The International Committee held a successful retreat in Los Angeles in February 2009.

Highlights

Among the highlights were Bert Voorhees’ presentation on the case of Bowoto v. Chevron Corp, in which Nigerians attempted to hold Chevron accountable at trial for conspiring with and paying the notorious Nigerian military to attack protestors, murdering at least seven people, torturing others and burning two villages to the ground. The case recently went to trial with a jury finding for Chevron, but a motion for a new trial has been filed. Bert’s discussion of this case was enlightening and inspiring.

Next, Jeanne Mirer and Marjorie Cohn discussed the international legal implications of Israel’s occupation and recent invasion of the Gaza Strip. They presented legal arguments that are laid out in a new IADL / NLG White Paper.

Third, Radhika Sainath reported on her recent observations as part of a Guild delegation to the Gaza Strip. Radhika shared first-hand accounts of indiscriminate attacks on civilians by the Israeli military through video interviews and photos. Members of the delegation will be touring the country and are in the process of assembling their final report.