EarthRights International has been creating groundbreaking legal precedent to protect environmental defenders and the land for 30 years. From the cloud forests of the Mekong river basin to the Amazon jungle, we have supported activists, defenders, and communities facing unchecked corporate power that seeks to destroy their livelihoods and natural resources. 

Everything began in 1995, when a Burmese environmental defender and two young American lawyers came together in Thailand and applied for a grant from the Echoing Green Foundation. Their vision and mission was clear – to harness the power of law and the power of people in support of human rights and the environment.

They won the first grant for $35,000, launched their first legal case (Doe v. Unocal), and EarthRights International was born. Three decades later, we celebrate the work of founders Ka Hsaw Wa, Katie Redford, and Tyler Giannini, and the work that our dedicated team members have carried out in support of defenders across the globe. 

In 2025, EarthRights is a truly global organization. We work across five continents and have expanded our work into education and training initiatives. Our passionate team of multilingual lawyers, education experts, fundraising strategists, monitoring and evaluation advisors, and more work tirelessly every day to make sure that EarthRights will last far into the future. 

On Jun 26, 2025, EarthRights held an event in San Francisco to commemorate 30 years of global-to-local impact. We gathered supporters, funders, donors, and activists to take stock of everything we have achieved so far, but also to acknowledge that the fight is far from over. 

You can read more about our journey over the past 30 years here, and find resources from our 30th Anniversary Event below: