30 Years of EarthRights
Over the past three decades, EarthRights International has grown and evolved, expanding our work to set historic legal precedents that protect land defenders and the environment. We have also developed and expanded our global training initiatives, supporting activists and lawyers to strengthen their skills in defense of ancestral lands and affected communities. Read more about our journey:
1995
Ka Hsaw Wa, Katie Redford, and Tyler Giannini establish EarthRights International in Thailand, with a $35,000 grant from the Echoing Green Foundation to harness the power of law and the power of people in support of human rights and the environment.
1996
EarthRights publishes its first report, Total Denial, which is later made into the documentary film of the same name. The Doe v. Unocal lawsuit is filed.
1999
EarthRights School is established to train human rights and land defenders from Myanmar (Burma). EarthRights’ first U.S. office opens. Ka Hsaw Wa wins the Goldman Environmental Prize, honoring grassroots environmental activists.
2001
Aiming to strengthen the knowledge and capacity of Indigenous leaders confronting extractive projects in their communities, EarthRights launches the Amazon School for Human Rights and the Environment in Quito, Ecuador, in partnership with the Center for Economic and Social Rights.
2002
The Karenni Social Development Center is set up by graduates from the EarthRights School to provide training on human rights, democracy, law, and the environment for youth living in the Karenni Refugee Camp.
2005
EarthRights wins a major victory with the settlement of Doe v. Unocal, the case that started it all. Ka Hsaw Wa is named Executive Director.
2006
EarthRights Mekong School is established in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
2009
The Mekong Legal Advocacy Institute and the Mekong Legal Network are launched. The lawsuit Wiwa v. Royal Dutch Shell forces Shell to settle immediately before trial. Nigerian plaintiffs represented by EarthRights are awarded $15.5 million.
2011
EarthRights establishes its Amazon office in Lima, Peru. EarthRights partners with the Mae Tao clinic to establish the Health and EarthRights Training Center in Thailand. The Health and EarthRights School is established, providing training for traveling health workers and medical staff.
2012
EarthRights opens an office in Yangon, Myanmar, after years of consolidating expertise on forced labor, women’s rights, and other human rights abuses regarding development projects, such as dams and mining in Myanmar.
2015
EarthRights and five Indigenous Achuar communities from the Peruvian Amazon secure a major legal victory when Occidental Petroleum Corp agrees to settle a suit regarding the company’s environmental harms. EarthRights convenes the first Seminar on Indigenous Legal Defense in Latin America, where defenders from the region learn skills and access legal tools for defending their land and environment.
2017
2019
The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the International Finance Corporation is not immune from liability in U.S. courts, delivering a victory for our clients in the case Jam v. IFC. Katie Redford steps down as director to join the Equation Campaign but continues to serve in an advisory capacity.
2022
EarthRights is awarded the Roosevelt Prize from the American Bar Association in recognition of our contributions to human rights around the world. Ka Hsaw Wa accepted the prize alongside our allies at Human Rights Watch. The first Global Convening/Global School is held in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
2023
Expansion of our work in the United States and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ka Hsaw Wa steps down as executive director.
2024
Bobbie Sta Maria joins EarthRights as executive director and EarthRights wins a historic victory in Doe v. Chiquita Brands International. Our team achieves a landmark settlement in the class action lawsuit against the International Finance Corporation, and secures an unprecedented decision from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on the rights of the U’wa Nation.
2025
EarthRights celebrates 30 years of setting legal precedents and achieving impact around the world. The EarthRights School resumes its seven-month program. A new strategic plan sets a bold vision for the future of the organization.
Help us continue this important work with your donation.
