Summary of Activities & Media Coverage
(will be updated as information is received)

1. Southeast Asia: Media coverage generated by SEATCA
2. Nigeria: Youth demonstration organized by Educare Trust
3. USA: Demonstration outside and statements inside the PMI meeting
4. Palau: Ad placed in island newspapers by Palau Youth Advocacy Group
5. Nigeria: Media coverage generated by Environmental Rights Action

1) SOUTHEAST ASIA: MEDIA COVERAGE GENERATED BY SEATCA

The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) issued a press release, which generated the following online and print coverage: The Jakarta Post (with print coverage); Bernama News Agency; Intellasia News Online; Earthtimes.org; Monsters and Critics; Silobreaker.com/Sky News Australia; Bigpondnews.com; Blogs

-- Mary Assunta, SEATCA

2) NIGERIA: YOUTH DEMONSTRATION ORGANIZED BY EDUCARE TRUST

A one-day Peaceful Demonstration was organized by Educare Trust, Nigeria on the 5th May, 2009 to lend solidarity support to International Day of Action to counter Phillip Morris International global expansion, co-facilitated by GYAT and Framework Convention Alliance. 50 youths (students and out-of-school youths) participated in the demonstration. This is made up of 35 students from secondary schools around the neighborhood and 15 Educare Trust youth members and volunteers.

The demonstration, which took off from Educare Trust Youth Exhibition Centre, reached some strategic places and hideouts of PMI and BATN around Mokola. Demonstrators stopped for few minutes and addressed the discerning audience about the nefarious activities of the big tobacco at the branded wholesale joint of PMI and BATN at Mokola roundabout. On sighting the demonstrators, a big tobacco shop attendant hurriedly closed the tobacco branded kiosk and fled.

A big banner was designed to convey a message “WHY KILL MILLIONS TO MAKE MILLIONS”. Many placards were also designed with different slogans. The demonstrators sang some tobacco control songs such as “PMI, BAT stop killing the youth”, “Hey hey oh oh, big tobacco has to go” while matching on the street of Mokola.

A letter of protest signed by the youth members of Educare Trust had earlier been sent to the News and Current Affairs Department of the Nigerian Television Authority, Agodi, Ibadan on Monday May 4th, 2009 and was read as part of the news items the following day (Tuesday May 5, 2009).

See photos

-- Bamidele Kogbe, for Educare Trust Youth

3) USA: DEMONSTRATION OUTSIDE & STATEMENTS INSIDE THE PMI MEETING

Following a youth advocacy training the day before, a youth demonstration took place outside PMI's inaugural shareholder meeting in NYC. Click here to view photos (more will be posted as they become available) Inside the meeting, international and youth advocates made statements regarding PMI's marketing practices around the world. The events garnered the following media coverage: New York Times: Philip Morris Meeting Mixes Tobacco Profit and Protests Associated Press: Philip Morris looks to new products for growth Boston Globe: Setting the stage for more smokers

4) PALAU: AD PLACED IN ISLAND NEWSPAPERS BY PALAU YOUTH ADVOCACY GROUP

May 5th is our National Senior Citizen's Day; all Government offices and the Congress was closed. But we put the Ad you sent us and added on our Local Youth Phone number and information you sent about PMI. It reached many people through all the island newspapers. Many people appreciated the message and we hope to do more activities in the near future with these messages to alert people about PMI and the work of FCTC -- Ann Lund, Coordinator, Youth Advocacy for Tobacco Free Palau

• Vanguard: African Governments Urged to Strengthen Tobacco Control Policies
• BusinessDay: Philip Morris shareholders meet as product consumption volume rises 4%
  

-- Seun Akioye, Environmental Rights Action