Umthombo: I-Intercept
Ngosuku 608 ukubanjwa kwakhe endlwini, uSteven Donziger wayehamba-hamba ekhitshini lakhe. Intlakohlaza yayiphuma ngaphandle kwefestile yendlu yakhe eUpper West Side, apho iqondo lobushushu lalisanda kudubula ukuya kutsho kwiminyaka yama-60s. Kufuphi, iCentral Park yayigcwele abantu bepikiniki kunye nabantu abagibisela iiFrisbees. Kodwa uDonziger igqwetha ngubani ophumelele i-8.6 yeebhiliyoni zeerandi isigwebo ngokuchasene neChevron malunga nenkunkuma yeoli enetyhefu e-Ecuador, ayizukuzibandakanya nabo. Nangona isityholo solwaphulo-mthetho aza kujongana nalo kungekudala - esibangelwa ukwala kwakhe ukunikezela ngekhompyuter yakhe kunye neselfowuni yakhe enkundleni ngo-2019 - sisenzo esigwenxa esithatha isigwebo esikhulu seenyanga ezintandathu kwaye uDonziger sele echithe phantse iinyanga ezingama-20. evalelwe, akanako ukushiya indlu yakhe.
“Ndilibanjwa kwikhaya lam,” watsho, njengoko wayeziqhola ngengxowa yepempenickel ngesidlo sasemini. "Akuzange kubekho igqwetha elingenalo irekhodi lolwaphulo-mthetho kwinkqubo yomdibaniso eliye labanjwa nokuba kusuku lwangaphambi kokuvavanywa kwetyala." UDonziger uthe iqatha lakhe lasekhohlo, apho imonitha ye-elektroniki ibibotshelelwe ukusukela ngo-Agasti ka-2019, uyacaphuka, kwaye amalungu osapho lwakhe, kubandakanywa nonyana wakhe oneminyaka eli-14 ubudala, babandezeleke ngokungathethekiyo kolu bunzima. “Ndikhumbula mhla wokuqala efika ekhaya kwaye kwafuneka ndimxelele,” utshilo. "Kwaye ndiyakhumbula ndisithi oku izakuba ziiveki nje ezimbalwa de ndikwazi ukuyilungisa le nto."
UDonziger wayengenangqondo ukucinga ukubanjwa kwakhe endlwini akuzukuhlala. Alikho elinye igqwetha elakhe laphathwa ngolu hlobo ngaphambili. Kwaye iSithili esisemazantsi eNew York sasisele sinqabile ukutshutshisa ityala lokudelela kuye. Isigqibo sejaji, owayesakuba ligqwetha lequmrhu abathi abaninzi babalandeli bakaDonziger bamtyhola ngokuba nomkhethe kwiChevron, sokunyula inkampani yabucala ukuba itshutshise eli tyala, besibonakala singqwabalala ngokugqithisileyo kwaye sinesohlwayo. Nangona kunjalo phantse iminyaka emibini kamva, isixhobo sihlala sincanyathiselwe emzimbeni wakhe kwaye siphambili engqondweni yakhe. “Ihlala ihleli kubukho bam, ukulala, ukutya nokuhlamba,” utshilo. "Yenzelwe ukuthoba isidima ngokwasengqondweni."
Njengoko le ntlawulo yamva nje kwi idabi elikrakra phakathi kwe-Donziger kunye ne-Chevron idonsela phambili, kunokubonakala ngathi i-oyile enkulu iphumelele kwinjongo yayo yexesha elide yokudemoni igqwetha lamalungelo oluntu, apho inkampani kunye namahlakani ayo. yasungulwa ngo-2009. Isigwebo senkundla yase-Ecuadorian ngo-2011 malunga nongcoliseko lwengingqi yaseLago Agrio yayinokuthi ekugqibeleni siyiphelise into eyayisele ingumzabalazo wezomthetho. Kodwa iChevron yalile ukuhlawula isigwebo okanye ukucoca inkunkuma enetyhefu e-Ecuador - kwaye endaweni yoko yasusa impahla yayo elizweni.
I-Chevron, exabisa ngaphezulu kwe-200 yeebhiliyoni zeerandi, iphinde yatyala imali kwimithombo yayo enkulu ekulweni ngokusemthethweni i-Donziger. Ikhokelwe yifem yomthetho uGibson Dunn, iphulo elishushu lenkampani lokufuna igqwetha libandakanye ukuqesha abaphandi babucala ukuba bamlandele. ukwenza upapasho lokumtyabeka, kunye nokudala iqela lamakhulu amagqwetha ukuba alwe naye. Ngenxa yoko, uDonziger, ochithe amashumi eminyaka esilwela abahlali boMthonyama kunye namafama ezamana nongcoliseko olubangelwa kukutsalwa kweoyile, ngoku ujongene nezohlwayo ezixhomileyo kunye neendleko zomthetho. Uphulukene nencwadana yokundwendwela, umvuzo wakhe, ilayisenisi yakhe yomthetho (nangona esilwa nesigqibo), kunye nenkululeko yakhe. Kwaye, kuxhomekeke kwinto eyenzekayo kwityala elicwangciselwe umhla we-10 kaMeyi, angajongana neenyanga ezintandathu entolongweni.
Nangona kunjalo iphulo elichasene neDonziger linoburhalarhume kwaye aliqhelekanga linokuthi ekugqibeleni libuyisele umva kwisigebenga se-oyile kunye neefemu zomthetho ezimele yona. Uhlaselo olucacileyo kumntu owayesilwa nokungabikho kokusesikweni kokusingqongileyo lutsale ingqalelo yamagqwetha, abaphengululi, imibutho yamalungelo oluntu, kunye nabaphembeleli bemozulu, abafumanisa kungekuphela nje ukuthanda kukaChevron ukuziphindezela kodwa nembali yayo yokwala ukuthatha uxanduva lokusingqongileyo. umonakalo owenziwe ngexesha lokutsalwa kweoli. Isigqebelo asilahlekanga kuDonziger.
“Ngenxa yokuziphatha kwabo, inkxaso endiyifumene kwihlabathi jikelele iye yanda kakhulu,” utshilo. "Izigidi zabantu ngoku ziyafunda ngeli tyala kunye nokuphathwa gadalala kukaChevron nabantu base-Ecuadorian ebebengazi nto ngayo."
UTim Hirschel-Burns, umfundi owenza unyaka wesibini kwiSikolo soMthetho saseYale, ngomnye wabo. Hirschel-Burns, ilungu le Abafundi boMthetho wokuThatha uXanduva lweMozulu, wafumanisa ngokubanjwa kukaDonziger endlwini inqaku eyabaleka kwi-Intercept ngoJanuwari 2020. “Ndikhumbula ndifunda oko kwaye ndicinga ukuba oku akunakuba yinyani,” utshilo. Kodwa uphando lwakhe kwityala laqinisekisa ukuba uChevron kunye noGibson Dunn babezijolise ngokwabo kwigqwetha emva kokuba iqela likaDonziger liphumelele kwinkundla yase-Ecuadorian. "Ndifumanise ukuba iChevron inokurhoxisa impahla yayo e-Ecuador kwaye ingahlawuli nto."
Ngoku yena kunye nabanye kwiqela baqalisa iphulo lokufumana abafundi bezomthetho kwilizwe lonke ukuba balahle uGibson Dunn ngenxa yokumela iChevron e-Ecuador kunye nokumangalelwa kweDonziger, kunye nendima yayo enkulu kwingxaki yemozulu. “UGibson Dunn wenza umsebenzi wamafutha efosili kwitoni yeeprojekthi ezingafunwayo kakhulu,” utshilo uHirschel-Burns, owalatha kumsebenzi wale nkampani yamagqwetha kumatyala ali-18 asemthethweni apho amele abangcolisi bemozulu okanye abathengi abathi bandise utshintsho lwemozulu, njengeDakota Access. LLC, inkampani emva kombhobho woFikelelo weDakota. Ngokusekwe kweso simangalo kunye nokuphembelela inkampani egameni leKoch Industries, iqela labafundi lanika uGibson Dunn "F" ikhadi lamanqaku lokutshintsha kwemozulu yakhutshwa ngoMatshi.
Namhlanje, aBafundi boMthetho wokuThatha uXanduva lweMozulu bathumele uGibson Dunn a ileta ukuyicela ukuba izibophelele kumgangatho weenqobo ezisesikweni ofumanekayo kuluntu ngomsebenzi wayo wefosili. “Kufuneka basixelele into abangayi kuyenza ngenzuzo,” utshilo u-Hirschel-Burns. "Ngowuphi umgca abangayi kuwuwela?"
Abafundi bomthetho bakwabiza icebo likaGibson Dunn lokutshintsha amandla akhe omlilo ukusuka kwimeko yokusingqongileyo ukuya kwigqwetha ngalinye elibonisayo - iqhinga elinamandla okupholisa amandla abo okumela abangcolisi beshishini kwixesha elizayo. “Iqhinga likaGibson Dunn lithi siza kubetha ngokungenalusini nangokungenalusini nakuphi na uluntu okanye igqwetha elimele inkampani enenyongo kubathengi bethu,” utshilo uAaron Regunberg, elinye ilungu leLaw Students for Climate Accountability. "Oku kubonisa ukuba, njengamagqwetha, sinokuzivulela ithuba lokuhlasela."
URegunberg, okunyaka wakhe wesibini eHarvard Law School, waphawula ukuba inkampani ayiqaqambise le nxalenye yomsebenzi wayo xa izama ukuqesha abafaki-zicelo abancinci. “Xa u-Gibson Dunn esenza umsitho wokugaya abantu, kwi-PowerPoint yabo, abathethi ngayo, 'Owu, siphumelele eli qhinga lokulandela isiluleko somchasi wethu,' utshilo. “Bathetha ngesilayi esincinci sezinto zepro bono abazenzayo. Bayenza ivakale njengento ehloniphekileyo ehambelana nayo nayiphi na imbono yakho yehlabathi. "
URegunberg unethemba lokuba ukuzisa indlela yokuziphatha engathandekiyo yefem ekukhanyeni kuya kumngcolisa uGibson Dunn kangangokuba amagqwetha aya kuba neentloni ngokusebenza apho—ibala alifanisa nelo ngokuthe ngcembe lathi ngokuthe ngcembe lathi lanamathela kwiifem zamagqwetha ezisebenza neenkampani zecuba. “Kwakukho inkqubo yokususwa kwelayisenisi yentlalontle,” utshilo uRegunberg. “Kuye kwancipha ukuthi, ‘Ndiligqwetha elidumileyo, umntu olungileyo, kwaye omele icuba elikhulu.
Iphulo leli qela, elisungulwa namhlanje nge-hashtag ethi #DoneWithDunn, lilandela ekujolise kulo kwixesha elidlulileyo. UPawulos, uWeiss Rifkind, uWharton kunye noGarrison, emele i-Exxon Mobil kunye nezinye iinkampani zamafutha efosili. Kukwavela kwizithende zokwaywa kwabafundi bezomthetho kutsha nje kwenye inkampani ebotshelelwe kwityala laseDonziger, iSeward & Kissel. Ngaphandle kobudlelwane obuninzi neChevron, le nkampani ngoku itshutshisa uDonziger ngetyala lakhe lokudelela. Kwilinge eliyimpumelelo lokwandisa ixesha lokuvalelwa kwakhe, ifemu yambhala umngcipheko wokubhabha.
NgoFebruwari ileta ithunyelwe kumahlakani kule nkampani, amakhulu abafundi bezomthetho bathatha ingxabano nefemu. "Ukuziphatha kakubi kwabatshutshisi abanxulumene noSeward kunye noKissel's Chevron kuvula umnyango kumatyala exesha elizayo apho abagwebi banika iifem zamagqwetha zabucala igunya lokutshutshisa abagxeki bamaqumrhu ezizwe ngezizwe," babhale abafundi, beqhubeka bezibhambathisela ukuba abazukuqwalasela. ukusebenzela le nkampani “de ibe irhoxa kwisikhundla sayo esingqubanayo njengomtshutshisi wabucala weChevron.”
USeward & Kissel kunye noGibson Dunn abazange baphendule kwizicelo zokuphawula. Kwi-imeyile, isithethi seChevron, uJames Craig, ukhanyele ukuba inkampani inento yokwenza nokutshutshiswa kukaDonziger. "UChevron ukhona hayi umntu obandakanyeka kwityala lolwaphulo-mthetho, akazange aqalise izityholo zolwaphulo-mthetho, kwaye akazange adlale indima kwisigqibo senkundla sokumangalela uDonziger ngokudelela inkundla. Izityholo zolwaphulo-mthetho zaziswa yiNkundla yeSithili yomanyano, "U UCraig ubhale kule imeyile, kwaye wathi "abathetheleli bamalungelo abantu abawaqhubeli phambili amalungelo abantu ngokuwanyhasha." UCraig ukwalile ukuba iChevron yarhoxisa impahla yayo e-Ecuador. "Bathatyathwe yiPetroecuador, esebenze amasimi phantse iminyaka engama-30 ngerekhodi elibi lokusingqongileyo."
Ngeli xesha, ukufaneleka kwebali likaDonziger kwingxaki enkulu yemozulu kuye kwacaciswa likhula inani of iindaba ezithengisa. Itshantliziyo lemozulu uGreta Thunberg tweeted malunga nengxaki kaDonziger. Kwaye bangama-55 abawongwe ngewonga leNobel zifunwa nokuba akhululwe eluvalelweni kwaye arhoxiswe amatyala abekwe wona.
Abanye babaxhasi bakhe abaninzi baye bafikelela kuMerrick Garland, igqwetha elitsha lase-US, ukucela ukuba iSebe lezoBulungisa liphonononge uhlaselo lukaChevron eDonziger. “Olu hlaselo… lukhokelele ekubeni imeko yemicimbi ijongwe ngokubanzi ngamalungelo oluntu ehlabathi kunye noluntu lwendalo esingqongileyo njengenye yezona zinto ziqhubekayo zokunyhashwa kwamalungelo abantu iUnited States engekaphenduli ngayo,” uBob Goodfeld, umlawuli wethutyana Amnesty International USA, kunye nezinye iinkokheli zamalungelo oluntu wabhala ukuya eGarland ngoFebruwari.
Ngaphandle kwenkxaso ekhulayo, uDonziger uthe woyika ukuba uya kugwetywa kwaye avalelwe emva kwetyala lakhe likaMeyi, eliza kubanjwa ngaphandle kwejaji. “Licebo lakwaChevron elo. Baza kundivalela ngobuxoki, ”watsho, njengoko wayequqa ngenye imini kwigumbi lakhe. “Kuza kuba kubi kum. Kwaye kunokwenza izinto zibe mbi ngakumbi kubo. ”
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