The Crowd Versus is the crowdfunding platform for targeted legal actions against multinationals – and if necessary governments – that make their profits at the expense of people and nature.
90%Funded
167Donors
0Days left
37%Funded
153Donors
0Days left
49%Funded
114Donors
0Days left
33%Funded
180Donors
0Days left
35%Funded
86Donors
0Days left
 corn that will force all farmers to grow GMO corn, will harm biodiversity, and ultimately puts Mexican cultural heritage and way of life at risk.Next legal action of the crowdAfter 36 months of litigation, the plaintiffs who The Crowd Versus support have been certified and the evidentiary period has begun. In this period each party files their evidence. Discovery motions should be completed late 2016 or in 2017. To help to cover the costs for preparation of their evidence, the crowd needs US $19,000 (17.500 euro) by the end of October 2016.SummaryGMO corn already has been found in native maize. Maize is the precursor to corn and only found in Mexico, the country of origin for this food. The presence of GMO corn represents a very real danger, and its presence will damage biodiversity rights. Therefore GM permits should not be granted on any and all types of corn crops.Legal ProgressNotwithstanding the dozens of legal challenges filed by the GMO multinationals*, the temporary injunction granted in September 2013 to halt all permitting of GMO corn crops countrywide was upheld by each and every court of appeals called to review it. This order was granted even before the defendants were served on the lawsuit.After serving the defendants, on March 7th, 2016, a federal court of appeals ruled the injunction should remain firm until a final decision on the merits of the case. This will remain in effect unless a federal circuit court or the Supreme Court rules otherwise. The injunction halts commercial and pre-commercial GM corn crops countrywide.Although this decision also ruled that GMO corn crops for experimental and scientific research purposes may be authorized, the Mexican Agriculture and Environment agencies have stated to the federal court that no experimental or scientific research GMO corn crop permits will be granted until a final and firm ruling on this issue by the Mexican courts.* Monsanto, Syngenta, SAGARPA, SEMARNAT, PHI (Pioneer-DuPont) and Dow.Case background and who The Crowd supportsCorn has always been part of the daily lives of all Mexicans. Corn is not only the staple food of Mexico, but also has immense cultural value. Over a period of 8,000 years, Mexicans have cultivated over a thousand types of corn that originated in this country only. If GMO corn is authorized, the diversity of native Mexican corn is at risk through contamination. Farmers risk being gradually forced to grow GMO corn or have their native corn contaminated. Mexicans risk losing their cultural heritage and way of life. The crowd risks that in the end their daily food will be patented, and companies like Monsanto will have the monopoly on food and on pesticides. The crowd also risks that there will be no other choice than GMO corn. In this way GMO corn will also harm all of our biodiversity.The big GMO companies have already spent estimated millions on 102 legal challenges in court and are fiercely lobbying to pave their way into Mexico to grow GMO corn at a commercial level.Environmental Defender Law Center (EDLC) is the NGO/nonprofit that The Crowd Versus works together with for this case. The coalition of users and consumers of corn biodiversity in Mexico are represented by Alternativas y Procesos de Participación Social A.C. (Alternativas), a nonprofit organization based in Tehuacán, Puebla, Mexico. EDLC is supporting Alternativas and works to protect the human rights of individuals and communities in developing countries who are fighting against harm to their environment.){kind=link}
 by the end of 2017.SummaryIn 2011, the Ecuador National Court ordered Chevron to pay 9.5 billion US dollars to clean up 400,000 hectare of polluted Amazon rainforest and to set up a large health program. The contamination was arising due to inappropriate and outdated oil extraction methods between 1964 and 1995. Until now Chevron refuses to pay and has meantime stripped all its assets in Ecuador.Legal progressThe Supreme Court decision in Canada allowed the victims to proceed with the enforcement in that country.Case background and who The Crowd supportsChevron left Ecuador years ago, but it “forgot” to take home the 16 billion gallons of toxic waste that contaminates streams and rivers relied on by local inhabitants for their drinking water, bathing, and fishing. After that, Chevron ignored the Ecuadorian National Court and refused to pay the 9,5 billion US dollars to clean the contamination of 400,000 hectare Amazon rainforest.This deathly pollution of the Amazon was caused by Texaco (acquired by Chevron in 2000) by using inappropriate and outdated oil extraction equipment and methods between 1964 and 1995, in the Lago Agrio oil field. Ever since, indigenous people and farmers have been permanently exposed to contaminated water and lands, causing many of them to fall (very) ill, even leading to their deaths. In the affected area, high rates of cancer and other diseases occur.In 1993, these 30,000 victims sued Chevron, formerly Texaco, in a class-action lawsuit in New York. Nine years later, Chevron, however, persuaded the U.S. Court to transfer the case to Ecuadorian courts. The subsequent trial in Ecuador took ten years, finding Chevron guilty of damaging the Amazon rainforest and its indigenous people. This verdict, which ordered Chevron to pay more than 9 billion US dollars to clean up its mess, has been reviewed and confirmed by three different layers of judgment within Ecuador, including the Ecuadorian National Court.Chevron has stripped its Ecuadorian assets and promised the victims ‘a lifetime of lawsuits’. They have already spent tens of millions of US dollars to refrain from paying the 9.5 billion dollar judgment! The victims are now taking legal steps to seize the assets of this oil multinational in other countries, for instance Brazil, Argentina and Canada, in order to collect their legitimate compensation.Fromboliere Cia. Ltda (Fromboliere), based in Ecuador, is the NGO/nonprofit that The Crowd Versus works together with for this case. Fromboliere (legaly) represents ){kind=link}
.SummaryIbutho Coal has put in an application for open cast coal mining on the border of the pristine iMfolozi Wilderness Area. This area is part of the last 1% of true wilderness, with the greatest concentration of rhinos in the world. Mining will result in irreparable environmental damage, will develop water shortage and will create large amounts of dust and noise. Permitting mining will put the health and daily food of the surrounding communities under threat and most people will be forced to leave their homeland. Their lives will be mined away. For just a few of them there will be work left … in the mining industry breaking down their own land.Legal ProgressIbutho Coal applied in January 2014 for the mining rights application to construct an open cast coalmine from the Department of Mineral Rights. In March 2014 the Draft Scoping Report was made available. The people of Fuleni have been encouraged in their legal fight by a neighboring community (the Somkhele) where a coalmine was installed. Devastating effects have been witnessed there.Case background and who The Crowd supportsJanuary 2014 Ibutho Coal applied for mining rights to construct an open cast coal mine. The iMfolozi Wilderness lies within the oldest proclaimed nature reserve in Africa, home to a vast array of wildlife, including the Big Five. The area currently supports the greatest concentration of rhinoceros in the world. It also has a strong cultural heritage, dating back to the Stone Age with a strong connection to Zulu people, including King Shaka. Two other mining operations are already working nearby, with devastating effects on nature and people, not to forget the water shortage for everyone. Targeted legal action can push Ibutho Coal back and will help put an end to mining in South Africa at the expense of people, their cultural heritage, and nature in the form of animals like rhinos.At a neighboring community the Somkhele open cast coal mine has been built. Not only do they suffer from devastating effects such as noise and dust, but also their communications with the mining company have been ignored. Additionally, committees representing communities have been frightened in general by the death of Amadiba Crisis Committee chair Bazooka Radebe in the Wild Coast community of the Eastern Cape in April 2016 -- after which the Australian mining company MRC cancelled its application to mine in July 2016.EDCL (Environmental Defender Law Center) is the NGO/nonprofit that The Crowd Versus works together with for this case. The rural citizens of the iMfolozi Wilderness Area are supported by Global Environmental Trust (GET), a South African nonprofit organization that assists communities in areas of environmental significance affected by bad planning and unscrupulous environmental practices. EDLC supports GET to protect the human rights of individuals and communities in developing countries who are fighting against harm to their environment.){kind=link}