Kylie Nealis is the associate to the Community Rights program at Global Exchange, assisting communities confronted by corporate (and State) harms to organize in a new way—by passing cutting edge laws that place their rights above the claimed legal "rights" of corporations in addition to recognizing the rights of nature to exist, thrive, and flourish and stripping corporations of their privileges under our current laws. This very different organizing model stems from a new understanding about the origins of corporate power, developed by the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF).

She is particularly interested in this work because she believes that true democracy involves individuals in communities being able to have the ultimate voice in the decisions that affect their lives and surrounding environment, not profit-driven corporations located many miles away. She is also passionate about using the power of small, local community-based economies and structures of governance to facilitate a sustainable future for both people and the planet. She is also interested in exploring ways of engaging youth in the Rights of Nature movement. Kylie is a graduate from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Community Studies and Politics. She began working with Global Exchange as an intern to the Community Rights program in 2009 and has been employed as a part-time staff member since January 2011.

Go here to read some of Kylie's posts on the Global Exchange blog network.

Topics covered:

• Youth & Rights of Nature
• Community Rights Organizing
• The Global Movement for Nature's Rights

You can contact Kylie by e-mail kylie@globalexchange.org or by phone at (415) 575-5551