COMMUNITY-INITIATED CHANGE - THE W.A.N.G.A. PRINCIPLES

From the Gulf of Alaska to the Gulf of Mexico, Alberta to Ecuador, Nigeria to The Netherlands – the fossil fuel industry has left its mark in the form of long-term damage to community, culture, and environment. And with each disaster, a recurring promise: "We Will Make You Whole."

Following the 2010 Enbridge pipeline spill in the Kalamazoo River, where over one million gallons of tar sands oil fouled shorelines and contaminated private property, a small group of citizens formed an alliance to let industry know that residents are watching – and will continue to watch – oil transport and cleanup activities that impact their communities. They call themselves “We Are Not Going Away,” or W.A.N.G.A.

During a W.A.N.G.A.-sponsored community meeting led by activist Riki Ott, residents identified common values and key problems, then developed a list of solutions - what it would take to make and keep a community "whole." Eventually, the results of this exercise grew into “The W.A.N.G.A. Principles,” a set of guidelines to ensure that industry observes the rights and values of the people whose lives are impacted by resource extraction. Click here to read The W.A.N.G.A. Principles.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING MANUAL

Download our new Community Organizing Manual. You can schedule one of our facilitators to come to your community, or conduct these exercises with facilitators from your town.

Accidental Activists

Joey Yerkes was a commercial bait fisherman when the BP oil blowout disrupted his way of life. After taking a job on the Vessels of Opportunity program, he became ill and was diagnosed with chemical poisoning. Joey realized that many other people who worked on the cleanup were getting sick, too. He began speaking out about his experiences in an effort to raise awareness and help other people. In this interview, Joey shares how he became and “Accidental Activist.”

Part One

Part Two

Tell Us Your Story

Have you been inspired to take a stand? Tell us your story in the Changing The Endgame Community Forum. We want to hear your biggest challenges and greatest successes. Let others know what tools and approaches worked best for you.

View the Teach-In Webcast Archive

The Changing the Endgame teach-in webcast, hosted by Ultimate Civics’ Riki Ott and Goodwill Ambassador John Francis, will be available soon in our web archive. Changing the Endgame revisits BP's Gulf oil disaster and takes you to other communities disproportionately bearing the cost of America’s fossil fuel addiction––to unite Americans in a serious commitment to transitioning away from fossil fuels and confronting the dangerous expansion of corporate power. Check back soon to see how you can help change the endgame!

Donate to Ultimate Civics

You can help by making a contribution to Ultimate Civics. Our Goal is to ensure the outcome of the BP Gulf Disaster is not a return to the “old oil business as usual,” where corporate profits eclipse public health, worker safety, and environmental responsibility––and leave citizens feeling helpless and disenfranchised. We are seeking holistic solutions to a systemic problem to Change the Endgame. Donate now!