HISTORY BEHIND THE NAME:


The Ogoni Nine were a group of nine activists from the Ogoni region of Nigeria, including outspoken author and playwright Ken Saro-Wiwa, who were executed (by hanging) in 1995 by the military dictatorship of General Sani Abacha. Their crime: taking part in a nonviolent campaign against transnational oil corporations that were destroying Ogoni land in the Niger Delta and threatening the inhabitants' livelihood.

SYMBOLISM BEHIND THE NAME:


Ogoni Nine symbolizes the struggle, reminding us of the power of free speech and enlightenment. Remember...


THE PROBLEM:


Today, despite the end of the military dictatorship, the people of the Niger Delta face great challenges. Oil spills contaminate marine shorelines, destroying coastal habitats and costing human lives. Gas flaring (the burning of surplus vapor from a well) is greater in Nigeria than any other country, causing air pollution, acid rain, and lung diseases in local communities. The World Bank estimated in 2004 that Nigeria flared 75 percent of all gas produced.

THE SOLUTION:


Ogoni Nine is a non-profit organization devoted to the promotion of documentary films and photography created about Africans by Africans, particularly art that reinforces positive metaphors and helps to destroy the negative imagery often perpetrated by Western media in exploitation of African misery.

Today, the digital age has allowed us the freedom of sharing and gathering information via a simple search or download. In art, digital cameras are fast becoming the staple medium for independent filmmakers, and in just 5 to 10 years, digital still cameras has rapidly replaced the traditional 35mm camera as the standard for most American homes. In fact, even out phones are now equipped with cameras.

This evolution in technology makes it cheaper and more efficient to create documentary films and quality photography. Ogoni Nine will encourage African youths to adopt these Contemporary methods and to creatively express themselves thought narratives that speak of how they view their communities, their joy, love, pain and sorrow, giving the voiceless a voice through the exhibition of their art.