Chevron Aquitted-Update

Sadly, on December 1st Chevron was aquitted of the human rights violation charges brought against them. This is a recent statement from JusticeForNigeria:

“The fact that Bowoto v. Chevron made it this far in the process is a victory in and of itself, because it means that we have demonstrated that there is a clear pathway in the US court system for holding corporations accountable to the rule of law. This is the first time a case against a company for aiding and abetting human rights violations overseas has even gone before a jury. And although we are disappointed that the plaintiffs did not prevail in this case, we are heartened by the fact that we are now entering a new era in the United States and abroad where people have seen the results of unregulated corporate excess (in the financial system and elsewhere) and want corporations to be reined in to prevent serious harms. Bringing this case to trial in the United States is a step on the path to corporate accountability. In the near future, corporations will no longer have a free ride to do operate with impunity in ways that are destructive and dehumanizing,” said Laura Livoti, founder of the group Justice in Nigeria Now."

I guess a little positive spin is what is needed right now...

The issue in the Niger delta has become increasingly complicated with the growing number of armed militias who pose a threat to the general public. Because of this, innocent people who have suffered and continue to suffer because of environmental degradation due to oil spills and acts of physical voilence are being overlooked. It has become common to blame local governments, greedy armed men and everyone else for the problems in the region when we are dared to be reminded that people are hurting. We wouldn't be where we are now if these problems had been handled appropiately even as early as 10years ago.

When will the Nigerian government-the governments in Africa start caring for its people? If they don't care about us can we expect some judicial system outside of our borders to?