EarthRights International

EarthRights International (ERI) "is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit group of activists, organizers, and lawyers with expertise in human rights, the environment, and corporate and government accountability. ERI has offices in the U.S. and Southeast Asia."


 * "EarthRights International (ERI) combines the power of law and the power of people in defense of human rights and the environment. We focus our work at the intersection of human rights and the environment, which we define as earth rights.  We specialize in fact-finding, legal actions against perpetrators of earth rights abuses, training for grassroots and community leaders and advocacy campaigns.  Through these strategies, ERI seeks to end earth rights abuses, and to promote and protect earth rights."


 * Ka Hsaw Wa, Co-Founder and Executive Director

Burma Project
"EarthRights International's Burma Project collects vital on-the-ground information about the human rights and environmental situation in Burma. Since 1995, ERI has worked in Burma to monitor the impacts of the military regime's policies and activities on local populations and ecosystems. ERI's staff has gathered a vast body of valuable, rare information about the state of the military regime's war on its peoples and its environment."

Funders

 * American Jewish World Service
 * APHEDA
 * As You Sow Foundation
 * Bon Eau Foundation
 * CIVICUS
 * Conservation Food & Health Foundation
 * Courtney's Foundation
 * C.S. Fund
 * Educational Foundation of America
 * Flora Family Foundation
 * Frankel Family Foundation
 * Funding Exchange
 * Global Greengrants Fund
 * Jeht Foundation
 * Libra Foundation
 * Oak Foundation
 * OSI Development Foundation
 * Oxfam America
 * Oxfam Australia
 * Oxfam Hong Kong
 * Park Foundation
 * Perls Foundation
 * Prentice Foundation
 * Refugees International Japan
 * Rights and Democracy
 * Rosewater Fund
 * SEACA
 * Sigrid Rausing Trust
 * Swedish Society for Nature Conservation
 * Trocaire
 * Wallace Global Fund

In 2001 EarthRights International (ERI), Thailand (funds allocated from Urgent Action/Important Opportunities) received $1,500 from Rights and Democracy to: "ERI responds to the needs of ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples in their attempt to protect their rights during development and investment activities in their traditional lands. This grant helped to support the publication of Total Denial II, which documents the human rights abuses and environmental degradation that have occurred as a direct result of two gas pipeline projects in Burma supported by transnational corporations, including Totalfina (France), Unocal (USA), Premier (UK) and IHV Caland (the Netherlands)." In 2004 Earthrights International (United States) received a grant "Rights & Democracy supported Earthrights International's research in Burma on the effects of investment and development projects on the traditional lands of indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities. This work aimed to protect the rights of these groups and their environment. Through this initiative, Rights & Democracy contributed to advocacy for the rights of indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities."

Directors

 * Chairwoman - Marianne Manilov, Founder, Center for Commercial Free Education
 * Vice-Chair & Secretary - Charlie Clements, Executive Director, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)
 * Treasurer - David Hunter, Esq. Professor of International Environmental Law, American University's Washington College of Law; consultant, Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)
 * Toshiyuki Doi, Senior Advisor, Mekong Watch-Japan
 * Kumi Naidoo, Secretary-General and CEO, CIVICUS: the World Alliance for Citizen Participation
 * Neil Popovic, Shareholder, Heller Ehrman LLP; Lecturer, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law; Director, Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund United Nations Program
 * Rebecca Rockefeller, graduate student in Natural Resources at UVM
 * Kate Tillery, International Human Rights Attorney

Publications

 * Kenny Bruno and Jim Vallette, "Halliburton's Destructive Engagement: How Dick Cheney and USA-Engage Subvert Democracy At Home And Abroad," EarthRights International, October 2000.

Contact
1612 K St. NW #401 Washington, DC 20006 USA Phone: 202-466-5188 Fax: 202-466-5189 Web: http://www.earthrights.org

Southeast Asia Office PO Box 123 Chiang Mai University Chiang Mai, Thailand 50202 Phone: 66-8-1-531-1256

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * Veronika Martin - Former Director
 * Marco Simons