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Mar 12, 2019
Thom Hartmann interviews CELDF’s Ohio organizer Tish O’Dell on the Lake Erie Bill of Rights adopted by Toledo residents.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryMar 10, 2019
“What we really need to do is look at the (lake) as a whole, as an ecosystem that has inherent rights, that transcends the political parties of the day.”
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryMar 1, 2019
“We’ve been using the same laws for decades to try and protect Lake Erie. They’re clearly not working.” Thus, Toledo, Ohio, community members recognized the rights of Lake Erie via the ballot.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryMar 1, 2019
The Editorial Board of the Toledo Blade takes a stand for the Lake Erie Bill of Rights.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsFeb 28, 2019
Lake Erie joins growing numbers of ecosystems around the world where people and governments are recognizing their rights to exist, flourish, and evolve.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryFeb 28, 2019
Lake Erie’s legal rights are now acknowledged following Toledo, Ohio’s, special election on Tuesday.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsFeb 27, 2019
Lake Erie now has legally-enforceable rights, with the overwhelming majority of Toledo, Ohio, residents voting in support of their Lake Erie Bill of Rights citizen initiative.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryFeb 27, 2019
A groundbreaking election in Toledo, Ohio, puts this midwestern city on the map – voters recognized the rights of Lake Erie and can take legal action to protect it.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryFeb 27, 2019
Lake Erie Bill of Rights is enacted by the people of Toledo, Ohio!
Read More | Community Wires, Success StoryFeb 26, 2019
Today, Toledo, Ohio, residents are voting on recognizing the rights of Lake Erie to exist and flourish – the next step in a changing landscape where the rights of ecosystems are expanding globally.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryFeb 26, 2019
After 21/2 years working to place their Lake Erie Bill of Rights on the ballot, Toledo, Ohio, residents celebrate victory for the Great Lake.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryFeb 26, 2019
An historic vote by the people of Toledo, Ohio, marks the first time in the U.S. that the rights of an entire ecosystem are secured in law.
Read More | Community Wires, Press Releases & Blogs, Success StoryFeb 25, 2019
After decades of failed regulations to “protect” Lake Erie and several years of record-breaking algae blooms, Toledo, Ohio, residents prepare to vote on the Lake Erie Bill of Rights.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryFeb 21, 2019
Government representatives, acting on behalf of industry, have failed to protect Lake Erie. Toledo, Ohio, residents advance a Lake Erie Bill of Rights ballot measure to protect the Lake, their water, and their community. They vote next Tuesday.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryFeb 19, 2019
While elected officials do nothing substantive to protect Lake Erie, Toledo residents follow in the footsteps of indigenous and other communities, voting next week on a groundbreaking citizen initiative to recognize the rights of the Great Lake.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryFeb 18, 2019
As the well-being of Lake Erie deteriorates, Toledoans are taking action, voting next week on a Lake Erie Bill of Rights citizen initiative. This is part of a growing strategy to recognize the Rights of Nature.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryFeb 9, 2019
Meigs County, Ohio, residents join six other communities in a federal Civil Rights lawsuit. The suit alleges Ohio government officials have routinely blocked valid citizen initiatives from the ballot.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsFeb 9, 2019
Traditional indigenous legal principles view nature and people as part of a whole. Today, the White Earth Band of Ojibwe is part of a growing movement to recognize these principles in modern law.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryFeb 6, 2019
CELDF assisted Honor the Earth to develop the first Rights of Nature law to protect a plant species, which was adopted by the White Earth Band of Ojibwe.
Read More | Community Wires, Press Releases & Blogs, Success StoryFeb 5, 2019
Medina County, Ohio, residents are part of a federal Civil Rights lawsuit filed to protect the rights of Ohio citizens to vote on proposed citizen initiatives. The lawsuit was filed after years of state officials blocking community members from the ballot.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsFeb 4, 2019
Ohio officials have blocked citizen initiatives advancing communities and nature’s rights since 2015. In response, citizen have filed suit against Ohio’s Secretary of State and local Boards of Elections.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsFeb 4, 2019
Fighting to protect Ohioans’ right to citizen initiative, seven communities partner with CELDF to file a Civil Rights lawsuit in federal court.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsFeb 4, 2019
Communities from across Ohio file a federal lawsuit against local Boards of Elections and the Ohio Secretary of State for multiple rights violations – including the right to vote.
Read More | Community Wires, Press Releases & Blogs, Success StoryFeb 3, 2019
An Ohio resident urges support for the Lake Erie Bill of Rights in Toledo to overcome devastating harms to the Lake’s ecosystem and communities’ drinking water.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsFeb 1, 2019
Winona LaDuke speaks to the White Earth band of Ojibwe passing a law formally recognizing the Rights of Manoomin, or wild rice, in December.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryJan 29, 2019
“If there’s a problem to be treated, there’s a problem to be solved.” Toledoans take steps to solve the problem of contaminated water in Lake Erie on February 26th’s special election, with their Lake Erie Bill of Rights.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryJan 27, 2019
Lake Erie Bill of Rights (LEBOR) is on the February special elections ballot. Check out news coverage and the growing support for Toledo residents’ pioneering efforts to recognize the Lake’s rights.
Read More | Community Wires, Success StoryJan 26, 2019
Cleveland.com editorial board member cheers the Ohio Supreme Court’s recognition of Toledo residents’ right to vote on the Lake Erie Bill of Rights initiative in February.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryJan 24, 2019
In December 2018, the White Earth band of Ojibwe recognized the “Rights of Manoomin,” or the rights of wild rice. CELDF assisted tribal members to draft this first Rights of Nature law for a specific plant species.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryJan 23, 2019
Communities geographically far apart share similar threats to their water from red tides and green algae blooms. They also share looking at Rights of Nature to protect themselves – and Toledo, Ohio, is leading the way.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryJan 15, 2019
An Italian interview with CELDF’s leader of our International Center for the Rights of Nature, Mari Margil.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryJan 12, 2019
CELDF’s Australian partners champion the Lake Erie Bill of Rights, understanding the Great Lake – like the Great Barrier Reef – must be recognized as having the right to exist and flourish. CELDF is working with both groups to advance those rights.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryJan 9, 2019
The National Lawyers Guild overwhelmingly adopts Rights of Nature in its constitution.
Read More | Press Releases & Blogs, Success StoryJan 4, 2019
San Juan Islands residents in Washington work to advance the rights of the Salish Sea.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsJan 4, 2019
New Hampshire legislators consider the NH Community Rights state constitutional amendment, with bi-partisan support from ten co-sponsors.
Read More | Community Wires, Press Releases & Blogs, Success StoryJan 2, 2019
Communities along the Salish Sea are organizing to advance the Sea’s rights to exist and flourish, free from toxic and other harms.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsJan 2, 2019
In this LTE, New Hampshire resident and Community Rights advocate speaks to the NH Community Rights state constitutional amendment, proposed and supported by ten legislators.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryDec 26, 2018
Overcoming numerous hurdles, Toledo, Ohio, residents will vote on their Lake Erie Bill of Rights in February. The measure recognizes the rights of Lake Erie to exist and flourish – and the right of residents to clean water.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryDec 26, 2018
Toledo, OH, residents celebrate advancing their Lake Erie Bill of Rights citizen initiative to the February 2019 ballot, despite state and industry efforts to stop them.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryDec 26, 2018
Litigation based on the Rights of Nature is part of a growing movement to stop climate devastation.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots, Success StoryDec 17, 2018
Industry allies attempt to keep the Lake Erie Bill of Rights off the ballot, while Toledo community members rally to protect the Lake’s rights and advance the measure.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsDec 16, 2018
In this LTE, Toledo community members call out efforts to block the Lake Erie Bill of Rights from the ballot and urge the Board of Elections to let the people vote.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsDec 6, 2018
Toledo, Ohio, City Council advances the CELDF-drafted Lake Erie Bill of Rights to the February 2019 ballot.
Read More | Community Wires, Press Releases & Blogs, Success StoryNov 29, 2018
Toledo, OH, residents press city council to place their Lake Erie Bill of Rights on a special elections ballot in February.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsNov 15, 2018
Despite being known for local democracy, New Hampshire residents are under siege by their own state government. The people are advancing a rights-based state constitutional amendment to change that.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsOct 26, 2018
Following author Chris Hedges’ visit to Lane County, OR, earlier this month as part of a Community Rights tour, community members rally to continue challenging corporate power, state preemption, and to create the communities they envision.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsOct 24, 2018
Toledo, OH, community members are keeping up the pressure on their City Council as they fight to advance a Bill of Rights for Lake Erie.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsOct 12, 2018
Community Rights organizing is growing in Ohio. In response, the state Supreme Court backs efforts to quash democratic rights, keeping a Columbus rights-based citizen initiative banning fracking waste disposal off the November ballot.
Read More | News from the GrassrootsOct 11, 2018
Where do New Hampshire candidates stand on the right to local community self-government? Community Rights supporters ask this question as they advance their rights-based state constitutional amendment.
Read More | Community Wires, News from the GrassrootsOct 11, 2018
The U.S. Supreme Court will not be backing our efforts to advance rights. We must advance those rights anyway, seeking guidance and inspiration from movements such as the Populists and labor.
Read More | Press Releases & Blogs