See the PDF version of the Mid Year Update.

Greetings from the EarthRights team! This year so far has presented us with many challenges. While the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States is experiencing a civil rights movement that will reverberate for generations to come. Meanwhile, we must all continue to confront the threats arising from the climate emergency.

The far-reaching impacts of the pandemic, especially on vulnerable communities and at-risk defenders, and the state response to protests in the United States proves how important it is to ensure that protections for defenders exist.

Our attorneys and legal fellows are working night and day to prepare corporate accountability cases for virtual courtrooms, in some cases by telephone or Zoom for the first time in history. Our training teams are adapting lesson plans to virtual courses and our campaigners and storytellers are giving voice to those under even greater threats during lock-down. Just last month, our team in Peru filed a legal action on behalf of ONAMIAP against the Peruvian government demanding protections for indigenous populations during the pandemic.

Despite the disruption of COVID-19, we’ve made great progress in the first half of the year and we are excited to share these updates with the partners and allies who made this success possible. This Mid-Year Update will feature successes and challenges, stories and achievements, and media and recognition from our work around the globe. We highlight progress made since the launch of our new Strategic Plan, all while continuing to double-down during a chaotic time of a global pandemic where defenders are challenged in new ways.