The power of a realist documentary to change the world is astonishing. “Blackfish” (2013) is a film that has brought awareness to the plight of orcas in captivity. Another film: “Virunga” (2014), outs a mining company for further endangering the mountain gorillas. Very few of them are left. The Church of England released the following statement:
“Following board-level engagement between the Church of England Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG) and Soco International plc, the EIAG has raised serious concerns about the company’s determination to satisfactorily address, in an open and transparent manner, allegations concerning the operations of Soco in and around the Virunga national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo.”
The film’s producer said, “We always hoped the film would bring the story of Virunga to the fore. We are truly excited that the Church of England has responded in this way.”
Obviously, documentaries help the population and institutions to know and become aware of the behavior of many companies. But it is the mobilization of the local population and the concrete actions of organizations and institutions that achieve the changes. However, we have to encourage producers and the media to help look at reality and not hide it.
Full statement from the Church of England:
EIAG issues statement on National Investment Bodies holding in SOCO
The Church of England Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG) has issued a formal statement relating to the holdings of the Church’s National Investing Bodies in SOCO International Plc.
“Following Board level engagement between the Church of England Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG) and SOCO International Plc (SOCO), the EIAG has raised serious concerns about the Company’s determination to satisfactorily address, in an open and transparent manner, allegations concerning the operations of SOCO in and around the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
These allegations are of a serious nature and require a response from the Board that urgently seeks to restore the confidence of shareholders. We find the efforts of the Company to date have not been sufficient.
Through the engagement undertaken by the Church of England EIAG a series of steps were identified to the Company that should be taken to restore confidence. These included:
1. Instigation of a wide ranging and transparent independent enquiry of SOCO’s operations in and around Virunga National Park, including the publication of the enquiry scope, outcome and confirmation of any resulting actions.
2. Amendment of the previously issued statement agreed between SOCO and WWF to remove any room for doubt about their intentions within existing or future boundaries of a World Heritage Site so that there are without exception, no circumstances in which SOCO would conduct further exploration or production activities in the Virunga National Park. And for this to be communicated to the World Heritage Committee.
3. To adopt and publish best practice standards across a wide range of its operations.
4. To date it is unfortunate that the Company has not felt it possible to take these steps. The EIAG do not normally disclose the contents of our discussions with a company. However, if we judge that sufficient progress is not being made, we reserve the right to issue public statements, seek to move shareholder resolutions and/or to divest from the company.
The EIAG will continue to monitor the company’s activities and to engage with the Board.
In July 2015 the English newspaper: The Guardian, reported that the Church of England withdrew its investment. They divest their entire £1.6m holding from Soco.
The divestment is only the third time in five years that the church has divested from a company on ethical grounds. In 2012 it sold its shares in News Corporation in protest at phone-hacking and in 2010 it sold its holdings in Vedanta Resources over human rights concerns linked with the company’s mining operations India.
“We have called time because without the changes we sought this is not a sustainable or ethical investment for church funds,” said Edward Mason, head of responsible investment at the Church Commissioners. “We take engagement with companies very seriously. In this instance Soco has not responded positively or sincerely to the concerns we raised.”
Here is a brief reference to these extraordinary documentaries that help raise awareness and make decisions about the urgency of caring for and defending nature, our common home.
Virunga is a 2014 British documentary film directed by Orlando von Einsiedel. It focuses on the conservation work of park rangers within the Congo’s Virunga National Park during the rise of the violent M23 Rebellion in 2012 and investigates the activity of the British oil company Soco International within the UNESCO World Heritage site. Soco International ended up officially exploring oil opportunities in Virunga in April 2014. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on 17 April 2014. After airing on Netflix, it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
Blackfish tells the story of Tilikum, a performing killer whale that killed several people while in captivity. Along the way, director-producer Gabriela Cowperthwaite compiles shocking footage and emotional interviews to explore the creature’s extraordinary nature, the species’ cruel treatment in captivity, the lives and losses of the trainers and the pressures brought to bear by the multi-billion-dollar sea-park industry. This emotionally wrenching, tautly structured story challenges us to consider our relationship to nature and reveals how little we humans have learned from these highly intelligent and enormously sentient fellow mammals.
