Such a foundation is critical support for
communities struggling against not only ex-
ploitation by oil companies, but also a corrupt
judiciary system. In 1995, the
Nigerian government exe-
cuted Ken Saro-Wiwa, an
outspoken
Ogoni
leader fighting for the
rights of his commu-
nity in the face of
Shell Oil’s environ-
mental and human
rights abuses. Saro-
Wiwa’s
defense
lawyer, Oronto Douglas,
is Amaduobogha’s law part-
ner and co-founder of the founda-
tion.
“With so much focus on energy needs and
the Middle East, it’s important not to lose sight
of other countries that are supplying oil,” says
E-LAW U.S. Communications Director
Maggie Keenan. “A lot of people might not be
aware of the problems caused by oil compa-
nies in Nigeria. To hear Simon talk about it
first-hand is truly shocking.”
Amaduobogha’s presentation will be from
noon to 1 pm Tuesday, Aug. 31, at the UO
Knight Law School, Room 243.
— Kera Abraham
BEAUTY SHOPS TARGET
NAILING THE ELECTION
target of a number of local and nationwide
campaigns to get out their votes. The original
study of the 2000 election conducted by
Women’s Voices, Women’s Votes revealed
that single women were the largest group of
nonvoters. And if they had voted at the
same rate as married women, six mil-
lion more votes would have been
cast.
“Elections shouldn’t be nail-
biters,” says Becky Bones of Salon
Delange. “Everyone should be ex-
ercising their right to vote.”
Local salons will draw attention
to the untapped power of women’s
votes by providing voter registration forms
and encouraging clients to register. Nail files
emblazoned with catchy slogans telling
women to “Shape the Oval Office” will be
available at participating salons.
The group behind this initiative is 1000
Flowers, whose goal is to recruit at least 1,000
salons to register at least 10,000 women. Says
Francesca Vietor of the organization. “We’re
targeting beauty salons because it’s one place
where women hang out and have time to dis-
cuss important issues.”
The campaign will run until Oct. 12, which
is the last day to register in Oregon. For more
information, visit www.1000flowers.org or
call 344-9948.
More than 100 people volunteered this
week to join a campaign to get local beauty sa-
lons to participate in a non-partisan
“Nail the Election” national
voter registration
drive.
CORRECTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS
“When we
learned that 22 million
women had not voted in 2000,” says
Stacey Conlon, part owner of Bello Salon,
“we jumped at the chance to participate in this
innovative campaign to get out the vote.”
Other shops involved early on the campaign
were Lexy’s Salon and Spa and Salon
Delange.
Those 22 million nonvoting women are the
• The name of a source in last week’s
story on the Torrey write-in campaign was
misspelled. The state elections division
compliance specialist’s name is Josi
Travinski.
• In our “Do Something” blurb Aug. 12
we misspelled the name of the newly ap-
pointed Eugene coordinator for the
Kerry/Edwards campaign. Shum Preston is
his name. Campaign HQ is at 114 E. 16th.
BY PAUL NEEVEL
TYLER THOMAS AND
PEGGI BOSWORTH
Recent visitors to the West
Moon Trading Company on
13th near the UO campus may
have noticed a hand-lettered
“Rock the Vote” sign on the
entrance door and a stack of
voter registration forms on the
counter. “If we get into a con-
versation, we’ll ask if they are
registered,” says West Moon
employee Catharine Army.
Store owner Peggi Bosworth
observes that much of her
clientele is of high school and college age. “I’m really concerned about young people not
registering to vote, especially girls,” she says. “We’ve gotten a good response.” A native
of the San Francisco Bay Area, Bosworth moved in the late ’70s to southern Oregon,
where she worked for Rare Earth, an import business based in Ashland. She ran the
Medford store. After eight years as a waitress in Eugene, she opened West Moon, based
on the Rare Earth model, in 1995. The family business also employs her daughter Jamie
Decker — “she’s my buyer” — and her son Tyler Thomas, who manages a two-year-old
second store in Corvallis. “Participation feels good,” Bosworth says. “I like being around
kids. We don’t encourage them to vote one way or the other.”— Paul Neevel
AUGUST 26 , 2004 9