Messages from Houston

Aileen Suzara writes from Houston:

It's the second day in Houston. With FACES and our Manila partners, I've come here to join the story and the fighting spirit of the Philippines fencelines FACES partners with, together with communities around the globe - from Nigeria, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, Angola, Nigeria, Colombia, Iraq, Alberta, and from Richmond to Houston, USA. 

It's one powerful mix of people. In two days, we have already spoken to media at a press conference, voiced our stories at a public teach-in, and stood our ground outside and within Chevron's offices.

This morning, we woke early to stage a powerful action within and outside the Chevron Annual Shareholders Meeting. Waiting in line to enter the meeting, it was heartbreaking to witness dozens of allies denied access to the meeting, despite having legal documents as shareholder proxies. While a powerful sit-in was staged outside, a handful of us allowed into the meeting.

Inside the meeting, Chevron affirmed its continued profits despite the economic downturn. It praised its "Chevron Way" of respecting human rights, the environment, and claimed it improves the quality of life "everywhere it operates." There was a filmscreening of Chevron funded health clinics in Africa. But while intended to pull our heartstrings, we were not fooled. Our team of seven delegates took the floor and clearly delivered the call for accountability to Chevron representatives and stakeholders. 

We closed out the meeting with chants of "Chevron Lies, People Die" until the meeting was abruptly ended and the True Cost of Chevron lead editor, Antonia Juhasz, was arrested. Outside the meeting, where a nonviolent rally continued throughout the meeting, several activists were arrested for speaking truth.

Exhaustion, elation, outrage for our disenfranchised allies courses through my body. I'm proud to be here in solidarity with the Philippines, and humbled to be in the company of such courageous people - from a 71 year old grandmother from Ecuador speaking out about Chevron's poison pits, to Native youth from Canada speaking of Chevron's toxic extraction at ground zero. 

These are the toxic trails linking the depot in the Philippines with communities across the globe. And as the BP oil spill continues, it is a stark mirror for many Americans of the everyday issues faced by Global South and poor communities around the world.

"Our future and our destinies are connected - whether we like it or not," testified an Angolan activist to Chevron CEOs. So, too, is the fate of communities resisting Chevron. What we have gleaned out from this toxic tragedy is a great strength, and an even stronger drive to build our collective power. There is just too much at stake.

I'm excited to return and report to our friends and allies in the Philippines and with FACES. We must all work together to open more minds and hearts to the true costs of Chevron. More to come...

FACES on the Road to Houston, Face-Off with Chevron

From Manila to the SF Bay to Houston, FACES will connect Chevron’s toxic trail to the oil giant’s shareholders annual general meeting (AGM) on May 26, 2010. Historically hosted at their world headquarters in San Ramon CA, Chevron shifted its AGM location this year, trying to escape the protester stronghold of the San Francisco Bay Area. But the protest is going to follow them to Houston!

FACES Board Chair, Aileen Suzara, will join an international delegation of the True Cost of Chevron Network converging in Houston to face-off with Chevron inside the AGM (as proxies) and outside the gates with a colorful protest. Aileen will carry messages and visuals from the frontline communities of Manila to continue to demand that Chevron relocate their massive oil depots. FACES will combine our Filipino struggles with the many others around the globe — Nigeria, Ecuador, Burma and more — who are all campaigning to get Chevron to take responsibility for the harm it has inflicted on a multitude of communities and countries.

Even in struggle, FACES will find solidarity with the many representatives around the world organizing against Chevron. This year will mark the first of an international strategy session. We know that these fights will take years. But with each year marked by the AGM gathering, we will also have the chance to hear directly from allies about advances in each other’s campaigns.

FACES will tell our allies about our progress over the last year. We will them how we were able to step into Chevron’s world headquarters in September 2009 and register our depot relocation demand directly with US & Philippines-based managers of Chevron. We will them how we were able to prevent the US Secretary of State from handing Chevron Philippines the Award for Corporate Excellence. And how frontline community groups like Advocates for Environmental and Social Justice (AESJ) were able to mobilize thousands of Manila voters to oppose the oil depot with a strong People’s Initiative petition. There is much to tell.

And as oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico, as the burning of oil pollutes the air we breathe, and as people fall ill from oil operations around the world, we will make our way to Chevron’s meetings. We will go wherever Chevron holds its AGM because we have to counter the corporation’s glossy reports with our communities’ realities. There is a cost to Chevron’s profit, and the accounts of the devastation of our communities must be told — to shareholders and the public. So Houston, here we come!