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Hosted by the Institute for Policy Studies, International Labor Rights Forum and Africa Environmental Watch

Date and Time: Tuesday, March  2, 2010, 1:00 -2:30pm

Venue: Open Society Institute 1120 19th Street NW, 8th Floor Washington, DC 20036
(Nearest Metro:  Farragut North)  Tel. 1-202-721-5600 Washington, DC

Details:
Briefing will cover Liberia, Bridgestone/Firestone & the abuse of child labor and the environment, and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

Alfred Lahai Brownell is the President and Founder of the Association of Environmental Lawyers of Liberia (Green Advocates), based in Monrovia.  Green Advocates is Liberia's premier human rights and environmental justice organization.  Green Advocates is working to end slave like conditions and child labor at Bridgestone/Firestone rubber plantations in Liberia.  Counselor Brownell's research work with workers on the plantation led to the filing of an Alien Tort Claim Act Case against Bridgestone/Firestone in the United States.  The case is proceeding in U.S. Federal Court in Indiana.

Alfred Brownell is also lead campaigner for Liberia's Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).  He has pressed successfully for the passage of the Reform Forestry Law.  The new law promotes access to information, transparency and accountability; establishes safeguards for the environment; explicitly prohibits illicit activities in the forest sector, providing specific penalties for corruption; and provides for benefit sharing and greater participation of local forest-based communities.  Brownell worked to reform Liberia’s extractive sector and between 2000 to 2003 helped win impositions of UN Security Council sanctions on Liberia’s timber exports, a UN travel ban and asset freeze on corrupt government officials and business partners of former president Charles Taylor.

For more information email: emira[at]ips-dc.org or call 202.234-9382x232 or (202) 721-5623