Typically you learn a blurb for a e-book and suppose, ‘I must learn this,’ Very Dangerous Individuals is a kind of books.
This isn’t a fictional learn, however any one of many tales right here may simply be made right into a blockbuster film, and folks can be forgiven for pondering it was a piece of make-believe. Earlier than you even learn the opening chapter, the dedication hits this message house:
“…devoted to these folks world wide who every day danger their freedom, and
generally their lives, standing as much as the Very Dangerous Individuals this e-book is about…”
Purchase your copy of Very Dangerous Individuals right here
An Perception into Very Dangerous Individuals
Written by Patrick Alley, one of many founders of World Witness, an NGO that was based to assist create a “extra sustainable, simply and equal planet”, Very Dangerous Individuals begins by explaining how the corporate began.
Over beers within the pub one night time after work again within the 90’s, Patrick together with Charmain Gooch and Simon Taylor, have been discussing how appalled they have been with what was going down in Cambodia on the time and the way no-one appeared to have the ability to cease it, or for that matter was even attempting to take action.
“Our first undercover investigation, in early 1995, took us into the wild no-man’s land
of the Thai-Cambodian border and started to open our eyes onto a world
we thought existed solely in fiction.” (Web page 3)
It was at this level, after months of discussing the problems, that these three mates determined to create one thing that may go on to change into one of the efficient organisations in preventing corruption on the highest ranges.
Very Dangerous Individuals goes on to debate a few of their most memorable campaigns and consists of insights into:
#1 How World Witness progressed with their first investigation into the timber crops in Cambodia and Thailand. They relive that very first foray into unsafe territories the place something may have occurred within the hope that they might learn how the Khumer Rouge maintained its funding and the way the regime profited properly into the 1990’s.
#2 How blood diamonds have been funding a conflict in Angola supported by the De Beers household, recognized for the best diamonds and for the now-famous tagline, ‘A diamond is ceaselessly’. Patrick explains that the consumers of those diamonds sadly had a cash over lives mindset and didn’t actually take into account the price of loss for every diamond bought.
Picture supplied by Jeffrey Beall
#3 The night time Leonid Minin, senior determine within the Ukrainian mafia, was arrested in a Milan lodge after a nervous name from a prostitute. When the police arrived they found not solely cocaine, diamonds, cash and passports for varied nations but additionally the paperwork that uncovered his arms trades with folks together with Charles Taylor, warlord president of Liberia and the way World Witness then went on to assist in their arrests.
#4 How their actions noticed the belongings of the Obiang household, leaders of Equatorial Guinea, seized. Amongst these belongings have been three Bugatti Veyron’s and a multi-million greenback mansion in California. Very Dangerous Individuals reveals simply how a lot wealth this household faraway from the nation and the way the inhabitants continued to endure. This extraordinarily poor nation was poor due to their leaders. World Witness additionally highlights how the banks assist to facilitate the cash laundering of this corrupt household.
“Giant-scale corruption happens invariably in main monetary centres and entails
polished legal professionals, bankers, accountants and PR professionals who cowl their tracks.” (Web page 169)
#5 How oil can flip grasping organisations into non law-abiding residents keen to launder thousands and thousands of {dollars} to get their arms on provides presently untapped off the shores of locations like Nigeria and the way some massive companies and lawyer companies are keen to show a blind eye if the reward is nice sufficient.
#6 Investigations that occurred in 2019 which uncovered 300 banks, highlighting that that they had supplied $44 billion to assist facilitate six of the world’s most harmful agribusinesses. These companies are nonetheless utilizing the meat commerce to develop the destruction of the Amazon, a forest that spans 9 nations with 60 % mendacity in Brazil, and what that might probably imply for the world if it continues.
Picture supplied by 2011CIAT/NeilPalmer
“In line with Brazilian scientist Carlos Nobre, if the Amazon forest loses round 40
% of its authentic extent, it should move a tipping level and change into dry savannah. At
the present charges of deforestation the tipping level is simply 20 to 30 years away,
after that we can’t win the battle towards local weather change.” (Web page 298)
My Ideas on Very Dangerous Individuals
To learn this e-book and really feel nothing is finally not possible. Even these people that select to bury their heads within the sand will certainly learn this and see that we’re all facilitating some extraordinarily unjust methods on this planet; most of us with out even realising it. For instance, folks could have, of their possession, a diamond that was as soon as bought by De Beers whose origin is less-than savoury or it’s possible you’ll be consuming beef from these selecting to destroy the Amazon and never even perceive the total implications of this.
That’s the purpose of Very Dangerous Individuals, it raises our consciousness. Sure, it could learn like a spy novel, which is testomony to the creator, but it surely’s all actual and these people are risking their lives daily to try to make a distinction.
If, after studying this, you end up reflecting on what you do and how one can begin to make small modifications to assist create a extra equal planet, then this e-book has achieved its job.
Most individuals, when studying the papers or listening to the information, already know that they’re solely receiving a snippet of data; info designed to make us imagine or act in a sure method however Very Dangerous Individuals additionally makes you realise that until you personally look into these tales extra, you’ll solely ever know what others need you to know to make it seem like they’re doing all they’ll to assist, however are they?
It is a e-book that locations a highlight on inequality, uncovering how it’s accountable for many of the corruption on this planet and highlights that:
“The world comprises its justifiable share of ‘standard’ crime bosses like Leonid Minin,
however its most senior crime lord’s are sometimes hiding in plain sight. They embody heads of state
and captains of business – the very pillars of society.” (Web page 3)
Only a few folks can write a non-fictional story like this and create an addictive page-turner. By including particulars to every story they add to the gravitas of the state of affairs which solely continues to attract the reader in. Identical to in any good crime novel, that you must know what occurs subsequent, will all of them survive and can their discoveries result in convictions and maybe extra importantly have an effect on change.
Have you ever learn Very Dangerous Individuals? Possibly you could have learn a e-book on an identical subject that you simply suppose others could also be involved in.
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