ERI'S Goals


Empower impoverished communities of the global south in managing and directing their own local development.

Bridge the divide between academic research in sustainable development and action in the filed.

Build a culture of Peace by promoting cross-cultural collaboration and encouraging appreciation for cultural diversity.

Advance solutions to crucial global issues in African development and create awareness by supporting African Solidarity across the globe

Earth Rights Institute is a social network

Who are we?

Incorporated in 2001 and recognized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization by the American Internal Revenue Service, Earth Rights Institute (ERI) takes an innovative approach to join education, advocacy and research in building ecologically, economically and culturally sustainable communities in some of the world’s poorest communities. Earth Rights Institute advocates a model of development that supports the re-localization of development expertise. We believe that in order to empower communities of the global south to manage and direct their own development, strategies and expert knowledge must be conceived locally. ERI is a United Nations NGO affiliate for ECOSOC, UN Habitat, UNCSD, and UN Finance and Development. 

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Blog Posts

Land Grab and Its Implication

Posted by Audu Liberty Oseni on January 25, 2012 at 8:44am

LAND A MEASURE OF MAN’S WEALTH

Posted by Audu Alhassan on December 20, 2011 at 4:06am

OIL CONFLICT IN NIGER DELTA

Posted by Audu Alhassan on December 20, 2011 at 3:30am

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EARTH RIGHTS REVIEW - SECOND EDITION MAY 2012

NEWS AND REVIEWS FROM AFRICAEditor Gordon Abiama

MAY 2012 Edition of Earth Rights Review is now available, a part of our Land Rights Program.

It is our great pleasure to announce to you the second editon of our monthly electronic newsletter, Earth Rights Review - May 2012

Our aim of these monthly publications is to consolidate and to build a strong advocacy network on land issues, especially in Africa, that strikes at the root of human existence.

Earth Rights Review is a project of Africa Centre for Geoclassical Economics, Nigeria. The e-newsletter will always endeavor to throw light on many of today's baffling questions about distribution of wealth, land rights and much more.

To learn more go to our Land Rights Program webpage for updates and to engage in discussions on this very important issue.

 

 

LATEST UPDATES FROM IVORY COAST

MAY 2012 UPDATES
ERI WEST AFRICA OFFICE ABIDJAN 
Latest news is that we have started the rice cultivation program with over 1500 hectares of land being planted by local women groups in the northern region of Ivory Coast.  More information coming soon.  Well done Dr. Toure.

APRIL 2012 UPDATES
We are happy to announce that our elected
Executive Director for Administration
in Europe representing Earth Rights Institute West Africa
and
ERI West Coast office
Mr. Michel Sindou from Denmark
will be joining Executive Director Dr. Dramane Toure at our West Africa office in Abidjan, Ivory Coast
 
His purpose to travel and join Dr. Toure this March will be to release the Copenhagen Climate Change grant funding of $40,000 towards ERI West Africa programs.  This is just the beginning of the important work that needs to be done to help the Ivory Coast stablize its people and move forward into a more sustainable and prosperous era.
 
Michel Sindou Konate has been advocating and promoting our efforts since 2009 in Europe when he was officially elected to represent us.
He and Dr. Toure attended the very important Climate Change meeting in Copenhagen and together have been working together to secure funds.
 
We are proud and happy to hear this news.  In the meantime, we still await for funding from the GEF and World Bank promised for the Ivory Coast that includes Earth Rights Institute into the overall initiative to combat poverty, climate change and environmental degradation.  We are the sole international NGO to officially be part of this government initiative.  We have faith that eventually the urgent funds will be released and we can start fulltime working for the people and the lands of the region. 
 
 
 
We need your support more than ever to continue our important work that we must do!

ECO-VILLAGES WILL BE PROMOTED AND HIGHLIGHTED AT THE RIO+20 EARTH SUMMIT



ECO-VILLAGE MODELS WILL BE PROMOTED AT RIO+20 EARTH SUMMIT CONFERENCE - GAINING POPULARITY WORLDWIDE

Implementing Sustainable Development in an Integrated Manner: 

From the Local to Global Level for Rio +20

Rob Wheeler, UN Representative for the Global Ecovillage Network, US Citizens Network for Sustainable Development, and Commons Action for the UN, will be attending the upcoming Rio+20 Earth Summit as well as many others from the Global Ecovillage Network coming in from all over the world.  Earth Rights Institute is part of the EcoEarth Alliance and  has continued to be engaged with the movement for eco-villages. Popularity for this form of development is rising.  

ERI has presented at international conferences and forums on climate change, sustainable development and leadership to include community directed initiatives as they have shown to be the most successful and positive impact on local communities. Our recent efforts has been to integrate into the global development world of academics, local governments and NGOs education that is a holistic sustainable community design.  Our educational program is based on four core pillars: the social, worldview, ecological and economic dimensions of sustainability.  Models such as eco-villages and sustainable villages provide the experience and expertise needed to give practical application to this global education.   We have expanded our work to include exploration of potential local trade systems among these sustainable communities with our Beyond Fair Trade Initiative for Senegal.  

 

Please join us or support us to bring about a brighter future for all!  Please promote our work and let all attendees to the Rio+20 Summit know about the work of the Global Ecovillage Network!   

on hold - Eco-Health and Wellness Program for Nigeria

THIS PROGRAM IS CURRENTLY ON HOLD DUE TO THE POLITICAL UNREST AND BOMBINGS GOING ON IN NIGERIA.

Eco-Health and Wellness Program for Kwara State, Nigeria

photo: Kaiama Health Care Providers

A Pilot Model for Kaiama and Baruteen District

ERI have been working as an NGO in Nigeria since 2004. Our director, Annie Goeke, has been recruited to further expand our work in the country to develop an Eco- Health and Wellness Campaign in the state of Kwara, southwestern region of Nigeria.

 

After visiting in August for a fact finding trip, ERI is ready to start the implementation process. Beginning this Fall 2011, ERI is recruiting teams of volunteers, student interns, medical workers, physicians, and others with expert knowledge in the areas of public health, sanitation, women’s education, youth, and community development to send to the state of Kwara. These volunteers and experts will participate in this campaign.

This program will initiate various programs addressing health, wellness, sanitation, and pollution, as well as empower young adults in becoming health and wellness advocates in their communities and provide ideas in economic capacity building projects addressing health and wellness.  The major diseases are malaria, typhoid, TB, HIV/AIDs, and arthritis.   

Partnerships are being formed with Nigerian academics,NGOs, relevant government agencies and local leaders.  Together, this community-based program will engage the local communities to bring about a brighter and healthier future.  

 

What's New - ERI Beyond Fair Trade 2011

BEYOND FAIR TRADE (BFT) Initiative

Feasibility Study and International Forum, Senegal

For the past few months, ERI interns, Kayla Casavant and Hristo Maroko have been busy moving forward our BFT program.

 

Here is some of the latest information reported by HRISTO MAROKOV

ERI INTERN FROM UCLA - PROGRAM DIRECTOR SENEGAL FOR SUMMER 

With extensive assistance from the Senegalese Government – Agence
National des Eco-villages we developed this fair trade model. The
model includes four major operational cells: the producers of raw
materials, the cooperative (established around “green” storage
facility), the transformation groups, and the micro-finance
organization. They are to interact within the warehouse receipt system context. This is vastly popular agriculture warranty system used worldwide, which allows agriculture producers to eliminate to some extent the seasonal fluctuations of the crop prices. Mainly, it makes small producers to act as large producers allowing them to wait for better price on their production.  

The pilot cooperative is to be formed from interested parties
(producers and ANEV) around the new storage facility site at
Diamnadio. The Micro-credit Organization (MO) represents the link between the producer and the cooperative. The cooperative does not pay in cash the producer but issues a bond. Later, this bond is cashed by the producer at the Micro-credit organization. They are also the link between the women working on transforming the raw products. As to the transformation process, it will be funded by the MO and guaranteed with raw and processed production.
For rendering this entire model related products marketable, they are
to be “Eco-village” labeled. 

Why we can name it “Beyond Fair Trade”?
The “green” storage facilities, the inclusion of marginalized social
groups in the transformation groups along with the “green” packaging
of the processed products and the non-profit financial organization
participation is giving to the model the environmental and social
sustainability aspects.

The first step toward implementing this model would be extensive
research on the raw and transformed products with respect to each
village, as well as on on producers’ economic capabilities. We have
been working on questionnaires which will be soon available. 

 For further information:

Visit the Beyond Fair Trade - Senegal Website

and Earth Rights Intern in Senegal, Kayla's blog

 

 

ERI Advocacy and Policies - Land Rights and Other Economic Initiatives

EARTH RIGHTS  Advocacy and Policies 2010

Land Rights and other economic initiatives

Co-Director, Alanna Hartzok- Annual Report

 

Slums in Jakarta

 A primary mission of Earth Rights Institute is to promote policies and programs which further democratic rights to common heritage resources. Our Land Rights and Land Value Capture online course now has nearly 500 people enrolled from 76 countries. Modules include land rights and poverty, land prices and the law of rent, and the economics of war and peace. The course describes how the policy of land value capture or taxation is a key to new economics policy that addresses a number of issues including affordable housing for all, funding infrastructure, promoting land reform, and improving the environment, especially when combined with green taxes. Course graduates receive a certificate and are eligible to develop policy research and implementation projects in partnership with ERI.

  Our pilot implementation project was launched in Pretoria, South Africa, and was coordinated by Tunde Dairo. Eighty people enrolled for the online course and participants conducted research, as well, a public forum was held. The project was funded through a grant from the International Union for Land Value Taxation (IU), and helped us build a clear direction for future projects.

 In November we launched a project in Caracas, Venezuela, led by Dr. Quisia Gonzalez, a land and human rights professor at the Henry George School of Social Science. Our Caracas parnters, The Prout Research Institute was Quisia's host organization for the time she was there. Our funding partner organizations for this project are the Robert Schalkenbach Foundation and the IU. Before leaving for Caracas, Gonzalez and Alanna Hartzokwere interviewed on the Harold Channer  Show, which now can be viewed YouTube  

Click the link for more information or to enroll in the ERI LAND RIGHTS COURSE

 
 
 

ERI NEEDS YOUR HELP FOR 2012


HELP US TO CONTINUE OUR IMPORTANT WORK!!!

 Send checks to

ERI, PO BOX 5404

SANTA MONICA, CA 90409

 

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SWF joins ERI

Servicing Wild Flowers International [SWF] is a Los Angeles based NGO working to end female genital mutilation-FGM inSierra Leone by empowering men, women and children through education, medical care, economic opportunities and the arts.

ERI is proud to be working with Nina Smart, the founder/CEO of SWF and to be their fiscal sponsor to help them flourish with their new programs in the near future.  

For further information about their work please check out their website:

SWF International

LIFT INVESTMENTS JOINS ERI

ERI is happy to be a fiscal sponsor for LIFT Investments.  It is a pleasure to be working directly with Natasha Myles, founder/Director of this new initiative.  We are excited by their program and hope to collaborate more as they build support.

"LIFT Investments is a non-profit social investment fund dedicated to building economies and alleviating poverty in East Africa. To achieve this, LIFT invests in growing businesses and offers job skills training to the company’s unskilled workers – people earning about US$2/day - on skill gaps in the company. LIFT creates jobs, supports economies and builds a middle class in target East African countries."

For further information check out 

LIFE Investments

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ERI Publication

Publications - The Earth Belongs to Everyone

A compilation of articles and essays by ERI Co-Director Alanna Hartzok    has received the Radical Middle Book Award. This annual award is given to books that best exemplify a politics that  are grounded in practical reality, and at the same time are deeply creative and imaginative.

The 360 page book sets forth the vision and policy foundation for "Earth Rights Democracy" as an essential ethical basis necessary to secure other economic human rights and to create a world of peace and plenty for all.

"The Earth Belongs to Everyone" presents a large and hopeful worldview with profound possibilities for transformational action for peace, economic justice, and environmental restoration. 

The book alone is $25. 

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