Letters of protest against WEC's award to Shell

To face increasing criticisms, Shell recently launched a campaign --"Profits and Principles. Is there a choice?"-- in influential Northern press media, trying to portray itself as environmentally sound and a defender of human rights.

The campaign seems to have born fruit: Shell will receive next March the 2001 Gold Medal for International Corporate Environmental Achievement awarded by the World Environment Center (WEC).

Please send letters of concern to the WEC asking for the reconsideration of this decision, you will find bellow a sample letter.

Contacts:
*Isaac Skelton, Program Manager of World Environment Center, 
212-683-4700, ext. 241, isaac@wec.org;

*Mike Hogan, Head of Media Relations, Shell
+44-0-207-934-6238, Mike.A.Hogan@si.shell.com , or 
*Kitty Borah, Media Relations, Shell
713-241-4654

Web site: http://www.wec.org/wecgm.htm/ 

Sample letter:

To Whom It May Concern

I am shocked and disturbed to learn that the World Environment Center's Seventeenth Annual WEC Gold Medal for International Corporate Environmental Achievement has been awarded to Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies ("Shell"). 

This is a terrible decision which is a mockery of the stated intent of this environmental award. Both Shell's environmental and human rights records in Niger Delta alone are atrocious! 

Please reconsider your decision, as this reflects very badly on the WEC and taints
your record. Remember, the whole world is watching!

Sincerely,

Protest against obscene reward for Shell’s environmental crimes!!!

Royal Dutch / Shell Group of Companies has been given an award for environmental achievement. This award will be officially presented to Shell’s Chairman / Chief Executive on 21st May 2001 in Washington.

We have received the following from the Ogoni people: 

"This would be laughable if it were not so sad and painful, bearing in mind Shell’s well publicised poor record on environmental responsibility in Ogoniland and the Niger Delta of Nigeria. The world is not in doubt about Shell’s terrible activities in Ogoniland, which resulted to its complicity in the hanging of environmental, and human rights activist, Ken Saro Wiwa and the eight other Ogoni activists. Shell’s exploration activities in Ogoniland caused the devastation of the environment, pollution of the rivers & streams as well as destruction of farmlands depriving the people of their source of livelihood. The continuing suffering of the people from the 
indignity of living with broken pipelines, daily inhalation of poisonous gas flares, incessant oil spills / fires and dealing with the prospect of owning a wasteland cannot be ignored or forgotten.

Shell is guilty of abuse of the Ogoni people and their environment and this has been confirmed by the United Nations’ fact-finding mission to Ogoniland, which among others recommended that Shell institute an environmental audit of the land. Shell was asked to clean up Ogoni environment, re-route and bury its surface pipelines, pay compensation to the people and respect their human rights and as well as ensure that any further oil exploration activities is based on agreement with the people. There has been no honest response from Shell on these matters. Instead it continues to ignore these recommendations and tries to force its way back into the community, through corrupt means thereby causing further conflict amongst the people.

Sadly, World Environment Center (WEC) an organisation founded by the United Nations is rewarding Shell for the environmental and human rights disasters it continues to create in Ogoniland and the Niger Delta. We feel the organisation has either been misled or are in collusion with Shell and other corporate interest to “greenwash” the image of Shell with this award. We are asking WEC to automatically disqualify Shell from this award until such a time when Shell accepts full responsibility for the mess it has created in Ogoniland and the Niger Delta.

Please stand up against forces of imperialism such as Shell who prey on the people, dehumanise them, break their dignity, destroy their sources of livelihood and then flaunt their conquest with undeserved awards and obscene profits.

Stand up for the oppressed people of the world whose lives are daily traumatised by these gang of irresponsible multinational companies which pride themselves on corporate greed, corporate deception and corporate thuggery.

Protest this double injustice against the Ogoni people. Protest this shameless act by Shell and its cohorts. Petition the blood of Ken Saro Wiwa and that of every Ogoni child, who have been denied normal childhood and a healthy environment by Shell. Please give the voiceless a voice, and support the Ogoni people by adding your name to the petition.

The signatures will be forwarded to WEC, United Nations offices and Shell offices across the World as soon as possible.

We thank you for your untiring support for the rights and survival of the Ogoni people. The Struggle continues, 
Mrs Gbenewa Phido
MOSOP-UK President
web site: www.mosopcanada.org "

Click here to read the petition.

Please send your support by email to: 
mosopgb@hotmail.com  and copy mosopng@hotmail.com 
or by Fax: +44 20 7737 1550 

Concerns about the Weakening of World Bank Safeguard Policies

If your organization is interested in endorsing this letter, complete this form or send the name of your organization, along with your own name and country to tom@fppwrm.gn.apc.org by Monday 26th February 2001.