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New timeline launched on oil and conflict in Nigeria
Oil watchdog Platform has launched an online timeline which maps out the leaked US embassy cables on oil conflict in the Niger Delta. You can view the timeline here. Some 4,521 leaked US cables came from Nigeria between 2001 to 2010. The idea behind the timeline is to provide easy access to the wealth of information contained in these…
14 Jun 2012 admin -
BP sponsors lobby group that welcomed executions in Egypt “to restore order” in post-election crackdown
BP is sponsoring a business lobby organisation that enthusiastically welcomed election promises to crack down on dissent in Egypt with executions and brutal force, aiming to crush the revolution after the imminent Presidential elections AmCham – the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt – hosted Mubarak-era Prime Minister and current Presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq for…
6 Jun 2012 admin -
Planes, claims and Arctic extraction
In April the Canadian House of Commons passed an 'austerity' budget that included the loss of 19,200 public sector jobs, cutting federal programs by $5.2 billion per year and raising the retirement age from 65 to 67. Yet Canada is significantly less austere when it comes to their military spending. This week it was announced…
1 Jun 2012 admin -
A New Frontier: the rush for oil and gas in East Africa
This article was written by Taimour Lay who investigated the activities of oil companies in East Africa for Platform. It first appeared on the African Arguments website. When you stand on the island of Rukwanzi at the heart of Lake Albert, your first thought, echoing perhaps the casual rhetoric of the region’s oil men, is…
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Pressure on Hague over Shell human rights case
Pressure is mounting on William Hague after the UK government attempted to block a US lawsuit against Shell for its human rights violations in Nigeria. Kiobel v Shell alleges that Shell aided and abetted human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed by the Nigerian military against the minority Ogoni people of the Niger Delta from…
28 May 2012 admin -
Party for Everybody? Eurovision and The Oil Road on Resonance FM Thursday 8pm
Q: What do the Eurovision Song Contest, the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development have in common? A: Blurred ‘continental’ boundaries The Eurovision Song Contest takes place this Saturday night in host country Azerbaijan, which is also home to the subject of Platform’s upcoming book release The Oil Road – the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan…
23 May 2012 admin -
Holding Shell to account at the AGM
Just returning from the Shell AGM in Den Haag, Holland feeling inspired and energised by the passion and courage of all those that worked to hold the board of the company to account – both in the Dutch meeting and in the parallel event (linked by video) in the Barbican in London. Outside the conference…
23 May 2012 james -
Activists intervene in Shell lawsuit
Amnesty International and CORE have challenged the UK government’s attempt to block a court case that seeks to hold Shell accountable for its role in human rights violations in Nigeria. Platform supports the coalition of groups challenging the UK government and calling on it to reverse its position. The FT reports:
22 May 2012 admin -
Draft cover for “The Oil Road” arrives in office – what do you think?
The draft cover has arrived for Platform’s new book “The Oil Road”, due out with Verso in September. We’re gathering input from our circles and supporters. Would you pick this up in a shop? What are the three first words that come to mind when you see this cover? Please tweet us @platformlondon or email…
21 May 2012 admin
