Languages
Maria Ronely Bisquera-Sheen - ELAW Interview Series
By: Priscila Néri
Posted: Jul 2 09
Witnessed: 2130 veces
Regions: Philippines
Issues: Corporations and human rights, Environment, Sustainable development
Tags: advocacy, environmental education, environmental governance, environmental justice, environmental law, legal, public interest law
In the Phillippines, a government agency was tasked with investigating a waste treatment company that, rather than processing the waste, had been dumping it raw on agricultural land, causing great destruction. However, the agency faced a significant challenge: lack of experience with specific investigative and legal techniques for examining environmental degradation.
That’s where Maria Ronely Bisquera-Sheen and the organization she heads, Tanggol Kalikasan, come in, providing the assistance such governmental agencies need to fight the green fight. Tanggol Kalikasan's mission is to empower communities and institutions to manage their ecosystem through law and other creative mechanisms. Its programs include capacity building, support for environmental law enforcement, public environmental legal education, and policy advocacy.
In this interview with WITNESS - part of our special ELAW series - Maria talks about this case and the general landscape of environmental justice and human rights in the Philippines.
MORE ON THE PHILIPPINES
* Tanggol Kalikasan, a public interest environmental law office
* Video: Human Rights abuses at mining site in the Philippines (Oxfam Australia)
* The Hub: Videos on the Philippines
* Karapatan, Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights (Philippines)
* Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines
* Human Rights Watch on the Philippines
* Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Text by WITNESS intern Dave Taub
[Thanks to our amazing team of interns that made these interviews possible!]
Related Media
Black Wave: The Legacy of the Exxon Valdez
Teaser of Black Wave, a documentary about the Exxon Valdez tragedy. Check out our official website: blackwavethefilm.com....
Regions: United States
Issues: Corporations and human rights, Environment, Sustainable development
Michael Goldhaber on the outcome of the Shell trial settlement
Following the $15.5 million settlement between Shell Oil and the family of Ken Saro-Wiwa, Michael Goldhaber discusses the settlement's implications for human rights and the use of Alien Tort.
...Regions: Nigeria, United States
Issues: Corporations and human rights, Crimes against humanity, Environment
Testimony from Cameroon: Jeanne Noah
...
Regions: Cameroon
Issues: Corporations and human rights, Environment, Sustainable development
Related Groups
Bulatlat
Bulatlat is the Philippines's top alternative online publication....
Regions: Philippines
Issues: Armed conflict, Child labor, Children's rights
Organization for Visual Progression
The Organization for Visual Progression (OVP) is dedicated to providing individuals and organizations with the opportunity to create and utilize visual media in their advocacy efforts and social justi...
Regions: Netherlands, Philippines, United States
Issues: Corporations and human rights, Corruption, Education
KODAO Productions
KODAO Productions has four (4) core programs: Film and Video Production, Radio Production, Training and Education, and Outreach and Networking....
Regions: Philippines
Issues: Corporations and human rights, Sustainable development
Chintan
India, along with most of the developing world, is undergoing an extraordinary transformation, driven by both globalization and urbanization....
Regions: India
Issues: Environment, Poverty, Sustainable development
The 1Sky Campaign
Right now, across the country, scores of organizations, leaders and everyday citizens are ready to tackle global warming....