Join us for a special format Block Party lunch featuring two Posner Center Members: Global Greengrants Fund and Global Fund for Women.

Indigenous activists courageously fight for their rights to preserve the environment while protecting their livelihood and entitlements. Learn about the work both organizations are doing to advance women’s human rights through an individual who has been a grant recipient of both organizations, human rights activist Bettina Cruz. Bettina will discuss the fight against climate change and land rights in Latin America and her personal experiences.

Bettina works to counter the impact of private companies operating wind farms on indigenous lands. In response to her activism, the Mexican Federal Government launched criminal charges against Bettina in 2012. Bettina demonstrated inspiring resilience throughout the course of her trial, which brought threats, assault, and arbitrary detainment against her. These baseless charges were finally dismissed in February of 2015.

This timely conversation will discuss the central role women’s organizations throughout Latin America play in the struggle for justice and basic human rights. As the region’s economy grows, countries are becoming more urbanized and investors and corporations are building on once-left alone remote areas where indigenous populations live. The environmental ramifications are huge as forests are cleared, canals and other industrial developments are constructed, rivers damned for electricity, and land drilled for oil. To make a living, indigenous communities depend on natural land resources-such as fishing and sustainably harvesting resources from the forests. The land and the rights of those living on it are in great peril.

Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP here.