Is nothing sacred?
We have to wonder, after seeing this report showing that the East Africa Crude Oil Project (EACOP) will disturb and disrespect thousands of traditional grave sites.
Even more appalling, this report shows that the multinational oil giant funding the project, TotalEnergies, has blatantly ignored countless warnings and pleadings from local community members not to disturb their loved ones’ burial grounds.
This painful violation of cultural norms and practices amounts to spiritual violence. Rev., not only is TotalEnergies behaving in a grossly neocolonialist manner, they know exactly what they are doing.
Send a letter to decision-makers right now calling on them to stop the EACOP project.
Respect for burial grounds is not too much to ask–in fact, Total’s own stated core values are safety and respect for others(*).
The EACOP oil project would displace over 100,000 people, create toxic contamination along its route, degrade farmland and wildlife habitat, and threaten drinking water supplies for three million East Africans. The project will generate greenhouse gas emissions that are 25 times the annual emissions of Uganda and Tanzania combined. That doesn’t sound very safe or respectful, does it?
Worse, people living along the pipeline route have made numerous credible reports of threats of violence and human rights violations. As people of faith and conscience, we have a responsibility to speak out.
That is why we are asking you to write to Ugandan and Tanzanian governments.
Tell them to respect graves. Call on them to stop EACOP, now.
Sending a letter will take two minutes. The impact reaches beyond our lifetimes.
In faith,
Meryne Warah, Global Organizing Director
Dr. Martin Kopp, France Organizer
No comments:
Post a Comment