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Halting Ecocide in the Niger Delta
We remind ourselves that genocide is an international crime under the Rome Statutes and is defined as “the deliberate and systemic destruction of a group of people because of their ethnicity, nationality, religion, or race” (Encyclopaedia Britannica). The report...
Time to Yasunize and Ogonize the World
On this Earth Day, we call on all people, all movements, and all communities of conscience to rise up and reclaim power from the toxic and exploitative grip of extractive forces that continue to assault peoples, communities and our Mother Earth. We stand with peoples...
The Future is in our Roots
Environment is the tangible and intangible surroundings and the complex ecosystem that humans share with all beings, human and non-human, living and non-living. It is both visible and invisible. This includes the land, water, and the air, and all that live in them. It...
Our Ocean and Human Rights
Today we are considering the state of our ocean—not as a commodity to be exploited, but as a common good that sustains life, livelihoods, our culture and spirituality. Our ocean is under siege, and the communities that depend on it bear the brunt of pollution,...
Books, Imaginations and Ecological Liberation
“…all classical traditions of world literature are fostered by environments where there are intensive struggles against great evils for the restoration of human dignity.” – G. G. Darah, “Revolutionary Pressures in the Literature of the Niger Delta” The Community...
Recovering our Taste Buds
Food plays a critical role in the life of any community or nation. Food is at the centre of our cultures. Agricultural and food systems generate songs, dances, drama and other art forms that moderate the pulse of any community. Agricultural and food systems drive...
COP29 and Climate Geopolitics
As COP29 dragged into overtime the expected climate finance target of at least $1.3 trillions of dollars shrunk to an offer of $250 billion per year from 2035. After much bickering the rich countries decided to raise its offer from $250 billion to...
The ‘Blue Economy’ Myth: We Have to Stop Thinking the Ocean Can Be Run Like a Business
(by Nnimmo Bassey) In response to the increasing global demand for resources and the economic pursuits that come with it, attention on the world’s oceans continues to grow. But how should marine resources be properly managed? The blue...
We Are Relatives
By Nnimmo Bassey2024 Wallenberg Medal Lecture at the University of Michigan on 10 September 2024 https://youtu.be/cp2mxkNL6Ag?t=1717 Introduction/Protocols It is a great honour to receive the Wallenberg Medal today in this distinguished institution. It is gratifying...
Extractivism and Cultural Resistance
The challenges confronting our communities and peoples generally are interconnected. They are often analyzed and presented as though they operate in silos. The reality is that they operate in intricately connected webs and must be understood as such. Our lands...
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