On Friday, 8th November 2024, We the People held a webinar titled “COP29 and the Unfinished Struggle for Environmental Justice” to shed light on the enduring relevance of Ken Saro-Wiwa’s legacy in the fight for environmental justice. Revisiting Saro-Wiwa’s bold resistance against Shell in Ogoniland, the webinar underscored the need to remove fossil fuel companies from the COP space, emphasizing that those responsible for the ecological crisis cannot be trusted to shape its solutions.
The event began with Dum Syl, lead at the Ken Saro-Wiwa Foundation, who provided a deeply personal reflection on Saro-Wiwa’s mission. Syl recalled how Shell’s presence in Ogoniland symbolized terror during his childhood, instilling an unresolved trauma in the community. He highlighted Saro-Wiwa’s sacrifice, noting that despite his own comfort and resources, Saro-Wiwa chose to confront Shell’s exploitation head-on. Syl observed that Saro-Wiwa’s martyrdom transformed the environmental justice movement, spreading its influence beyond Ogoni to communities worldwide.
Tijah Bolton, Executive Director of Policy Alert, discussed the imbalance of power at COP negotiations, often monopolized by the largest polluters. Reflecting on Saro-Wiwa’s demand for Shell to halt operations to allow for sincere discussions, Bolton stressed that polluters must not dominate restorative conversations. He highlighted the plight of indigenous communities disproportionately affected by fossil fuel extraction yet frequently excluded from COP discussions due to limited funding and badge access. Bolton reiterated the need for the “polluters pay” principle championed by Saro-Wiwa. Given the fossil fuel industry’s long-standing benefit from environmental exploitation, he argued they bear an inherent responsibility to repair the resulting damages. He called for climate finance and loss and damage funds to be allocated as reparations, not as loans or charitable donations, to begin genuine healing for affected communities in the Global South.
The webinar concluded with a powerful call to action by Ken Henshaw– 2024 Bertha fellow, advocating for solidarity and collective power among impacted communities. Drawing from Ken Saro-Wiwa’s example of uniting people against injustices, participants emphasized the need for COP29 to transcend empty discussions. Instead, COP29 must enforce tangible action that prioritizes the rights and lives of indigenous people over corporate interests. Honouring Saro-Wiwa’s legacy requires not only recognizing but actively addressing the injustices he fought against.
