California

The need for community-rights organizing in California is clear. People throughout the state are challenged with government sanctioned community subordination to corporate priorities.  Decisions made by boards of directors instead of citizens become law. Local consent is irrelevant in the face of court-ordered "personhood" privileges for corporations. 

California is blessed with diverse natural beauty, and a climate that is friendly to farming. But serious water shortages are common, and the corporatization of agriculture has imposed severe strains on the the people and environment. Although fresh water has become scarce, industry sets policies around its use, diversion, and extraction for exportation and sale. In addition, the state licenses the widespread spraying of toxic chemicals, ostensibly to protect the interests of agribusiness against insects. And corporate "development" is changing the face of the landscape, destroying fragile ecosystems and ruining community character and the quality of life for residents.

The Legal Defense Fund partners with California communities with San Francisco-based Global Exchange.