In January 2019, Grassroots International attended Nigeria’s National Summit on Water as a Human Right: From Resistance to Real Solutions Against Corporate Control. Solidarity Program Officer Mina Remy and graduate fellow Nicholas Johnson also tacked on a few days to learn more about the deep history of environmental justice activism in Nigeria.
The photo blog below, the second of the two-part series on our recent trip to Nigeria, focuses on the site visits. Mina and Nick visited the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), the Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Center, and the Ogoni land in the Niger Delta.
The environmental crisis is deadly. Thanks to the contamination by oil production, life expectancy has dropped to 41 years and birth complications for pregnant women have increased. Not only has the water been dirtied, killing fish, but the air has been polluted and the soil poisoned.
We hope these photos adequately capture the resilience of the Nigerian people in their struggle against corporate contamination of the environment for profit. We extend our gratitude to our graduate fellow, Nicholas Johnson, for accompanying us and sharing his gift of photography.
The opening of the summit was a culturally rooted ceremony of dance and music.The ceremony continued with guests from the international and local communityCo-organizers and leaders from across Nigeria, Africa, and members of international civil society welcome summit participantsDr. Otive Igbuzor, Executive Director of the African Center for Leadership, Strategy & Development delivers the keynote address to summit participantsEnvironmental Rights Action / Friends of the Earth Nigeria contextualize the struggle for water in Lagos state in NigeriaBode Oluwafemi, Deputy Director of Environmental Rights Action / Friends of the Earth Nigeria, explains the extent of poor and unequal access to water in Lagos state and how activists are working to change thatSpace was provided for organizers and activists to contribute to the larger conversation by sharing their own experiences and that of their communitiesScholar activist and organizer Nnimmo Bassey of HOMEF and Satoko Kishimoto of the Transnational Institute participate in a panel about the public sector’s participation and tools for good governanceA segment of the summit included the formation of a “bill of rights for water” written by the people, for the peopleSummit attendees (Nigerian nationals) in town hall style discussion, reviewing the “bill of rights to water” and making on-the-spot editsGraduate Fellows Nicholas Johnson and Akili of Black Lives Matter Los AngelesThe international delegation included activists from Flint, Michigan and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and members of ERA, Corporate Accountability, Grassroots International, and United for Water JusticeParticipants end the summit with a show of solidarity and power
MBI was formed in 2019 when Grassroots International joined forces with the Martín-Baró Fund for Mental Health and Human Rights. This effort honored the legacy of Ignacio Martín-Baró, a social psychologist and Jesuit priest committed to human rights, collective healing, and liberation. Ignacio worked closely with those affected by the armed conflicts raging in his adopted country of El Salvador and throughout Central America throughout the 1980s. He challenged his colleagues to liberate psychology from oppressive paradigms coming out of the US and Europe. In 1989, Ignacio was among eight people murdered at the Central American University in San Salvador.
We are committed to keeping Ignacio’s legacy alive. His pioneering work continues to inform how we understand the intersections of healing and social justice and equity today, and his assassination reminds us of the necessity of supporting human rights defenders and protecting them in the face of ongoing attacks. Additionally, this initiative in Ignacio’s memory connects to a broader commitment of Grassroots International to support healing justice as a form of political resistance and self-determination.
To support the Martín-Baró Initiative for Wellbeing and Human Rights, you can donate here, or send checks to Grassroots International, with Martín-Baró Initiative (or MBI) in the memo line addressed to: Grassroots International, 179 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02130.
Donate today to support the Martín-Baró Initiative
About Ignacio Martín-Baró
Martín-Baró was: a prominent scholar who studied in Europe, the United States, and Latin America; a prolific writer of numerous books and more than 100 articles; and a gifted speaker. Working and living among the Salvadoran people, he dedicated his life to the cause of human rights, equality, and social justice in El Salvador. Recognizing the devastating impact of U.S. policy toward his adopted country, he visited and spoke to many U.S. organizations, stressing our obligation to speak out against U.S. collusion with the Salvadoran oligarchy and military. He had a profound influence on a wide range of academics ,and activists in the United States and beyond.
Through his advocacy, research, and rehabilitation programs, Martín-Baró worked to heal the individual and collective scars of war and oppression. Shortly before his death, he had made plans to open a polyclinic to serve children and adult survivors of torture and war. In addition to his solidarity with the people of El Salvador, Martín-Baró was also a central figure in efforts to establish an international network of individuals and organizations working at the intersections of human rights and mental health.
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