. Communities have been displaced from their lands, local environments have been irreparably polluted, and violations of human rights have been widespread. This has certainly been the case with BP and other oil companies who started operating in the Casanare region of Colombia in the early 1990’s. There is evidence of kidnapping, torture, murder and disappearances. According to the Colombia Human Rights Data Analysis Group, an estimated 9000 people were murdered and 3000 have disappeared in Casanare over the past two decades. One of those kidnapped was Gilberto Torres, who is bringing a case for compensation against BP and other oil companies in the High Court in London, with the help of law firm Deighton Pierce Glynn (DPG) in the UK and Francisco Ramirez Cuellar in Colombia.

The Oil Justice Project, http://oiljustice.org/ which is a collaboration between War on Want, DPG, and the Colombian NGO COSPACC, aims to tell the stories of the victims of ‘Big Oil’ and to hold these companies to account where corporate crimes have been committed. To highlight these abuses in Colombia the Oil Justice Project is welcoming Gilberto Torres and Francisco Ramirez Cuellar on a UK-wide speaker tour from 11 to 23 October 2015.

Gilberto Torres is a former trade unionist with Union Sindical Obrera (USO) (representing workers in the oil industry) who was abducted and tortured by paramilitaries in 1992, and now lives in exile. He believes his abduction was ordered and assisted by Ocensa, a joint venture pipeline company part-owned and operated by BP.

Francisco Ramirez Cuellar is a trade unionist and lawyer with the Colombian Unified Trade Union Federation. As a result of his legal and campaign work challenging multinationals who have committed serious environmental and human right abuses in Colombia, amounting to war crimes, he has been targeted and threatened.

As part of this speaker tour the following events have been planned:

1.    Speaking Engagement and Cultural Event - London (12 October)

Venue: Unite House, 128 Theobalds Road, Holborn, WC1X 8TN
Time: 6pm

2.    Public Speaking Event - Brighton (14 October) 

Venue: University of Sussex
Time: 5:30pm

3.    Public Speaking Event - Oxford (15 October) 

Venue: Okinaga Room, Wadham College, Oxford University
Time: 7:30pm

4.    Public Speaking Event - Bristol (16 October) 

Venue: To be confirmed
Time: To be confirmed

5.    Speaking Engagement and Cultural Event - Cardiff (17 October) 

Venue: Temple of Peace, Kind Edward VII Avenue, Cathays Park, CF10 3AP
Time: 6pm

6.    Public Speaking Event - Newcastle (19 October) 

Venue: To be confirmed
Time: To be confirmed

7.    Public Speaking Event - Edinburgh (20 October) 

Venue: To be confirmed
Time: To be confirmed

8.    Public Speaking Event - Cambridge (21 October) 

Venue: Department of Criminology, Cambridge University
Time: 5pm

9.    Public Speaking Event - London (22 October) 

Venue: School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
Time: 6pm

10.    Fundraising Event - London (23 October)

Venue: Garden Court Chambers, 57-60 Lincolns Inn Field, WC2A 3LJ
Time: 6:30pm

If you are interested in attending any of these events please RSVP to Tom Lebert at tlebert@waronwant.org


Tom Lebert

Senior Programmes Officer

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Disclaimer : This post is based on the propagation of an initiative originally taken by War on Want.
War on Want fights against the root causes of poverty and human rights violations, as part of the worldwide movement for global justice. 

It is a kind request to all sensible and well-informed citizens of Europe to sign this petition and if possible,head to this link and donate to this cause (and other noble causes) on War On Want.

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    1. I will have to block people who spread spam messages.I am requesting for the umpteenth time,please do not spread spam messages here.This is a non-commercial platform.

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