'Remembering Ken Saro-Wiwa, 13 years on...', London, 10.11.08

international | environment | event notice Friday November 07, 2008 14:11 by Noisy Joe - Art Not Oil

...post-Shell fundraiser

7-10.30pm, Monday November 10th 2008
London Action Resource Centre (LARC, 62 Fieldgate St (corner of Parfett St), Whitechapel, London E1 1ES; 020 7377 9088; www.londonarc.org
Nearest tubes: Whitechapel & Aldgate East
Admission by donation

On the 13th anniversary of the murder of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the rest of the Ogoni 9 by the Nigerian state in 1995, with Shell in close cahoots, we will be remembering what they fought for and what they died for. We'll also be hearing about the inspirational resistance of people around the world to Shell's unfortunately far from unique brand of destruction, duplicity and overall mayhem in the chase for ever-greater profits.

We will screen 'Those Who Dance', (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_sfNGwIaNIg_), a really excellent short film about the struggle of the people of County Mayo against Shell, which will be introduced by one of its makers, Camilla Cancantata. She will be joining the Carbon Town Cryer and the rest of the '(let's not be) burning-down-the-house' band to play 'Shell Sells Suicide' and a few other songs of resistance. There'll be performance poetry.

There'll be inspirational art on the walls.

There'll be a showing, we hope, of 'Shadows and Light: Oil, Power, and the Niger Delta':
http://www.revenuewatch.org/our-work/countries/niger-de...a.php

We'll have tasty food and drinks alcoholic or otherwise.

With this event, we hope to do justice to the memory of the Ogoni 9, but also celebrate ongoing resistance to Shell and Big Oil in Carbontown (aka London), particularly at this moment the campaign by Art Not Oil/London Rising Tide to prevent Shell from buying our blindness with its current sponsorship of 'Oedipus' at the National Theatre, which you're welcome to join with.

We'd like to leave LARC late on November 10th knowing that we've received enough donations to cover the printing costs of a new postcard itemising some of the reasons why Shell's up to no good, which we will distribute in part at performances of 'Oedipus'. (See our Shell's 'Odious' gallery here: http://www.artnotoil.org.uk/gallery/v/ShellAction/)
Feel free to donate to that even if you can't make it in person - cheques to 'London Rising Tide' and sent to c/o LARC. We need about £150.

...but come along if you can. It should be a good night.

Thanks and keep on keeping on,

Art Not Oil/London Rising Tide
www.artnotoil.org.uk
www.londonrisingtide.org.uk
info@artnotoil.org.uk
See also www.remembersarowiwa.com

PS. It would be wonderful to have Ben Okri come and read his poem about Ken Saro-Wiwa, in case anyone knows a way to contact him?

FOR KEN SARO-WIWA – Ben Okri

That he should be jailed
And tortured
For loving the land
The earth
And crying out at its
Defilement
Is monstrously unfitting.
We live in unnatural times;
And we must make it
Natural again
With our wailing.

For unnatural times also become
Natural by tradition
And by silence.
That is why the lands
Today ring with injustice
With lies
With prejudice
Made natural.

The earth deserves our love.
Only the unnaturals
Can live so at ease
While they poison the lands
Rape her for profit
Bleed her for oil
And not even attempt
To heal the wounds.

Only the unnaturals
Jail those whose loves are bold
Who are the weepers of the earth’s agony
Handmaidens of her quiet vengeance
Sybils of her future rage.

Only the unnaturals
Rule our lands today,
So deaf to the wailing
Of our skies, of the hungry,
Of the strange new disease
And of that dying earth
Bleeding and wounded
And breeding only deserts
Where once there were
The proud trees of Africa
Cleaning their rich hair
In the bright winds of heaven.

That he should be jailed
For loving the land
And tortured
For protecting his people
And crying out
As the ancient town-criers did
At the earth’s defilement
Is monstrously unfitting.
And we live in unnatural times.
And we must make it
Natural again
With our singing
And our intelligent rage.