| |||||
|
|||||
Environmental Defender's Office |
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
EDO International ProgramThe objectives of the International Program are:
The EDO's international program includes:
Since 1999, the EDO has received funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur foundation for capacity-building in the region. More information about the MacArthur Foundation can be found at: www.macfound.org. Support for Groups working to protect the environment in the Pacific and South-East AsiaThe EDO supports individuals and groups working to protect the environment in the Pacific and South-East Asia. Countries where we have provided assistance include Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu and Indonesia. The EDO works in partnership with public interest organisations in the Pacific and South-East Asia with activities in:
 In 2006, one of the EDO's longstanding partners in PNG was awarded the prestigious Goldman Prize, the world's largest award for grassroots environmentalists. Ms Anne Kajir, CEO of the Environmental Law Centre (ELC) in Port Moresby, received the award for her tireless work, often at great personal risk, to draw attention to widespread corruption and government complicity in illegal logging that is destroying the largest remaining intact block of tropical forest in the Asia Pacific region. In 1997, her first year practicing law, Anne successfully went to the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea to force the logging interests to pay damages to indigenous land owners. More information about ELC, Anne and the Goldman Prize... EDO lawyers also participate actively in the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (E-LAW), an international network of public interest environmental lawyers, to share and develop and legal capacity in public interest organisations.
Placements for Australians to work with environmental organisations in the Pacific and South-East AsiaThe EDO coordinates the placement of Australians to work with public interest environmental organisation in the Pacific and South-East Asia. The EDO partners with AusAID to create Australian-government funded placements in the region for up to two years. Volunteers typically work in environmental law, science or policy. Current placements include:
Partner organisations for previous placements include the Community Legal Education Centre in Cambodia, the Centre for Human Rights and Environment in Argentina, the Wantok Environment Centre in Vanuatu and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Regional Office for Oceania in Fiji. Click here for information about placements currently being advertised, or contact for information about new placements being developed. For more information about AusAID's volunteer programs, see: www.ayad.com.au, www.vidavolunteers.com.au, www.australianvolunteers.com and www.lawyersbeyondborders.com  The Centre for Human Rights and Development (CHRD) conducts public interest environmental advocacy activities that focus on protecting the rights of Mongolia's nomadic herders from the negative environmental and social impacts of mining.
Recent achievements include successful lobbying to enhance public participation provisions in mining legislation, the publication of a public interest litigation manual for lawyers, and the initiation of a strategic litigation committee within the Association of Mongolian Advocates. CHRD has also commenced a number of court cases in relation to the failure of mining companies to rehabilitate mine sites, breaches of water legislation and mineral licensing procedure, and breaches of environmental impact assessment law. Photo: AYAD lawyer at the Centre for Human Rights and Development (CHRD) discussing environmental rights with local community members affected by mining in Arkhangai province, Mongolia
International Policy DevelopmentThe EDO 's international work focuses on the areas of climate change, biodiversity, Indigenous rights, marine and forestry law. The EDO undertakes policy work including:
EDO submissions and policy papers can be found here. The EDO, as part of the Australian Network of Environmental Defender's Offices (ANEDO) is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The IUCN is the world's oldest and largest global environmental network and a key forum for the development of international environmental law. For more information about the IUCN's Environmental Law program, see: www.iucn.org/themes/law. Internships with the EDO International ProgramThe EDO welcomes applications from Australian and international law students interested in public interest environmental law in the Pacific and South-East Asia. Recent interns have worked on forestry and climate change issues to support work in Papua New Guinea. Interns may work full time for short periods, or for one or two days per week over longer periods. The EDO does not normally provide funding for internships, although small grants may be available for specific projects. EDO Interns are encouraged to secure funding from sponsoring institutions; the EDO can assist with letters of support. Interested students are encouraged to send a preliminary letter of inquiry and a resume to: LinksThe EDO works with a broad range of groups across Asia and the Pacific. While many of our partners do not maintain websites, the following links provide useful information about groups working in the region.
|
