*[Enwl-eng] Nature vs Profit?
ENWLine
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It took 13 YEARS to make Shell pay for the damage it did to the lives and land of villagers in Nigeria. The EU wants to make it easier to punish corporations for their destructive actions with a new law. Corporate lobbyists are trying to water it down. We have 3 DAYS to make our voices heard.  |
Hi,
Goi, Ikot Ada Udo and Oruma are small villages in a part of Nigeria called the Niger delta. It is home to proud farmers and fishermen. They ate fish from the creek, farmed their own land, and lived in harmony with the creeks and its surroundings.
But when oil was discovered there, Shell moved in, draining all it could from the precious land. And when oil spills ravaged that land, it took 13 YEARS for these communities to win their case in court and hold Shell accountable. [1]
This gives hope to all those standing up to big corporations like Shell across the world. But no one should have to wait 13 years for justice.
Now the EU wants to create radical new rules which would allow people to seek justice in European courts and make it far easier to punish global businesses for their destructive actions.
Corporate lobbyists will try to water them down. But before the EU writes them, they want to know what people in Europe think. This could be our chance. We have until Monday to let them know -- so let’s make it the biggest public consultation ever and pass this historic law against corporation abuses!
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The Delta Niger Community’s fight for justice took years before Shell was brought to court and punished for the terrible harm it had done. And there are many other incredible stories of communities and campaigners working together to bring corporations to justice.
But for corporations to be forced to change their bad habits, it has to be easier to make them face justice in court. If the law doesn’t change, corporations will keep on crossing their fingers, hoping to get away with human rights abuses most of the time. We have to change the rules.
The European Commission is preparing a new historic law to do so. Companies will be required to investigate their supply chains and make sure they respect rights for people and nature, worldwide.
We know that corporate lobbyists prefer business as usual and will be putting pressure on the EU. But there is strong support in the European Parliament and EU leaders want to hear our opinion!
The public consultation closes on MONDAY. So it’s time to bring people-powered pressure to flood it and encourage our leaders to do the right thing and make rules to bring companies under control. It takes less than a minute:
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The Delta Niger communities had the support of incredible organisations like Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and Action Aid. This is the power people have when they come together - they can stand up to big oil like Shell. Now it’s our turn to play a role in this story Vladimir, by changing the rules and pulling the ground out from under the feet of corporations everywhere. Sign the petition for peoples' rights over corporate profits!
With hope,
David (London), Alex (Marseille), Olga (Bologna), and the entire WeMove Europe team
References:
[1]
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/jan/29/finally-some-justice-court-rules-shell-nigeria-must-pay-for-oil-damage
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