WildRights
Redefining Balance: Justice for Animals and Nature
WildRights is Defend Them All’s (DTA) initiative to confront the systemic imbalance in law and policy that prioritizes human interests over those of animals and their habitats. Though legal frameworks often invoke the idea of “balance,” they rarely achieve it—too often allowing animal suffering and environmental harm in the pursuit of human progress. Through WildRights, we seek to redefine that balance by ensuring wild animals are recognized as beings with their own inherent interests—and that those interests are meaningfully represented in decision-making and governance.
Progressive Rights of Nature policies developing in Latin America offer a hopeful template for the future. Ecuador and Bolivia were the first countries in the world to enshrine the Rights of Nature into law, positioning the region at the forefront of a growing global movement. Across the region, economic pressures and the drive for “development” are intensifying, leaving the future of animals, ecosystems, and the communities that depend on them increasingly in flux. Successful implementation of these groundbreaking frameworks is critical—not only for local advocates and ecosystems, but for broader efforts to establish the Rights of Nature as an enforceable global standard.
By combining rigorous research, legal strategy, and on-the-ground engagement, WildRights strengthens the capacity of local advocates and shares lessons across borders. Protecting ecosystems and wildlife is a global challenge, and the knowledge gained from Latin America is mutually beneficial—particularly as environmental safeguards long relied upon in North America continue to erode, offering vital lessons for advancing animal and environmental causes under difficult conditions.
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DTA has been actively supporting local advocates and Indigenous community members protesting a destructive underground gold mining project in Azuay, Ecuador since 2018. Known locally as “Kimsacocha,” the Project site is located within an incredibly sensitive area classified as páramo, an alpine tundra ecosystem that houses an important wetland system with significant ecological, economic, and cultural values. The ecological risks of the Project are unacceptably high, and given the sensitive nature of páramo ecosystems and their inhabitants, any amount of contamination would have devastating effects.
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Building on our experience in Ecuador, DTA is working in collaboration with local advocates to strengthen legal capacity, safeguard animals, and support community-led conservation efforts. The project addresses escalating threats—including illegal mining, wildfires, and wildlife trafficking—while promoting research-informed advocacy, legal training, and public engagement to ensure that protections for animals and ecosystems are more than just legal principles on paper.
This Work Takes Time. Meaningful legal reform doesn't happen overnight. We're committed to multi-year partnerships that build local capacity rather than quick wins that look good in annual reports.
Support This Work. Your contribution enables us to:
Cover travel costs for Advocacy Abroad students
Compensate local experts and translators
Produce and distribute legal research in Spanish
Maintain long-term relationships with partner organizations