Black Planet Award denounces killer-company Blackwater

 

Youngsters design mock-trophy for ecological devastation and exploitation

 

“ethecon – the foundation for ethics and economics” denounces Erik Prince and his management of the US company Blackwater by bestowing on them the “Black Planet Award 2008”. This international prize, awarded annually by the foundation, is given for the third time to people accused of contributing to the ruin of the Blue Planet.

The award, a mock-trophy designed by young people, will be awarded during the

International ethecon-Conference on

Financial Capital

Speculation, Crises, Alternatives

March 14th 2009, 2 p.m.

Im “Großer Saal”, Pfefferwerk

Schönhauser Allee 176, 10119 Berlin

The diatribe on Erik Prince and Blackwater will be presented by Peter Strutinsky, a renowned scholar in peace studies. Members of the international movement for peace and democracy will be present as guests.

Over the last decades, profit-led capitalism has disengaged politics and states from their responsibilities for their armies and made war a private business. Initially limited to marauding gangs of mercenaries, it has now become – witness the war in Iraq and elsewhere – big multinational companies that provide governments with combatants and infrastructure to run military campaigns. Meanwhile, there is now one private mercenary for every ten regular soldiers.

Blackwater, an US corporation worth several billion Dollars, is the biggest enterprise of this kind in the world. It is also reknown for its Christian fundamentalism and religious fanatism. In essence, Blackwater is a threat to peace and human rights, and a menace for democracy and humankind as a whole.

Since 2006, ethecon awards two international prizes every year: along with the “Black Planet Award”, it also presents a “Blue Planet Award” to people who excel in their commitment to the preservation of this planet.

Contrary to the many foundations that originate from companies, families, churches, political parties or states, ethecon is one of the few ‘grass-root foundations’ whose main purpose is concern for future generations. At the moment, the foundation has eleven chief sponsors; donations and additional sustaining members are highly welcome.

For further information, background, original sounds and interviews: contact the director of ethecon, Hubert Ostendorf (mobile: + 152-2152 9077).