What: An interfaith prayer for the women and children of the Ecuadorian town of San Carlos.* Prayer participants will hold enlarged photos of San Carlos residents who have become ill as a result of Chevron’s pollution.
When: 11am, Wednesday, March 8, 2006
Where: On the lawn at the San Ramon Community Center, on the corner of Bollinger and Alcosta Blvd. in San Ramon (off I-680).
Who: – Reverend Steve Harms has been the Pastor at Peace Lutheran Church in Danville since 1988. He is the former President of the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County.
– Rabbi Dan Goldblatt has been the spiritual leader of Beth Chaim Congregation, a progressive synagogue in Danville, for the past 10 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.
Why: In November 2003, a delegation of community leaders from the San Ramon Valley traveled to the Ecuadorian Amazon to bear witness to the areas polluted by Texaco (now Chevron). The delegation met with community members affected by the company’s operations, including women and children of San Carlos suffering extreme health problems believed to be the result of pollution from the 30 local Texaco oil wells in the community. According to the Amazon Defense Coalition, at least six types of cancer have been observed in the community. A judicial inspection of the South Sacha Station in the town of San Carlos is scheduled for March 8, and is to be the first inspection of 2006 in the multi-billion dollar lawsuit Chevron now faces in Ecuador.
*The prayer will be transmitted to San Carlos via cell phone. A report from the inspection in Ecuador will be announced as well.
For comprehensive details of the international campaign to hold the Chevron accountable, see: http://www.chevrontoxico.com/
