One Struggle, Many Fronts: U.S. – Africa Environmental Justice Tour
Mark Johnson
Published 24 March 2014
On the 25th “anniversary” of the Exxon Valdez catastrophe in the straits of Alaska, we are reminded that the risks and costs of extracting, transporting, processing, and employing fossil fuels which accelerate the destruction of life as we know it on this planet continues unabated. In fact, the situation deteriorates cataclysmically. The first honored guests introduce to the congregation at Riverside Church yesterday were not the Congressman Rangel or Mayor de Blasio and his entourage, but two guests from Africa, Emem Okon of the Niger’s Kebetkache Women’s Development and Resource Center, and Mithika Mwenda of Kenya, Secretary General of Pan African Environmental Justice Alliance.
After worship we met to discuss ways in which the U.S. Environmental Justice Movement could work with them to educate about and drive action toward addressing the ways in which U.S. Climate Policies need to be changed to protect the planet and its most vulnerable. Describing in unsettling detail the many ways in which U.S. corporations and the global fossil fuel industries impact countries throughout Africa they article clearly that human rights, economic justice and environmental justice are intimately related and must be addressed together. They are travelling in the U.S. through April 3rd. See below
Climate change and fossil fuel extraction are global problems. Global problems require international solidarity. And international solidarity requires international relationships. Please help us bring two prominent African activists to speak to hundreds of people across the US. This national tour, the first of its kind, will move us closer to a unified movement for health, sustainability and justice.
Between March 20 and April 3, One Struggle, Many Fronts will visit Detroit, Chicago, New York, Washington DC, Oakland, Berkeley, and Atlanta. Multiple events are planned in each city. Some of the event hosts are long-time Africa solidarity activists. Others are community environmental justice groups, and others are student fossil fuel divestment activists. Each event is tailored to its local audience, and many local activists will be included as speakers
One Struggle, Many Fronts will build bridges. The tour will inspire US environmental activists to think about African struggles. It will inspire Africa solidarity activists to think about environmental justice. It will build real connections between these groups and African environmental justice organizations. And it will strengthen the local organizing efforts of all these groups.
Our Speakers
Emem J. Okon is a community organizer and women’s rights advocate from the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. She is the founder and Executive Director of Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre. Okon organizes women to resist oil drilling by Shell, Chevron and ExxonMobil in the Niger Delta. In 2002, she and 600 other women successfully shut down Nigeria’s largest oil production station for 10 days through a nonviolent occupation.
Mithika Mwenda, from Kenya, is Secretary General of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), which he co-founded in 2008 to mobilize the voices of millions of unheard Africans in the climate debate and United Nations climate negotiations. PACJA is now Africa’s largest climate network, with 300 member organizations in 45 countries. He works around the clock to raise awareness and to bring poor people’s united voices to the table.
List of Public Events
| Day | City | Time | Location | Host |
| March 25 | Detroit, MI | 6:30-8pm | Cass Corridor Commons (U-U Church)4605 Cass Ave, Detroit |
East MichiganEnvironmental Action</p>
Council and others</td> </tr> |
| March 26 | Kalamazoo, MI | 7-9pm |
Room 4010,College of Health and Human Services</p>
Western Michigan University</td> | Western Michigan UniversitySchool of Social Work | </tr>
| March 27 | Chicago, IL | 5-6:30pm | Room 317, Wabash Building425 S. Wabash | Fossil Free Roosevelt |
| March 28 | Chicago, IL | 6:30-9pm | First Church of the Brethern425 S. Central Park Ave | Little Village EnvironmentalJustice Organization |
| March 30 | Oakland, CA | 3-6pm | 6501 Telegraph Ave, Oakland | Priority Africa Network |
| April 1 | Berkeley, CA | 7-9pm | Room 126, Barrows Hall, UC Berkeley | Fossil Free Berkeley |
| April 3 | Atlanta, GA | 12-2pm | Room 460/465, GSU University Center,Georgia State University | Georgia State UniversitySustainable Energy Tribe |
| April 3 | Atlanta, GA | 7-9pm | Cosby Auditorium, Spelman College | Spelman College International Studies Center |