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Visual Activism
"Implicit in the knowledge of injustice is the responsibility to take action against it." -- Axiom
By: Danielle Hickie
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| Tuesday, 15-Jul-2003 00:00 |
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2nd day of the action
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What I saw when I arrived at 8
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We make the paper!
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Catching up on last nights events
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The photgrapher seems fascinated
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Our story is right in the middle of the paper
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After giving out leaflets to the delegates, we wait
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Sometimes we talk
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http://www.greenpeace.org/international_en/news/details?item_id=292833
The cost of cutting corners
Tue 15 July 2003
UNITED KINGDOM/London
Politicians deciding on rules for scrapping old ships got a timely reminder when a sculpture, made from the remains of ships taken from Indian shipbreaking yards, was delivered to delegates attending the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) meeting in London.
The sculpture was made from the funnels of five old ships, one of which, the Greek owned Amina, exploded in the yard, killing nine people and causing over a dozen serious injuries. The sculpture serves as a reminder of the human and environmental toll caused by current shipbreaking practices. The Amina exploded in Alang, India, in February 2003 because it contained hazardous gas and other toxic substances. However the Greek owner, Chandris, still refuses to take any responsibility for not cleaning the ship before hand. Only mandatory rules will help prevent tragedies like this in the future.
The IMO sets legally binding rules for the shipping industry. This week it will address the current practice of dealing with end-of-life vessels. Even today old ships are being sent to Asia and to other developing countries containing hazardous substances which routinely risk the lives and health of local people and destroys their environment.
"With this sculpture we want to make clear that this lethal business of sending toxic ships to Asia and elsewhere without cleaning them first must stop. Currently voluntary measures proposed by the IMO will not protect the people or the environment. Some ship owners and others in the shipping industry have told us that they too want mandatory rules to provide a level playing field. We call on the IMO to establish a legally binding regime to deal with this business, which is a form of waste trade," said Ramapati Kumar, from Greenpeace in India.
The ships sent for scrapping often contain substances such as asbestos, PCB's and oil known to damage human health and the environment. In addition the presence of other substances, such as fuel or gases in tanks increases the risk of explosion and other accidents putting the safety of workers at risk.
The ship owners currently continue to send vessels for breaking full of hazardous substances, which would normally not allowed to be traded according to the international waste trade laws. We believe that unless the ships are decontaminated prior to their arrival at shipbreaking yards, the shipping industry is, in practice, breaking established principles of international law.
We know current voluntary proposals are not enough to prevent pollution or to improve the dangerous working conditions in shipbreaking yards. Effective prevention of pollution takes place only when hazardous substances are removed from end-of-life vessels. This needs to be mandatory and consistent with international waste trade laws.
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| Monday, 14-Jul-2003 00:00 |
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Big push day!!!
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The daily shipping newspaper published a front page story
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Copyright Greenpeace/Kate Davidson.
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So on Monday we did the big push. (The day it all goes mad and I don't bring my camera, typical bloody malarky). We rose really early and then we drove through London... just two inconspicous cars and one massive truck with a two and half tonne sculpture. In the van we were told that we would probably be arrested as soon as we arrived. But the idea was that we would jump out, put the memorail right in front of the International Maritime organisation. This is the formal body of the shipping industry. We were demanding that they ensure that old ships being sent to the shipbreaking yards to be decommissioned and cut up for scrap in the third world are stripped of all the usual toxic materials.
Check out what actually <a href="http://www.greenpeaceweb.org/shipbreak/howare.asp">happens at the moment</a>.
As we pulled up, the delgates were just walking in. As a fairly conservative body, one that hasn't seen a greenpeace demonstration at their head quarters for about ten years, so they were very surprised when we blocked off the road with our truck and then lifted the memorial right into the IMO building space, next to the door. Must have taken us all of 8 minutes, then we turned around and the truck zoomed off. The activists took up their positions and started greeting the astonished delegates to this years meeting.
And we stayed out side. And we stayed there. The police turned up, and we stayed there. They ordered us to leave. We stayed. They ordered a crane to take it away. The crane showed up. They crane guys took a long steady look at the memorial and tol dthe police they couldn't move it, it was too heavy. We felt a moment of wicked glee. That was the first of the cranes to show up unable to do the job.
And so began the long wait. We organised ourselves into shifts. My shift sat through the blazing heat. By the time we had to go off shift we were so tired that we didn't speak to each other on the way home. We felt proud and determind to keep going, but covered with grime and sweat, frankly it was a relief to see the next shift come on, rested and fed. We left.
Apparently a few hours after we left, a 2nd tow truck arrived. It was run by two dodgy geezers, who had been contracted by the IMO, who assured the police they could lift it. It was only when their tow truck started lifting off the ground that they decided to cease and desist. Since they ignored the good advice from the police, both the Old bill and us, the activists, were openly laughing as they sped away furious. the campaigner on the ground, a mad Belgian called Maarten called out after them "Is that it? Is that all you can do?" Their tail lights disppeared to his laughter.
Unwanted gift for IMO
THE IMO this morning declined to accept the gift from Greenpeace of a 2.5-tonne sculpture described as being made from the remains of ships taken from Indian ship breaking yards. The gesture was made to draw attention to the hazards to human health and the environment of current ship demolition practices, Greenpeace said in a press release today. Ship breaking is an issue being discussed at the IMOâ??s Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting this week. Greenpeace says the sculpture was made from the funnels of five old ships, one of which exploded at a ship demolition yard in February, leaving nine people dead and others seriously injured. An IMO source had earlier told Fairplay that the 2 m x 5 m artwork was â??rather niceâ??, but the organisation reportedly does not want the piece and expects the unwanted gift to be removed. Greenpeace spokesman Martin Besieux told Fairplay that the sculpture was an â??inspirational gift to the MEPC meetingâ??, and as such, Greenpeace had no intention of taking it back.
14/07/2003 12:17:17 - Fairplay Daily News
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| Sunday, 13-Jul-2003 00:00 |
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We get some time off
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The devils child, my brother Stephen
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Lunch was ... delicious. My brother bought me lunch - thanks TT!
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The geezer from the pub, and his family
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We woke up to find that we had Sunday off. What a divine and unexpected luxury! So I went and caught up with my brother, who is possibly more mad than I am. Just look at the photos - he looks possessed right? It was a really goddam hot day so we considered using our time in London to educate ourselves with the wealth of culture England offers her colonial sons and daughters. The musems? The art galleries? The shows?
Bugger that. We went to Hyde Park, drank loads of beers and caught up. We ended up in this pub, in the heatwave, talking to a very funny old geezer.
I'd been told to return for some information around 8. I had been trying to be good, but the amber nectar of the gods miraculous replenished itself in my beerglass (thanks to my brother who paid for everything. Greenpeace doesn't pay for personal stuff like beer.)
So I had to go back and then my brother started in on me.. I should come to dinner... they'll never miss me... I'm a volunteer etc. Then he mentioned the food... we could have got yum cha - my favourite food in Australia - possibly the meal I miss most in Amsterdam. He was trully twisting my arm beyond endurance, but Iput my foot down and went back.
Apparently my breath was enough to make the flies drunk in passing, but I showed up and learned a bit of information and then I think I went upstairs and tried to hold my breath permanently. Unsucessful mission, that.
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| Saturday, 12-Jul-2003 00:00 |
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Moving out
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The memorial, truck and crane
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After driving for hours we reached Calais
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We sailed from Calais to Dover under a beautiful full moon
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The next day we loaded the completed memorial onto a truck with a crane. Then we set out in convoy for our destination, London.
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| Friday, 11-Jul-2003 00:00 |
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Making a memorial from 5 ships funnels
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The memorial was hung with bells, to draw attention.
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The full text written on the side
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This is a full scale view. It is still a work in progress.
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I was asked to come in on Friday to help with building the memorial so I cycled frantically across Amsterdam. After getting way lost I arrived at the warehouse. The welders were going at it out the back, sparks flying like thoughts, covered in dirty black from head to toe.
I went out the back and got changed into some white workmans overalls. My damn pink knickers showed through quite alarmingly, I thought, but then I reasoned that no one would give a damn. I kept hoping that as I worked in and around the monument, weaving around teh 5 pieces of warped steel, culled from beached polluted ships from Alang, India.
I met the artist, a lady with bright blue eyes, looking steadily and cheerfully out from a top to toe layer of grime. She showed me how to use an orbital sander. My girly pink hands which have never done a day of intense manual labor in their lives quickly learned to love the machine that could make so much noise and make the sparks fly!! I'd want to play with one of those again anyday! I also got to wear a welders helmet,and stare at the welding over the welders shoulder. When you put one on, and draw the plastic earmuffs over your ears, you are suddenly submerged in a quiet inky dark world, wherein the olny thing you can see is the sparks from the welding torch, searing acid green across your landscape of blackness.
The welder I watched was an Iranian, a former political refugee, who has postponed his wedding to make the massive monument. While his dark eyes were friendly enough, his hands looks like they told a story of endless hard work.
In the end I was instructed to draw a few lines on the side so that we could write the purpose of the memorial in white. Quite a trick to do with a warped piece of steel.
We painted these words on the memorial:
"This monument represents the lives lost and the envronmental damage caused by the breaking of old ships. It is made of waste; funnels from polluting ships scrapped in Alang, India.
One funnel came from a ship that recently exploded. Nine people died in that explosion. Ship owners will continue sending toxic ships to breaking yards unless things change.
The sight and sound of the momument should remind the international community to take responsibility.
London, July 14, 2003."
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| Saturday, 22-Mar-2003 00:00 |
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Amsterdam peace march, March 2003. Amsterdam.
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All pictures are copyright Danielle Hickie.
Danielle_hickie@yahoo.com
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| Saturday, 15-Feb-2003 00:00 |
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Peace march, February 15, 2003. Amsterdam.
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All pictures are copyright Danielle Hickie.
Danielle_hickie@yahoo.com
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| Friday, 25-Oct-2002 00:00 |
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Greenpeace shuts down Esso
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Speeding to the site of the largest petrol station in Europe
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Quietly stealing along side enormous trucks
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A wide shot of the station, morning darkness
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ALL IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT DANIELLE HICKIE/GREENPEACE
Greenpeace shuts down Esso
Every pumping station in Luxembourg blocked
Fri 25 October 2002, Luxembourg, LUXEMBOURG
More than 600 volunteers from around the world are shutting down oil company Esso in the European country of Luxembourg this morning, in a Greenpeace protest against Esso's continued sabotage of international efforts to protect the climate.
Volunteers from 31 countries are present at every one of Esso's 28 petrol stations in Luxembourg - including the biggest Esso station in the world on the Luxembourg/German border. Protestors, some dressed in tiger suits and George Bush masks, are blocking vehicle access to petrol pumps, locking on to equipment and handing out information to motorists. At each station banners reading "Esso No 1 climate criminal" have been hung.
The Luxembourg protest is taking place as 178 countries meet in India for the next round of talks on the Kyoto Protocol - the only international agreement on protecting the climate. The USA is responsible for 25% of global greenhouse gases but, with Esso's backing, will not be participating in the Kyoto talks.
"For the past decade Esso has been responsible for the blatant and sustained manipulation of US and international climate change policy in its crusade to de-rail international efforts to address climate change. It was a major influence in US President, George W. Bush's decision to walk away from the Kyoto Protocol," said Stephanie Tunmore, Greenpeace climate campaigner, speaking in Luxembourg. " If we are going to have any hope of saving the climate, we must stop Esso."
Esso, which is also known as ExxonMobil and Mobil internationally, denies that burning oil, coal and gas contributes to climate change, despite the opinion of the world's best scientific bodies and the evidence of severe climate change impacts, such as more frequent and dangerous extreme weather events, the retreat of glaciers and the destruction of coral reefs.
"Esso's core business fuels climate change and it is doing all in its power to ensure the status quo doesn't change, It has tried to hijack the climate debate through the use of front groups, flawed science and large political contributions and refuses to spend any of its billions on clean renewable energy, " said Tunmore.
"The demonstration here in Luxembourg is about showing the company the level of public anger at its self-serving actions to frustrate climate protection measures, " she said.
Luxembourg is known as the fuel pump of Europe for its cheap petrol. Drivers from many countries travel long distances to buy petrol there. Particpants in the protest have come from the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy , Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the USA, Turkey, Yugoslavia.
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| Wednesday, 4-Sep-2002 00:00 |
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Earth summit 2002, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Johannesburg hosted the Earth Summit, held once every 10 years
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Massive civil protests converged on the capital
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The traditionally voiceless people remained unrepresented
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Ten years ago the world's greatest gathering of leaders met at the Rio Earth Summit to discuss the state of the planet.
The world was locked in a deepening environmental and social crisis and major change was vital to make our future sustainable.
Rio resulted in a global action plan, but 10 years later, as the summit prepares to meet again in August in Johannesburg, has anything changed?
Are we out of the crisis or even closer to the brink?
The webblog of the experience is here: http://archive.greenpeace.org/earthsummit/weblog/archives/2002_08.html
Find out more at the Greenpeace Earth Summit website
http://archive.greenpeace.org/earthsummit/index.html
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I am an individual and I do these things because I believe we can make a difference. When you host just one person trying to do that, you are part a movement of people working for progressive change.
