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Don Erikson: loss of a veteran acti
- Subject: Don Erikson: loss of a veteran acti
- From: darnott@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 09 Jun 2001 16:35:00
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>Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2001 10:42:56 -0700 (PDT)
>Subject: [burmaoil] loss of a veteran activist
>
>
>Loss of a Veteran Free Burma Activist
>
>Our dear friend and mentor, Don Erickson, has died, leaving a legacy of
>activists who know how to fight corporate power and stand up for freedom.
>A veteran of the terrible conflict of World War II, a respected teacher, a
>lifelong student of world history, Don poured his heart and soul into the
>stuggle for Burma's human rights. As a Synapses member he was
>well-experienced in fighting for global justice, and with the 1988
>democracy uprising in Burma he understood the fledgling Free Burma
>movement's strategic needs immediately. As an original participant in the
>campaign for corporate withdrawal from Burma, he showed us all what could
>be done and how to do it. Most importantly, he showed us that nothing is
>impossible in this struggle. He was determined to stop foreign investment
>from bankrolling the arms purchases of Burma's dictatorship.
>
>Don faced down the oil giant Amoco, sometimes with just him and Winston
>Khin holding each end of a banner in front of that company's enormous
>Chicago headquarters. Don initiated the first shareholder meeting actions
>on Burma, at Amoco, and arranged a face to face meeting with Amoco
>executives (after wearing them down with many a demo in the cold Chicago
>wind and snow.) Amoco pulled out of Burma, thanks to Don's determined
>efforts. Don showed everyone that it could be done -- a huge multinational
>petroleum company could be made to do the right thing.
>
>Next, Don turned to the garment manufacturers going into Burma, commencing
>a campaign that continues to this day. He personally convinced national
>clothing firms Liz Claiborne and Oshkosh to pull out of Burma, with a
>combination of small, focused picketing, compelling letters, and meetings.
>As with Amoco, he literally showed the rest of us how to do it, using his
>decades of experience in the peace and justice movement. He endured
>corporate harassment, he relied on himself even if nobody else would show
>up, and he always outlasted the companies. His pressure on Unocal board
>member Dean Jacobs ceased only when Jacobs resigned from the board.
>
>A familiar face at many a Burma conference, Don quietly inspired us all.
>He initiated the first Burma contact with the Center for Constitutional
>Rights, which eventually led to the groundbreaking Unocal lawsuit, and
>networked with many other organizations for the Burma cause, bringing in
>university students, Catholic Workers, and many more. He contributed
>ceaselessly of his own time, money, and energy. A slight, spry
>figure, he always gave away a smile with a leaflet, and rarely raised his
>voice unless in a chant against corporate power. He was a stalwart
>opponent (often arrested) of the notorious School of the Americas
>training ground for tyranny, and an early foe of harmful globalization,
>decrying the WTO before most of us had ever heard of it. Staying fit
>through massage and folk dancing, Don had an ever-young appearance, and
>kept up with the teenaged marchers, with his daypack and blue jeans.
>
>His final campaign was again versus an immense foe, the Dutch bank ABN
>Amro, which owns Chicago's Lasalle Bank. Once again, with a textbook
>anti-corporate campaign, often utterly alone, Don prevailed over the
>powers that be, forcing the Dutch bank to announce termination of its
>Burma business. The fact that Burma's regime admitted dwindling foreign
>investment the day before Don's death is a tribute to our friend. He
>personally removed much of the US dollars that were pouring into the
>coffers of Burma's military in the 1990s. He prevented the SLORC/SPDC from
>becoming an ever stronger, richer military regime, through his actions,
>and his example. He lobbied, wrote letters to officials and executives,
>picketed, marched, chanted, vigil'd, and inspired us. He was vital to
>making the international Free Burma campaign the force it is today.
>
>I will miss Don terribly, personally. He literally was my guru in this
>struggle, as well as a true friend.. But even without his voice on the
>phone, we should let him continue to inspire us, in our campaigns for Sen.
>Harkin's export ban bill, in our pressure on the garment, teak, mining and
>petroleum companies which continue to prop up Burma's brutal junta. And
>one day -- before long -- when the brave people of Burma have their
>freedom at last, we will again remember our friend Don Erickson, in
>Moulmein and Mandalay and Myitkyina.
>
>-- Edith T. Mirante
> Project Maje
> www.projectmaje.org
>
>note email address for messages of condolence to Don's brother, below:
>Subject: Re: Don Erickson
>(from Synapses)
>Dear Friends,
> We're sorry to inform you that Don Erickson, our friend and
> brother in the
>struggle for the people of Burma, passed away at 11:30pm on Sunday, June 3
>of cancer.
> For many years, Don coordinated Synapses Project Burma with
> singular focus
>and dogged persistence on behalf of the Burmese people and was amazingly
>successful at driving exploitative companies out of Burma.
> The family will have a private funeral service and Don's friends and
>co-workers are planning a memorial service (details to be
>announced). Messages may be sent to <synapses@xxxxxxx> or directly to
>Don's brother, Bob, at <bevbob236@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Please help pass this message on to others who knew Don.
>Peace,
>Kryss Chupp
>
>===
>
>
>Community email addresses:
> Post message: burmaoil@xxxxxxxxxxx
> Subscribe: burmaoil-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxx
> Unsubscribe: burmaoil-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxx
> List owner: burmaoil-owner@xxxxxxxxxxx
>
>Searchable message archives and calendar:
> http://www.onelist.com/community/burmaoil
> http://metalab.unc.edu/freeburma/boycott/oil
> http://freeburma.org
>
>
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Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2001 10:42:56 -0700 (PDT)<br>
Subject: [burmaoil] loss of a veteran activist<br><br>
<br>
Loss of a Veteran Free Burma Activist<br><br>
Our dear friend and mentor, Don Erickson, has died, leaving a legacy
of<br>
activists who know how to fight corporate power and stand up for
freedom.<br>
A veteran of the terrible conflict of World War II, a respected teacher,
a<br>
lifelong student of world history, Don poured his heart and soul into
the<br>
stuggle for Burma's human rights. As a Synapses member he was<br>
well-experienced in fighting for global justice, and with the 1988<br>
democracy uprising in Burma he understood the fledgling Free Burma<br>
movement's strategic needs immediately. As an original participant in
the<br>
campaign for corporate withdrawal from Burma, he showed us all what
could<br>
be done and how to do it. Most importantly, he showed us that nothing
is<br>
impossible in this struggle. He was determined to stop foreign
investment<br>
from bankrolling the arms purchases of Burma's dictatorship. <br><br>
Don faced down the oil giant Amoco, sometimes with just him and
Winston<br>
Khin holding each end of a banner in front of that company's
enormous<br>
Chicago headquarters. Don initiated the first shareholder meeting
actions<br>
on Burma, at Amoco, and arranged a face to face meeting with Amoco<br>
executives (after wearing them down with many a demo in the cold
Chicago<br>
wind and snow.) Amoco pulled out of Burma, thanks to Don's
determined<br>
efforts. Don showed everyone that it could be done -- a huge
multinational<br>
petroleum company could be made to do the right thing.<br><br>
Next, Don turned to the garment manufacturers going into Burma,
commencing<br>
a campaign that continues to this day. He personally convinced
national<br>
clothing firms Liz Claiborne and Oshkosh to pull out of Burma, with
a<br>
combination of small, focused picketing, compelling letters, and
meetings.<br>
As with Amoco, he literally showed the rest of us how to do it, using
his<br>
decades of experience in the peace and justice movement. He endured<br>
corporate harassment, he relied on himself even if nobody else would
show<br>
up, and he always outlasted the companies. His pressure on Unocal
board<br>
member Dean Jacobs ceased only when Jacobs resigned from the board.
<br><br>
A familiar face at many a Burma conference, Don quietly inspired us
all.<br>
He initiated the first Burma contact with the Center for
Constitutional<br>
Rights, which eventually led to the groundbreaking Unocal lawsuit,
and<br>
networked with many other organizations for the Burma cause, bringing
in<br>
university students, Catholic Workers, and many more. He
contributed<br>
ceaselessly of his own time, money, and energy. A slight, spry<br>
figure, he always gave away a smile with a leaflet, and rarely raised
his<br>
voice unless in a chant against corporate power. He was a stalwart<br>
opponent (often arrested) of the notorious School of the Americas<br>
training ground for tyranny, and an early foe of harmful
globalization,<br>
decrying the WTO before most of us had ever heard of it. Staying
fit<br>
through massage and folk dancing, Don had an ever-young appearance,
and<br>
kept up with the teenaged marchers, with his daypack and blue jeans.
<br><br>
His final campaign was again versus an immense foe, the Dutch bank
ABN<br>
Amro, which owns Chicago's Lasalle Bank. Once again, with a
textbook<br>
anti-corporate campaign, often utterly alone, Don prevailed over
the<br>
powers that be, forcing the Dutch bank to announce termination of
its<br>
Burma business. The fact that Burma's regime admitted dwindling
foreign<br>
investment the day before Don's death is a tribute to our friend.
He<br>
personally removed much of the US dollars that were pouring into
the<br>
coffers of Burma's military in the 1990s. He prevented the SLORC/SPDC
from<br>
becoming an ever stronger, richer military regime, through his
actions,<br>
and his example. He lobbied, wrote letters to officials and
executives,<br>
picketed, marched, chanted, vigil'd, and inspired us. He was vital
to<br>
making the international Free Burma campaign the force it is today.
<br><br>
I will miss Don terribly, personally. He literally was my guru in
this<br>
struggle, as well as a true friend.. But even without his voice on
the<br>
phone, we should let him continue to inspire us, in our campaigns for
Sen.<br>
Harkin's export ban bill, in our pressure on the garment, teak, mining
and<br>
petroleum companies which continue to prop up Burma's brutal junta.
And<br>
one day -- before long -- when the brave people of Burma have their<br>
freedom at last, we will again remember our friend Don Erickson, in<br>
Moulmein and Mandalay and Myitkyina. <br>
<br>
-- Edith T. Mirante<br>
Project Maje<br>
<a href="http://www.projectmaje.org/"; eudora="autourl">www.projectmaje.org</a><br><br>
note email address for messages of condolence to Don's brother,
below:<br>
Subject: Re: Don Erickson<br>
(from Synapses)<br>
Dear Friends,<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>We're
sorry to inform you that Don Erickson, our friend and brother in the
<br>
struggle for the people of Burma, passed away at 11:30pm on Sunday, June
3 <br>
of cancer.<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>For many
years, Don coordinated Synapses Project Burma with singular focus <br>
and dogged persistence on behalf of the Burmese people and was amazingly
<br>
successful at driving exploitative companies out of Burma.<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>The family
will have a private funeral service and Don's friends and <br>
co-workers are planning a memorial service (details to be <br>
announced). Messages may be sent to <synapses@xxxxxxx> or
directly to <br>
Don's brother, Bob, at <bevbob236@xxxxxxxxxxx><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>Please
help pass this message on to others who knew Don.<br>
Peace,<br>
Kryss Chupp<br><br>
===<br><br>
<br>
Community email addresses:<br>
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<a href="http://metalab.unc.edu/freeburma/boycott/oil"; eudora="autourl">http://metalab.unc.edu/freeburma/boycott/oil</a><br>
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<br><br>
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