Biographies of Participants

Norbert George (Curaçao)
Norbert George is chair of Humane Care Foundation Curaçao. He criticizes corruption and human rights abuses at the island. In 2003, a publication on the subject got much attention. One of his main points is the pollution by the former Shell refinery at Curaçao. The daily toxic emissions caused chronicle lung diseases for 7000 persons; yearly four people die too early. Over 20.000 people live in the high risk area (about 12.5% of the population of Curaçao), of them 5.000 children. Against all advises three hotels were built in the high risk area. Tourists are not warned against health risks.

Cesar Augusto Pereira (Brazil)
Cesar Augusto Pereira is representative of Coletivo Alternative Verde of Sao Paolo. In the report more details of the Shell-case he was involved in.

Chito Adofina (Philipines)
Chito Adofina is representative of United Front to Oust Oil Depots. He advocates environmental and social justice for five years. Now his focus is on issues regarding danger brougth about by oil depots to the health and safety of fence line communities around facilities. His main issue at the Shell AGM: No to contamination cover UP by Pandacan depot.

Isaak (Asume) Osuoka (Nigeria)
Isaak (Asume) Osuoka is member of the Executive Committee of the Environmental Rights Action, Nigerian leading environmental justice advocacy organisation. He is also the Africa coordinator of Oilwatch, a south-south network of organisations supporting the resistance of communities to the violence oil and gas industry on the natural environment and societies and promoting just alternatives for Africa. A former detainee of pass military regimes, Osuoka is the organiser and spokesperson of the Pan-Niger Delta Resistance Movement - Chikoko, and a leader of the Nigerian pro-democracy platform, United Action for Democracy (UAD).

Zakiya Kikia Khan (South-Africa)
Zakiya Kikia Khan is Executive Member of the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA). Khan is a senior educator at a Secondary School and is the Environmental Education co-ordinator, also actively involved in the school's environment club. At this level he works at creating awareness of the environmental injustices perpetrated against the learners, their families and their communities. Shell is one of the "Big Three" polluters in his immediate neighbourhood. 'One can simply not ignore the impact that their business is having on the natural environment and the people in the community. Most vulnerable are the children (who suffer from a range of ailments including hacking coughs, streaming eyes and bronchial spasms) and the elderly. Due to our unfavorable geographic proximity to the Shell Refinery, the community bears the brunt of the frequent roaring flares, sulphurous fumes and brightly lit skies at night.'

Bobby Peek (South-Africa) Bobby Peek is Director of groundWork (Friends of the Earth South Africa), an environmental justice and human rights NGO. His passion for social justice and environmental sustainability is fueled from his experience of growing up in the apartheid-created township of Wentworth, in south Durban which is situated amongst highly polluting oil refineries, including Shell, chemical industries, toxic waste dumps, a pulp mill, which are owned by MNC's and an international airport. In Wentworth, Bobby has lost several of his family and friends to cancer related illnesses. Bobby's work in South Durban received recognition in 1998, when he was awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for Africa.

Maura Harrington (Ireland) Maura Harrington represents Shell to Sea: a group of small farmers and residents of Rossport area of Erris through whose villages Shell are trying to build an 'offshore/onshore upstream' pipeline- 345 bar pressure in an area of natural instability. 'This type of pipeline has never been done in such close proximity to communities before and will never be done again; sole reason by Shell is one of cost. Are using a supine Irish State to send small farmers to jail - parallels with Ogoni too many and too disquieting.'

Denny Larson (USA)
Denny Larson is Director of Global Community Monitor, international human rights and environmental justice group group that empowers communities globally to take control of monitoring and cleaning up their neighborhoods. He published web-based eye witness reports on Shell human rights abuses: "Frontline Witness" series - see: www.shellfacts.com. In 1995, he developed the "Bucket Brigade" method of air sampling and environmental monitoring for industrial neighbors. The air monitoring system is now used in 15 countries by thousands of industrial neighbors to bust polluters

Hilton Kelley (USA)
Hilton Kelley was born in Port Arthur and then left to become a Hollywood stuntman. When he returned to his hometown, he saw it rotting on the vine and providing no opportunity for young people. He returned to Port Arthur in 2000 and formed CIDA as a way to help the community develop. However, residents told him that community development would not matter if the community was too polluted to live in. So CIDA expanded to also address issues of environmental justice.

Anne Rolfes (USA)
Anne Rolfes is the founder and Executive Director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade (LABB) in the USA, a non-profit environmental group that trains community members who live near petrochemical plants to monitor the facility by using "buckets," community friendly air samplers. Anne helped lead the campaign against Shell in Louisiana that resulted in the successful relocation of the Norco community. She has authored several reports on the effects of Shell on communities. Anne has also lived and worked in West Africa, where she authored Shell Shocked Refugees, a report on Nigeria's Ogoni refugees and their struggle with Shell oil.

Iris Carter (USA)
Iris Carter represents Concerned Citizens of Norco, of the city of Norca (Louisiana). In the report more details of the Norco-case she was involved in.

Nathalie Walker (USA)
Nathalie Walker is an attorney in New Orleans, Louisiana who has provided legal counsel and advocacy support for the last fifteen years to communities struggling for environmental justice. Currently, she is the co-director of Advocates for Environmental Human Rights (AEHR), a public interest law firm. The mission of AEHR is to defend the fundamental human right to a healthy environment. Since 2003, she has been coordinating an international coalition of communities of color and diverse organizations working to protect human rights which are being violated on a daily basis by the multinational operations of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies.