Blog de Katie Redford

I am always honored to hear how one of our supporters became acquainted with EarthRights International, and reminded of the many ways our work can affect people. Recently, my good friend Rebecca Rockefeller Lambert, Co-Chair of our board of directors, told our supporters how she discovered ERI. Her story, pasted below, is unique and humbling, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Thank you for everything, Rebecca! And thank you to all of our supporters!

Subject: Why I Support EarthRights International

Dear ERI supporter,

It was just after Christmas, 10 years ago, that I embarked on my first journey East. My grandfather, David Rockefeller, invited my brother and me (age 22 and 24, respectively) to travel with him to Burma. I fell in love -

“The villages of Inlay Lake are so beautiful,” I wrote in my journal. “Light splashes on the houses, dancing with the waves. Corrugated, rust-colored roofs compliment the vast green and blue of water, and everywhere golden pagodas glint or stupas protrude.” I was moved by the people: the school children singing American nursery rhymes; vendors who painted thanaka on my face; my friend Moe Moe, who taught me to say “it’s okay,” (yabade), and “thank you” (jesutimbade).

It was this trip that brought me to EarthRights International, through which my love of Burma and her people has only deepened. Though I have not returned to Burma since that first trip, ERI has given me the opportunity to connect in other ways.

On my first trip with the board, I met the plaintiffs in ERI’s landmark Unocal case, who so bravely told their stories of rape, torture and murder, and won a slice of justice against a goliath U.S. corporation. Talk about speaking truth to power – these men and women are true heroes. Last year, with my fellow board members and a group of American supporters, we paired up with the students at the EarthRights School for Burma in Chiang Mai, Thailand and brainstormed solutions to specific problems faced across the border in Burma.

As I write this post, the Obama administration and its Solicitor General are deliberating which side they will support in the upcoming Kiobel v. Shell case, where Shell says they shouldn't be liable for human rights abuses simply because -- get this -- they're a corporation. We need the administration to send a clear message that corporations cannot be immune from legal responsibility for the actions they commit across the globe.

When this case first made its way to the Supreme Court earlier this year, countries like the U.K. and the Netherlands submitted briefs in support of Shell, but the U.S. government thankfully stood with real people -- victims of human rights abuses like torture and crimes against humanity. Now the case is being heard again, governments are weighing in again, and the Obama administration could switch sides -- we can't let that happen!

When Shell argues that they are are simply a corporation and should therefore not be held liable for their actions overseas, I find myself truly astounded. If you or I were to travel overseas and commit human rights abuses, we would rightfully be held accountable for our actions. But a corporation gets to be immune?

It is critical that the United States not allow our country to act as a safe haven for multinational corporations that are complicit in human rights abuses around the world. If these corporations are present in the US, doing business, making money -- and yes, enjoying free speech rights -- then they better abide by US and international laws, and be held accountable when they don't.

We've put together a petition that highlights the urgency of this moment.  Shell and its friends have raised their voices loud and clear, asking for immunity from human rights law in US courts.  We need to raise our own voices and let the administration know that it is unacceptable to stand alongside Shell and other corporations that put profit over people. Tell the White House to stand up for human rights and real people, not for corporate power!

In honor of Human Rights Day, an anonymous donor has generously offered EarthRights International a creative “matching” donation: we’ll receive $1 for every Facebook Fan (“Like”) we receive through the end of the week, up to $5000!

Update: We made it!

We reached our goal of 5000 Likes and earned $5000. Thank you to everyone!

What can we do with $5000?

If we reach our goal of 5,000 Facebook fans, we’ll receive a donation of $5,000! That’s about what it costs to put one of our EarthRights School students through a full year of our training programs in Thailand!

We need your help!

Please spread this message far and wide amongst your networks.
First, Like our page and we'll receive $1:

Then share our page on your Wall so your friends can take part:

By sharing it widely, you can make a much larger impact!

It’s times like these that I wish I had a crystal ball.  Not only because it seems like hundreds of people have called, emailed, and walked into our offices to ask us the question that’s on all of our minds:  “What is going to happen in Burma?  What does Secretary Clinton’s visit mean?” 

EarthRights has been working on human rights and environmental issues in Burma for over 15 years.  Our staff from Burma have been living Burma’s difficult history for their entire lives.  We’ve seen hopes raised and then dashed too many times to not feel a little bit gun shy this time around.  Yet in spite of the many different opinions of our staff, colleagues, friends and family members inside Burma and out, we all agree that something is happening, and change is in the air.

Hillary Clinton meets with Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma

Yes—the elections touted by the regime that brought to power this new leadership were terribly flawed; the military still dominates most political institutions and controls the economy; the army continues violent offensives in ethnic minority lands, with all of the concomitant human rights abuses.  Even the most optimistic agree that it will take a long time before any of what we’ve heard from Burma’s capital is felt on the ground by those who have suffered the most.  It took decades to build one of the world’s most notorious armies… those half-million soldiers won’t change their brutal ways overnight.

What we also know, in the midst of the unknown, are the fundamental preconditions to lasting change in Burma.  Speaking with Secretary Clinton today, Aung San Suu Kyi made this clear: “Before we decide what steps to take, we have to find out what our greatest needs are.  And of course, two of the greatest needs in this country are rule of law, and a cessation to civil war.  All hostilities must cease within this country as soon as possible.”  

You can't imagine how thrilled I am to announce that, after 15 years, EarthRights International has a video that tells the story of our work — who we are, what we do, and why and how we do it — all in just over 4 minutes.

I could say more about our work, to set the stage, but I think the video stands on its own, so here it is:

That's it! The whole point of this video was to SHOW what we do without having to describe it—and we hope that it does just that for you.  But we also hope that it does more. 

Last month, in Thailand, I held a prescreening of the video in front of a small group of young adults from Burma, hailing from various ethnic groups and regions, backgrounds and religions, but all committed to promoting human rights, protecting the environment, and ending suffering in their country. The audience of fourteen men and women was the EarthRights School Burma's class of 2012, attending their first day of orientation to the EarthRights School. 

At the end of the video, a young woman raised her hand, looked me in the eye and said:  "Seeing this video, it makes our blood boil." I was taken aback at first, interpreting her words to mean anger, but then she explained:  

"When we live in Burma, we have no information, no way of knowing that there are groups like this outside, working in so many ways to help protect our people.  So, when we see this kind of video, it gives us hope, and makes us excited to come to this place and learn how to do this work.  When we see this, we have more energy to work for our people and our country."

So check it out, let us know what you think, and please pass it on.  After all, its all about connections:  linking the protection of human rights to environmental sustainability, linking local harms and solutions to global laws and policies, linking grassroots activists to international lawyers and campaigners.  We hope this video helps you both see and make these connections, and makes your blood boil, too.

Humans, by our very nature, seek community. Historically this has meant living within the community of those who share our day-to-day lives and perspectives. These communities have often been sustained and nurtured by women. In the 21^st century, technology has allowed our communities to expand, even to the global level, which means the potential impact a single woman can have has grown exponentially.

Women Defending Earth Rights

At EarthRights International, we have worked alongside some of the most amazing women, all over the globe, in the struggle to protect human rights and the environment. While our programs provide support to such women, who have often been very marginalized, they have given back to us a thousand-fold, both through incredible collaborative partnerships and through the inspiration their work gives to us.

For example, Mathoura Ith, one of the founders of the first public interest law firm in Cambodia, leading the struggle for land use rights, has shown us that even when you are physically small and soft-spoken you can win crucial legal fights against “the big boys”.  In Peru, Lily La Torre, a human rights activist and lawyer, has been fighting for decades for justice for indigenous communities injured by the activities of the petro-chemical industry, undeterred by the long-term nature of the struggle.  Jingjing Zhang, one of the leading environmental lawyers in China, has inspired us with her never-flagging spirit, despite working for justice in some of the most heavily polluted places on the planet. 

Meanwhile, often outside the spotlight, the women who have attended and graduated from our EarthRights School Burma and EarthRights School Mekong inspire us every day with their dedicated pursuit of justice in their own countries and communities.

When I sat down  in Torts on my first day of law school, I had no way of knowing that I was sitting next to a future Harvard Law School Professor.  I mean, he looked smart enough, and he definitely took better notes than I did, but I wouldn’t have guessed that he was headed there at that time.  But now, 18 years after we both made it through Torts (and so much more!) I was not all all surprised when Tyler Giannini told me that he had been appointed as a clinical law professor at one of our nation’s most prestigious institutions.

Harvard is lucky to have one of ERI’s founders and former co-directors, who together with Ka Hsaw Wa and myself, was idealistic enough to think that the most marginalized and oppressed people in the world should enjoy basic human rights, and that even the most powerful governments and corporations should be subject to the rule of law.  Tyler gave everything of himself to EarthRights for a decade,  from the courtroom against Unocal to the classrooms of our EarthRights Schools.  The organization wouldn’t be the success it is today without Tyler’s vision and audacity—two of the many qualitites that Tyler will bring to the students and faculty of Harvard Law School. 

Tyler joined HLS as a clinical advocacy fellow in 2004, was appointed as a lecturer on law in 2006, and became director of the International Human Rights Clinic in 2007.  Tyler and ERI have continued to collaborate on a variety of projects, including a recent amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court.  We’ve benefited from the excellent law students and graduates that Tyler has continued to send our way; communities around the world have benefited from Tyler’s tireless commitment to their rights.  Needless to say, we at ERI are thrilled for Tyler, and proud that he originally made his name here at EarthRights.   We’re looking forward to continued collaboration with Tyler and HLS, and of course to future progress and victories that we’ll celebrate together.

I just had lunch with my friends—most of whom have been my friends for at least 15 years, and who became my friends because of our common work for human rights and environmental justice.  We came together today to remember Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni 9, who were hanged 15 years ago today in Nigeria for their nonviolent protest against Shell’s destruction of their homeland.

This was a different kind of lunch meeting than we’re accustomed to in DC, home of the quintessential power lunch. Honestly, how often do seasoned activists and NGO leaders from EarthRights International, Oil Change International, Amnesty International, Sierra Club and so many other groups sit around the same table specifically to NOT network, strategize and plan?  Of course, a little of that snuck in…  But mostly we spent our time sharing memories of how these unbelievable executions changed us.  It was a rare time to reflect, remember, mourn, and yes, celebrate, the work that we do and remember the life and legacy of a person whose work is still so important and relevant in today’s world.

Like us, communities, the media, organizations, and friends around the world gathered to remember the executions in different ways.  Not all of these events were as cost-free as ours.  Ogoni in Port Harcourt held a candlelight vigil as they do every year on this day.  The Nigerian mobile police reportedly opened fire on this peaceful assembly.  

In the UK, Remember Saro-Wiwa has launched a “Fifteen Years On” podcast which you can listen to or download for free.

The Guardian UK published newly disclosed documents from ERI’s lawsuit Wiwa v. Shell, exposing Shell’s post-execution PR strategy to rebrand its image in the face of international outrage, and threats of boycotts and legal action.

On November 7th, less than 3 weeks from today, Burma will hold its first elections in more than 20 years. I attended a conference today that brought together some of the world's leading experts on the human rights and political situation in Burma, hoping to find some reason to hope that November 7th will provide new opportunities for change in a country that has become so close to my heart. And while experts ranging from the refugee to the Nobel Laureate agreed that the elections will not produce a "new" or "democratic" government in any real sense, I nevertheless left inspired and energized to do even more to bring an end to Burma's suffering.

There was much debate and discussion about how best to do just that. I found it gratifying that there was such broad consensus on issues that EarthRights has been advocating for quite some time; first, that any real change and transition in Burma must consider and prioritize the ethnic people and their particular struggles. The case for "democracy first, ethnic issues second" is no longer being made. Likewise, there was much discussion of the need to provide real incentives to the regime, its neighbors and its allies to push for change. Whether they preferred carrots or sticks, most were in agreement that simple engagement with the regime, without contingencies, would not work. Professor Amartya Sen eloquently ridiculed this notion, dismissing ASEAN's claims to have given the junta an "earful" by stating that "the military butchers in Burma are happy to have their ears full so long as they have their hands free."

We heard about the ongoing atrocities and crimes against humanity that have defined Burma for decades; we heard about China's refusal to push for a Commission of Inquiry; and we heard about ASEAN's reluctance to "interfere" in Burma's sovereign affairs; and all of the interests in preserving the status quo.

So why was I inspired and energized? Because I feel like I got a wakeup call today. It's easy to feel depressed and hopeless when you've been working on Burma issues for more than 15 years, hearing the same stories that you've heard since day one, and not seeing any improvement. But whatever your tactic -- engagement, isolation, or targeted sanctions in the banking sector -- just do something, and do it now, because no matter how long this struggle lasts or how ineffective this year's election are likely to be, action today is as urgent and crucial as ever.

Two years ago, I joined thousands of people in west London to protest the construction of a third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow airport.  The proposed expansion would have almost doubled air traffic into Heathrow, causing increased air and noise pollution, climate change, and devastating impacts to local communities. I was thrilled to turn on my computer last week and read that the new UK government has scrapped the project! This is a huge victory for the people, the planet, and all of the organizers and activists that made it happen.

While I certainly can’t take credit for this victory, I can’t help feeling connected to it because of the one day that I raised my voice.  I just happened to be in London for a conference when a friend and fellow activist invited me to join the protest.  It was a gorgeous Saturday afternoon in May, and we met up with friends from Platform UK, Greenpeace and other organizations helping to challenge this project which—like so many that we at EarthRights deal with—was both impractical and unnecessary. Because of the widespread impacts to both communities and the environment, the protest was filled with diversity. Residents spoke of their homes that would be lost; environmentalists implored the government to expand rail access; spiritual leaders spoke of our common duty to protect the earth; and teachers and children from local schools described the disruptions to their learning from overhead planes. It’s the same story we hear at EarthRights all too often -- everyone, from every walk of life, had something to lose if the private interests won and moved forward with the expansion.

I’m glad that they didn’t.  I’ll always remember how I felt that perfect spring day, in the middle of a village field as bands and children played, and thousands of us organized our bodies to form a huge NO, which passing aircraft could certainly see.  I remember seeing photos of that NO in the newspapers the next day, and looking for myself and my friends on the left side of the letter O.  While there were too many people for me to pick myself out, I knew I was there. Yes, I was one person, taking action for one day, on one event.  But it was part of a sustained, well organized campaign—a campaign that I have followed since then, and a campaign that I can feel proud to say that we won.  Onward!