Dear Reader,
I promise I’ll abstain from poetry this week although I have beautiful new experiences… the last week differed from the previous weeks. This week was the time of the Public Interest Environmental Conference.
… but first…
Because Cassie’s reliable source told her that the 22nd February would be the brightest day between the 1st January and the 14th March in 2010, we chose this day to go to see the Pacific Ocean.
The source wasn’t wrong, indeed; we spent a great day in Yachats. After collecting shells, talking to local people, discovering the rocks, we took a walk in the town and ate seafood in a very pleasant little restaurant. We also visited the Heceta Head Lighthouse and later almost hit a wolf by the car (somebody told me two weeks ago there weren’t wolves any more in Oregon…hm).
By Tuesday, my dear colleagues, Kwesi (from Ghana), Francis (from Liberia) and Merab (from Georgia) arrived and they also participated in John’s and Svitlana’s classes. The ELAW staff organized a welcome lunch for all the fellows in the ELAW House’s living room.
On Wednesday before having lunch in John’s and Svitlana’s home we (I mean the ELAW fellows) participated in the weekly meeting of the LL.M. Seminar. The international students warmly welcomed us; we had a great discussion about what being public interest environmental lawyer means in our countries.
The dinner was also very pleasant; John told us about their travels and guided us round the rooms. I recognized some of the photos (Matterhorn) where I also were...
After dinner we discussed about the environmental law of Ghana, Liberia, Hungary, South-Africa and the USA. John and Svitlana are the authors of a new book about constitutional rights and environmental law, and there is a decision of the Supreme Court of Hungary in the book as well :) I liked our conversation very much.
That evening was the first time I saw the photos related to the case which Kwesi is working on; and I really felt how many things we have to do in this world… the whole PIELC was dedicated to announce the harmful effects of the mankind on the air, the mountains, the rivers and my beloved ocean! Our suffering environment was represented in all the panels and in the keynote speeches. The PIELC was truly unforgettable, touching and encouraging… my poetry again, ‘xcuse!
On Thursday evening there was a reception for Rizwana Hasan from Bangladesh; we met Steven Donzinger and Jeff Kent as well; I was talking to many environmental lawyers who arrived because of the conference. On Friday, I was in a panel with Svitlana and Merab which was about public participation (Giving the Public a Voice).
On Sunday evening, we had dinner in Bern’s house (first time I ate thai food) and I met two of the keynote speakers, Marc Ona (http://www.goldmanprize.org/2009/africa) and Rizwana (http://www.goldmanprize.org/2009/asia).
Favourites of the week:
- case: Ecuador vs. Chevron (Steven Donzinger)
- speech: closing keynote of Rizwana Hasan
- panel: The Epicenter of Climate Change
- movement: Stove Team International
- place: Yachats
- exercise: running from the waves
- scene: birds at the coast having fun … where the river meets the ocean
T.b.c. from Seattle
Agnes
