This petition and press release were circulated today by Natalie Bridgeman Fields, one of the Clinic’s board members. We encourage you to sign the petition to President Littlefield here. Please find Natalie’s message below:
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Dear all,
Accountability Counsel has just launched a major public campaign to hold the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) accountable for serious human rights, labor and environmental abuses in Liberia. As fellow members of the human rights community, we think you may be particularly interested in this case as an example of why the U.S. still has a long way to go in implementing the access to remedy pillar of the Guiding Principles: in several conversations we’ve had with OPIC, the agency has denied any responsibility for remedying the situation.
Liberians harmed by the company, Buchanan Renewables, just filed a complaint with OPIC’s President Littlefield. As a 70% funder of the project, it’s time for OPIC to take responsibility, remedy the abuses, and learn some lessons.
Accountability Counsel has spent the past year working with Green Advocates International and SOMO to document the abuses, and we’ve repeatedly tried to engage with OPIC — they have largely ignored us. Now we are going public, and Senator Boxer’s and Senator Markey’s offices have already expressed interest in engaging with OPIC about this case.
Please help by signing our petition to President Littlefield demanding that she take action. The petition site includes a short film that documents the abuses. Our press release is attached and below – we would appreciate your support in circulating this news to your networks.
Warmest regards,
Natalie
Natalie Bridgeman Fields, Esq.
Founder & Executive Director Accountability Counsel
230 California Street
Suite 304 San Francisco, CA 94111
phone: 415.412.6704
www.accountabilitycounsel.org
twitter: @nataliebridgema
