>Subject: UVIC rejects Shell Oil's money (Press Release)
>
>University rejects Shell Oil's money
>
>MOSOP-CANADA Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People
>300 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M5S-1W3
>Tel: 416.966.0910 Fax: 416.966.0141 email: [log in to unmask]
>
>6 November 1998 For Immediate Release
>
>University rejects Shell Oil's money
>Scholarship decline comes on eve of third anniversary of Ken Saro-Wiwa's
>murder
>
>
>(Toronto) The University of Victoria Senate has voted against accepting
>scholarship money from Shell Canada due to its parent company's environmental
>and human rights record in Nigeria. The vote, which took place late on
>Wednesday, November 4th, comes on the eve of the third anniversary of the
>hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni men who had been vocal
>opponents of Shell's practices in Nigeria.
>
>Student opposition against the Shell scholarship, intended for students
>pursuing a career in the oil industry, led to its rejection from the list of
>scholarships that the Senate considered acceptable for recommendation to the
>University's Board of Governors.
>
>Human and environmental rights activists critical of Shell were quick to
>congratulate the Senate on doing the right thing.
>
>"Refusing to give Shell the legitimacy they crave shows remarkable leadership
>on the part of the UVic academic community," said Jeanne Moffat, Executive
>Director of Greenpeace Canada. "This decision recognizes Shell's
>responsibility for the environmental devastation they have caused in Ogoni,
>Nigeria, and for the appalling lack of effort to clean up the mess they have
>made. This lack of effort is a fact the world needs to know and needs to
>condemn."
>
>Owens Wiwa, the brother of the late Ken Saro-Wiwa, was especially pleased
>with the University's decision, coming as it does on the eve of worldwide
>November 10th Commemorations -- events in countries around the world
>commemorating the third anniversary of the hanging of Ken and 8 other Ogoni
>who were opposed to Shell's practices in Nigeria.
>
>"This action, on the part of a major Canadian institution, should encourage
>Shell to come clean and admit its complicity in the murders of my brother and
>so many other Ogoni people," Mr. Wiwa said. "It is time for Shell to do the
>things that Ken wanted it to do -- to clean up its mess and stop supporting
>military regimes."
>
>Science Student Senator John Fraser introduced the motion to remove Shell
>from the list of scholarships.
>
>"The debate was brief, and I'm most grateful that the Senate opted to do the
>right thing and rejected this blood money from Shell," said Mr. Fraser.
>
>"We've obviously learned our lesson from the Jiang Zheming fiasco and that we
>must consider the human rights record of those we wish to honour with degrees
>or scholarships at this University."
>
>Mr. Fraser was referring to the University's decision last year to honour the
>president of the Peoples' Republic of China with an honourary degree. That
>offer was declined due to uproar created by students and others opposed to
>China's terrible human rights record.
>
>For more information:
>
>Owens Wiwa, Coordinator, M0SOP-Canada 416 966 0910
>Jeanne Moffat, Executive Director, Greenpeace Canada 416 597 8408 x 3012
>John Fraser, Science Student Senator, UVic 250 721 1091
>
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