On Saturday, February 24th, 21 participants representing nine communities from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas came together for the first ever Southern Regional Training on Human Rights and the Environment at Amnesty's Southern Regional office in Atlanta.

This intensive day-long training was designed to further develop interest and prepare participants to become organizers for the Just Earth! Campaign. The training focused on issues of corporate accountability and organizing for global, long-term protection of human rights and the environment.

Participants gather for training in Atlanta

Objectives of the training were three-fold: education, empowerment, and action. Participants learned about the goals of the campaign and its connection to regional strategy and received in-depth information on two of our key environmental defender cases. They also developed organizing skills and shared ideas with other dedicated activists from all over the Southeast.

Derreck Kayongo, Acting Director, AIUSA's Southern Region, and Tom Gillespie, Just Earth! Action Worker for Florida, led a discussion clarifying the links between human rights, the environment, corporate accountability, and local action. The discussion highlighted the goals of campaign, outlined regional strategy and expectations, and provided a framework for the day's training.

Lisa Sock, Field Operations Coordinator, AIUSA's Human Rights and the Environment Program, gave an overview of the role of corporations in protecting human rights and the environment. This session addressed some difficult and important questions on corporate accountability and Amnesty's position on the subject.

Lisa and Tom then presented an overview of the Chad/Cameroon and Mexico cases with opportunities for regional action.

Nigerian Activist, Gloria Kilanko, described the environmental and human rights abuses of Shell Oil and the Nigerian government. As a surviving victim and witness of these abuses, Kilanko was forced to flee her native Nigeria. Now, as the executive director of Women's Watch Africa, she continues her work to expose human rights abuses and environmental degradation.

This passionate defender's story was followed by several skill building sessions designed to develop and refine organizing skills with specific application to the Human Rights and the Environment Campaign. Eliane Drakopolous, AIUSA's Regional Media Director, facilitated a workshop on incorporating media outreach into campaign planning. Aaron Siegler, Amnesty's Legislative Coordinator for Georgia, conducted a skills building workshop on effectively lobbying congress for corporate accountability.

The last session of the day focused on action. Derreck and Tom led a workshop on organizing around the campaign in Southern communities and preparing for Earth Day.

The training succeeded in turning knowledge acquired into action at the local level. Participants left the training empowered and equipped to lead organizing efforts in their communities to defend the defenders of the earth!