Subject: Re Indigenous environmental activists.....

on 5/6/02 1:12 PM, rdewinte@aiusa.org  at rdewinte@aiusa.org  wrote:

Amnesty International , Rebecca de Winter wrote me this , to forward also, so any ideas......it is in relation to a new project Indigenous Peoples, please forward this message to related NGO's/ communities and so on.

We are looking for environmental activists who have distinguished themselves through outstanding efforts to preserve the natural environment (e.g. through protecting endangered ecosystems and species, combating environmentally and socially destructive development projects, promoting sustainable development, and striving for environmental justice), 
with a special focus on recognizing grassroots efforts. In addition, we do have a special interest in identifying activists who may have experienced human rights abuses because of their work.

In order to identify leading activists, we would need answers to the following questions:
What is the activist's environmental achievement?
What is the nature of the environmental problem addressed?
How did the activist address the problem?
What were the results of the activist's work?
Did the activist face hardships because of his or her work?
How was the activist's work significant (i.e. at a local, national or global scale)?
What has been the history of the activist's involvement with environmental issues?
What are the names of groups or people who could verify the importance and significance of the activist's work?

By highlighting the work of key environmental defenders, we are hoping to help their cause by drawing international attention and recognition to their work, and using the Amnesty mechanism to ensure that they have a safe place to conduct their work without experiencing threats, harassment, or intimidation.

Hope this helps. E-mail me if you have any questions. I will be back in the office next week. Good luck at the forum!

Rebecca