In this issue:

• Live in the Bay Area? Join us in San Francisco this Saturday for the Global Frackdown!
• Report-back from the Rights of Nature seminar in Richmond, CA
• A Rights of Nature First: New Zealand river recognized as legal entity
• Community Rights News & Views

Don’t Frack California!

There is no safe fracking, but it is happening throughout California with no warning! That’s why Global Exchange works with communities to pass rights-based laws that BAN fracking at the local level and place community decision-making above corporate greed. But the first step is getting the word out – so please join us for the Global Frackdown September 22.

Join Food&Water Watch, Global Exchange, 350.org, EarthWorks, Center for Biological Diversity, Women’s Earth and Climate Caucus, Code Pink and others as we get down with the Global Frackdown here in the Bay Area to SAY “NO” to fracking, and stand in solidarity with communities all over the world who are standing up and fighting back! Find out more.

10AM — Rally and March to the Golden Gate Bridge

• Meet at the Warming Hut on Crissy Field, there will be coffee/bagels to get us started
• Please bring your own signs if you have them OR There will be plenty of goodies to make your own sign on the spot!
• Rally speakers including Global Exchange's Shannon Biggs

Refineries, Rights, and Richmond, CA

Last weekend, Community Rights Program Director Shannon Biggs led a Rights of Nature seminar along with Osprey Orielle-Lake of the Women’s Earth & Climate Caucus.

A diverse group of Bay Area residents and activists attended to explore Rights of Nature. Out of the seminar came a call for a future event to explore how a rights-based ordinance could help elevate the rights of Richmond residents above the interests of Chevron. For more, read this blog.

New Zealand River first in the world to be recognized as a rights holder

In an agreement between the Whanagui River indigenous group, the Iwi, and the New Zealand government last month; the Whanaganui River became the first river in the world to have legal standing.

Treaty minister Christopher Finlayson said of the historic event:

"Whanganui Iwi recognize the value others place on the river and wanted to ensure that all stakeholders and the river community as a whole are actively engaged in developing the long-term future of the river and ensuring its wellbeing." Read more.

Community Rights News & Views

In the Fall 2012 issue of Yes! Magazine, independent journalist Jeff Conant wrote an in-depth article titled The Dark Side of the Green Economy: why some indigenous groups and environmentalists are saying no to the “green economy.”

Jeff is also a co-author of Global Exchange’s report The Rights of Nature: Planting Seeds of Real Change.

For Community Rights,

Kylie Nealis
Program Associate, Community Rights