Coca Cola Scholarship Scandal

As regular readers of indymedia will know, there is a massive boycott campaign against Coca Cola over the supression and murder of its trade unionists in Colombia (see www.colombiasolidarity.org.uk, and for example  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/11/328667.html,  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/03/306141.html) and the theft and contamination of water sources in India. The India Resource Centre (www.indiaresource.org) describes the corporation as 'a champion of unsustainable use of water globally'.

Instead of investing in more sustainable uses of water or meeting the pleas for reparation called for by millions, the world's largest beverage company has engaged in token public relations gestures to mislead consumers.
Protests are presently taking place in Mexico outside the World Water Forum because Coke are one of its main sponsors.

Here in Oxford, Linacre College is hosting the Coca Cola Water
Sustainability Scholarships, where two graduate students will be sponsored by this notorious abuser of water supply from October 2006. This is one of the most blatant examples of corporate hypocrisy and it's happening on our doorstep. (For more info:  http://www.linacre.ox.ac.uk/coke.html)

Please send an e mail denouncing the scholarship to...

 anne.keene@linacre.ox.ac.uk (Linacre College Director of Development) and
 diana.liverman@eci.ox.ac.uk (Director of Environmental Change
Institute)

Below is a sample letter...
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Dear ,

You may be aware of the softdrink company's human rights abuses against its workers and its theft and contamination of water sources in India.
I am shocked and surprised that a reputable institution such as
yours is compromising its accademic independance and credibility by hosting this scholarship.
I would be greatful if you could answer the following questions:
Does the course programme cover the fact that in India Coca Cola is extracting millions of litres from a drought-prone region? Does it include the corporation's aggressive lobbying for water privatisation in the developing world for commercial gain? Had these facts and many others been considered and if so how was the sponsor considered appropriate?
I denounce this scholarship and encourage your facility not to
tarnish its integrity by being part of Coca Cola's manipulative public
relations efforts. I believe it sends out the wrong message about Coca Cola and the wrong message about yourselves.

Regards,

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If you would like to be involved in actions regarding these issues or
any other Colombia-related topic please bring them to the meeting on Tues 25th April (8pm) in East Oxford Community Centre, Princes St & Cowley Road.