It is with great sadness we must report that, on Sunday, January 7, 2018, our good friend Meredith Alexander died suddenly of a brain aneurysm while visiting her loving family in Missoula, USA.
Meredith was often described as a social warrior, she was a courageous leader and was well known for her work helping the disadvantaged and working to protect environments throughout the world. But she was also a wonderful, kind individual and a great friend to many.
Meredith worked with a series of non-profit organisations including People and Planet, Action Aid, and Save the Children, with her final position being as Campaign Director at AVAAZ. Meredith also spent two years assisting the Bhopal Medical Appeal as a trustee before health issues forced her to step away.
Meredith was appointed ‘Sustainability Commissioner and Ethics Adviser’ to the London 2012 Olympics and acquired overnight celebrity status in Bhopal after her resignation, live on the BBC’s Newsnight programme, over the controversy surrounding Dow Chemical’s sponsorship of the games.
Meredith quit the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012, saying she did not want to be part of a body that “became an apologist” for Dow Chemical. She also stated that her resignation was based on her “standing up for her principles” and that she hoped it could bring some attention to the continuing plight of victims in Bhopal.
In India, campaigners and survivors of the Bhopal disaster thanked Meredith by placing flower bouquets in front of a portrait of her, an act often reserved for goddesses, heroines and saints. Rashida Bee, campaigner and co-founder of the Chingari Trust, said that “by speaking the truth so boldly Meredith has nailed Dow Chemical’s lies and we hope this will make LOCOG dump Dow as a sponsor of the London Games.”
Meredith was a much-loved individual and will be sorely missed by many.
Memorial gifts may be made in support of Action Aid/UK or US. A memory book will be compiled with notes and photos. Send contributions for the memory book to [email protected]
Meredith Alexander Becomes Bhopal’s Latest Heroine
Meredith Alexander talks about her ‘principled stand’ with the BMA
