Community Rights
Communities should have the right to democratic self-government, but state laws continue to deny local authority and pre-empt local ordinances or regulation that attempt to protect people from corporate polluters and human rights abusers. The community rights movement seeks to reverse this trend.
One of the leaders in this field is the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund [CELDF].
Also see the Lehigh Valley Community Rights Network in our directory.
Global Transition Movement
by Joris Rosse — In the absence of common sense and ability to act appropriately in high places, “Think Globally and Act Locally”. Enter Transition towns, cities, valleys, forest regions, and yes whole countries. The following is a very brief summary of … more
Precautionary Principle for Marcellus Shale
Health and Environmental Experts: Follow the Precautionary Principle on Natural Gas from the Marcellus Shale Since 2007, Pennsylvania has witnessed a dramatic increase in unconventional development of natural gas from the Marcellus shale formation using high-volume hydraulic fracturing, also called … more
Signers: Precautionary Principle for Marcellus Shale
Experts working in environmental or health field Patricia T. Bradt, PhD Environmental Science, Muhlenberg College John A. Cigliano, PhD Biology; Cedar Crest College Joseph C. Colosi, PhD Natural Science & Plant Ecology Chrysan Cronin, PhD Biology & Public Health; Muhlenberg … more
CELDF: Why the right to local self-government?
“Building sustainable communities by assisting people to assert their right to local self-government and the rights of nature.” —Mission Statement of the Commmunity Environmental Legal Defense Fund Why this? We believe that we are in the midst of an escalating ecological … more
What is “corporate personhood”?
The following introduction to the notion of “corporate personhood” is an excerpt from the ReclaimDemocracy site: Today, corporations wield immense power over our government, public lands, even our schools. But this was not the intent of our country’s founders. In … more
Ecuador Approves New Constitution: Voters Approve Rights of Nature
FROM: The Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund Main Office: 675 Mower Road, Chambersburg PA 17202 West Coast Office: 126 NE Mason Street, Portland OR 97211 CONTACT: Mari Margil, Associate Director, (503) 284-2814, mmargil@celdf.org Ecuador Follows Lead of U.S. Communities: First … more
Corporations, ‘Corporate Personhood’, and Democracy
Corporations have had a powerful effect on not only the development of our society, but upon its government. Large corporations, many of them trans-national in scope, often make choices that impede local sustainability goals. These decisions can have dire consequences … more
Community Rights Network
Laying the Groundwork for a People’s Constitutional Convention Pennsylvania Community Rights Network Launched Citizens from more than a dozen Pennsylvania counties met in Chambersburg on Saturday, February 20, 2010, to initiate plans to convene a Pennsylvania People’s Constitutional Convention made up … more
Alliance Endorses Chambersburg Declaration
Alliance Resolution in Support of the Chambersburg Declaration and the Community Rights Work of CELDF The Steering Committee of the Alliance for Sustainable Communities-Lehigh Valley endorses the Chambersburg Declaration of February 20, 2010 and the community rights work of the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund … more
Democracy Schools
Are your local officials and solicitor telling you that there is nothing they can do to stop a project that threatens your community’s health and welfare? Would you like to learn how to make law and govern your own community? … more