Moving this video to cybrbeast's personal queue. It failed to receive enough votes to get sifted up to the front page within 2 days.

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Self promoting this video and sending it back into the queue for one more try; last queued - promote requested by original submitter cybrbeast.

I had never heard of this story until now. Thanks for posting this.

*eco *humanitarian

Adding video to channels (Eco, Humanitarian) - requested by kronosposeidon.

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Promoting this video back to the front page; last published Sunday, May 31st, 2009 9:48pm PDT - promote requested by lavoll.

This will be a land mark trial. It will show if it is possible to prosecute a company in a country with higher standards (environment / human rights / etc) then in the country where the act was committed. If Shell looses, this will have huge impact on the world as we know it. For instance, this could mean GM can be prosecuted for bad labor conditions in China compared to US law even if the Chinese factory is legal compared to local Chinese laws. (A hypothetical example, not based on any known truth)

This is a good thing, since it means companies will have to work to the laws of the strictest country they work in, instantly creating better conditions for workers and the environment everywhere. Adversaries will say this will destroy competition, since foreign companies will have a serious disadvantage in cost if they need to upgrade factories to Western standards, destroying opportunities and economic progress in those countries. In general it will make it harder to do business with less developed countries, but it might push for a better world in general.

This movie is a little biased against Shell though. It will be difficult for them to prove Shell was truly involved. The Nigerian government is the true culprit, taking most of the money from oil (more then all the oil companies) and committing all of the crimes.

Lets hope something good will come of this.

(Disclaimer: Even though I have never worked for Shell or any oil company I am Dutch)

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Promoting this video back to the front page; last published Monday, June 1st, 2009 11:14am PDT - promote requested by lavoll.

*update
Shell settles Nigeria deaths case

Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to pay $15.5m to settle a lawsuit which accused the oil firm of complicity in rights abuses in Nigeria.

The case, due for trial in the US next week, was brought by relatives of a group of anti-Shell activists executed in 1995 by Nigeria's military rulers.

The families say Shell helped the government to punish the campaigners.

But the company insists it did nothing wrong and said the payment was part of a "process of reconciliation".

Shell official Malcolm Brinded said: "This gesture also acknowledges that, even though Shell had no part in the violence that took place, the plaintiffs and others have suffered."

More @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8090493.stm

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I can understand why the families accepted the settlement, but I am a bit disappointed because now Shell doesn't have to admit guilt and no legal precedent is set.