# Rally in Harvard Yard Regarding Harvard-Owned Timber Plantations

- Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2014/04/rally-in-harvard-yard-supports-argentinian-communities/
- Published: 2014-04-18T02:39:36-04:00
- Author: greenlivingguy

[⌊Rally in Harvard Yard⌉⌊Rally in Harvard Yard⌉[

## **Students rally alongside organizers from Corrientes, Argentina in Harvard Yard**

Cambridge, MA—On Friday, April 11, members of the Harvard community rallied in Harvard
Yard alongside two organizers from the communities most affected by Harvard’s timber
plantations in Argentina. The rally was part of the Responsible Investment at Harvard
Coalition’s eleven-day SHAME Tour and week of action.

The rally in Harvard Yard featured speeches from the two Argentine community organizers,
Emilio Spataro and Adrian Obregon, Cambridge City Council Member Leland Cheung, 
and UNITE HERE Local 26 leader Ed Childs.

## Speakers at Rally in Harvard Yard

In addition, Harvard Undergraduate Council President Gus Mayopolous, Harvard Graduate
School Council President Summer Shafer, and Responsible Investment [at Harvard Coalition member Gabriel Bayard spoke](https://greenlivingguy.com/2009/08/speaking-hosting-and-moderating/).

Obregon, Sparato, and members of RI@H met with three Harvard administrators during
the rally in Harvard Yard. It’s asking that they sign an agreement to “engage in
substantive conversations with [community stakeholders](https://greenlivingguy.com/2012/02/fedex-emea-earthsmart-program-for-sustainable-logistics/)
to ensure the continued responsible management practices of EVASA and Las Misiones.”
Harvard refused to sign. Organizers have vowed to continue fighting until the Harvard
administration acknowledges its responsibility to Corrientes.

During the rally, [organizers delivered a petition](https://greenlivingguy.com/2014/03/nicks-organic-farm-a-local-treasure-at-risk/)
with 1,115 signatures to the Office of Harvard University President Faust in Massachusetts
Hall on behalf of those affected by Harvard-owned timber plantations in Argentina.

### About the Petition at the Rally in Harvard Yard

The petition asked Harvard to respond to community members’ three demands: 1) stop
expanding plantations within their communities; 2) remove plantations within 2,000
meters of their homes; and 3) [comply with all legally required](https://greenlivingguy.com/2014/01/insulation-levels-in-reroofing-projects-to-comply-with-requirements-for-new-construction/)
employment standards.

### Environmental Justice Has No Borders

The Harvard Yard rally also highlighted a larger truth. Environmental pollution 
rarely stops at a national border. Instead, its impacts spread across ecosystems,
public health, and local economies. As a result, communities [around the world increasingly work](https://greenlivingguy.com/2020/03/scientists-around-the-world-are-working-to-turn-agricultural-waste-into-food-packaging-and-more/)
together to demand accountability from multinational corporations and governments
alike.

Furthermore, [indigenous and rural communities](https://greenlivingguy.com/2019/08/solar-energy-moves-indigenous-communities-toward-a-renewable-future/)
often stand on the front lines of environmental damage. They protect forests, rivers,
and biodiversity that benefit the entire planet. Yet they frequently [face the greatest environmental and economic](https://greenlivingguy.com/2011/10/with-the-global-solar-energy-market-in-flux-and-many-countries-facing-economic-uncertainty-what-are-the-prospects-for-solar/)
risks. Consequently, public demonstrations like the Harvard rally help amplify voices
that might otherwise go unheard.

Today, environmental justice has [become a global](https://greenlivingguy.com/2011/01/william-nowicke-becomes-think-electric-vehicle-vp-global-operations/)
movement. Universities, nonprofits, scientists, and local advocates continue to 
collaborate across continents. Their goal remains the same: [protect human rights while preserving the natural](https://greenlivingguy.com/2021/08/national-park-system-usa-do-your-part-to-preserve/)
world for future generations. Although legal battles can [last for years](https://greenlivingguy.com/2014/01/u-s-solar-jobs-grew-20-since-last-year/),
public awareness and peaceful advocacy continue to shape policy, strengthen environmental
protections, and encourage corporate responsibility. 

### Sources

 * Harvard Law School Human Rights Program:[The Future of Corporate Impact Litigation After the Chevron Case⁠](https://hrp.law.harvard.edu/hrp-event/the-future-of-corporate-impact-litigation-after-the-chevron-case/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
 * [Revista Catalana de Dret Ambiental](https://revistes.urv.cat/index.php/rcda/article/view/1437?utm_source=chatgpt.com):
   The Texaco-Chevron Case in Ecuador: Law and Justice in the Age of Globalization⁠
 * [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/apr/18/sarayaku-ecuador-amazon-indigenous-land-explosives-oil-company-ecosystems):
   Indigenous communities in Ecuador continue their fight for environmental justice⁠

[responsibleharvard.com/shame-tour](https://web.archive.org/web/20170308004802/https://responsibleharvard.com/shame-tour/)

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 greenlivingguy

 The Green Living Guy, Seth Leitman is an independent power producer, a green living
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