From the Guardian
Gulf oil spill: A hole in the world

The Deepwater Horizon disaster is not just an industrial accident – it is a violent wound inflicted on the Earth itself. In this special report from the Gulf coast, a leading author and activist shows how it lays bare the hubris at the heart of capitalism.

“Hear rare footage of Ken Saro-Wiwa’s last televised interview, juxtaposed with contemporary footage from Channel 4’s Unreported World from the Niger Delta and the creation of a memorial to Saro-Wiwa in London.
Also featuring a photomontage of the remember saro-wiwa project and music by Nigerian-European artist and spectacular singer, Nneka.
Learn more & get active at http://www.remembersarowiwa.com.“

“The Gods have been driven far away…”

Taft, California

Justice in the life and conduct of the State is possible only as first it resides in the hearts and souls of the citizens - Plato

Law in origin was merely a codification of the power of dominant groups, and did not aim at anything that to a modern man would appear to be justice - Bertrand Russell

Civilization can only revive when there shall come into being in a number of individuals a new tone of mind, independent of the prevalent one among the crowds, and in opposition to it — a tone of mind which will gradually win influence over the collective one, and in the end determine its character. Only an ethical movement can rescue us from barbarism, and the ethical comes into existence only in individuals. - Albert Schweitzer

In this audio slideshow produced by OSI and partner Revenue Watch Institute, Social Action director Asume Isaac Osuoka and photographer Ed Kashi describe the struggles of the Niger Deltas citizens and the dire need for fair and responsible revenue management.

LEARN MORE:
http://www.revenuewatch.org

http://www.soros.org

I created this short clip in memory of the exploited people of the oil rich Niger Delta in Nigeria, with music from Fela Anikulapo Kuti. This was inspired by “The Next Gulf: London, Washington and Oil Conflict in Nigeria” a terrific book by British authors,Andrew Rowell, James Marriott, Lorne Stockman at Platform.

At the Delta of Niger River in Nigeria, where a vast proportion of planet’s oil is excavated, bomb attacks, abductions and murders form part of daily routine.

The documentary portrays the image of “development”, the way giant multinational petroleum companies would define it. Petroleum leaks in the River destroy flora and fauna, poison the food chain and consequently wipe out the 27 million indigenous people of the area - the Ijaws, the Ogoni and the Itsekiris. The inhabitants dare to ask the self-evident, they demand an end to it. As a response they are massively and brutally attacked by special forces of the army and the police, which are armed by the oil companies. The camera meets at the river militia of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta-MEND- and presents to the world for the first time shattering images of their speed boat patrols and of their heavy weaponry.
(more…)