Mission to Coincide with Presiding Judge’s Visits to Oil Fields in Historic Environmental Trial against the Oil Giant in Ecuador
Part of Expanding Exchange between Ecuadorian Indigenous Communities and East Bay Residents Concerned about ChevronTexaco’s Operations
Interviews, Video footage, high-resolution digital photos available
WHO:
– Reverend Steve Harms has been the Pastor at Peace Lutheran Church in Danville since 1988. Steve is the former President of the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County.
– John Dalrymple has been the Executive Director of the Contra Costa Central Labor Council since 1996. The Labor Council represents over 80,000 AFL-CIO members in Contra Costa County.
– Rabbi Dan Goldblatt has been the spiritual leader of Beth Chaim Congregation, an independent, egalitarian, progressive synagogue in Danville, for the past ten years. Rabbi Goldblatt is a member of the Northern California Board of Rabbis and the East Bay Board of Rabbis.
– Margareta Dahlin Johansson is the Associate Pastor at Peace Lutheran Church. She was ordained as a Lutheran Pastor in 1981.
WHAT:
A delegation of religious and labor leaders from the East Bay where ChevronTexaco is headquartered (San Ramon, California) will travel to the Ecuadorian Amazon to visit the areas polluted by Texaco (now owned by ChevronTexaco) from 1964 to 1991. The delegation will meet with local community members affected by company’s operations, including plaintiffs in the multi-billion dollar lawsuit ChevronTexaco now faces in Ecuador. (Please see www.amazonwatch.org for more information)
WHEN:
– Departure to Ecuador – November 3rd
– Return to Bay Area – November 13th
– Report Back to Public—Week of November 13th, exact date & time TBD
