Conducted in an eco-lodge, Casa Mojanda, located in Otavalo, Ecuador, the Ecuador Field Study: Special Issues in International Environmental Law (EFS) provides students with the opportunity to observe firsthand both international environmental challenges and their management. The EFS is a 1-credit, one-week intensive course in which the following selected international environmental law topics will be explored: climate change policy responses, protection of forests, and the role transnational corporations play in the creation and resolution of international environmental challenges. Further, students will learn about topics specific to Ecuador, such as the high-profile litigation against Chevron for alleged environmental and social harms in Ecuador’s Amazon region, and the rights given to nature in the new Ecuadorian constitution. In spring 2013, Professor Carol Casazza Herman will teach the EFS course on-site.
Prerequisites or Co-requisites: This course may be taken by 2L, 3L, 4L and LL.M. students, including students from other accredited law schools. There are no prerequisites or co-requisites, but International Environmental Law is suggested for Hofstra Law students.
The Ecuador Field Study is designed to provide the student with an opportunity to dive more deeply into certain international environmental law topics than they ordinarily would in a U.S. law school classroom. Holding the course in Ecuador, one of 17 ecologically mega-diverse countries, contributes to the richness of the classroom discussion and the experience. Field trips and guest speakers provide authentic context for these issues. A student taking the EFS will learn of the international legal framework for the protection of forests as a tool for climate change mitigation; the international legal framework to protect biodiversity; and the complex interactions of government, public interest organizations and corporate stakeholders inherent in the implementation of environmental policy at the national level.
- Friday, March 22
- Travel Day and Arrival
- Transportation from the Quito airport to Casa Mojanda is included in the total program fee.
- Saturday, March 23
- Regional tour, lunch, Otavalo markets visit and welcome reception
- Sunday, March 24
- Free day to explore and prepare for class
- Monday, March 25 — Class No. 1
- EFS Overview and Expectations and The Role of Land Use Activities in Climate Change
Topics covered: Carbon sequestration, United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (UN-REDD Programme), the role of convening organizations, national governments and non-governmental organizations. National Program Update: Ecuador.- Tuesday, March 26 — Class No. 2
- Protecting Biodiversity
Topics covered: Biodiversity Convention and its implementation, REDD+, Biosafety Protocol.- Wednesday, March 27 — Class No. 3
- International Protection of Forests
Topics covered: International framework forest protection, sustainable forest management, certification schemes and eco-labeling.- Thursday, March 28 — Class No. 4
- Role of Transnational Corporations in the Creation and Solution of Environmental Issues
Topics covered: Chevron v. Narajo.- Friday, March 29 — Class No. 5
- Pachamama
On September 28, 2008, the people of Ecuador voted for a new constitution that is the first in the world to recognize legally enforceable Rights of Nature, or ecosystem rights described as “Pachamama” (the Mother Earth goddess of the indigenous Andean people). Topics covered: The rights of nature in the larger context of Ecuadorian constitutional and environmental law, international law principles.- Saturday, March 30
- Departure and Travel Day
- Transportation from Casa Mojanda to the Quito airport is included in the total program fee.
In addition to the scheduled tours and classes, the program will include a field trip and guest speakers related to the course. If students decide to take flights that arrive earlier or depart later, we are happy to arrange for transportation to the Quito airport, but the cost for special accommodations is not included in the program fee. The program fee also includes almost all meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner, served at Casa Mojanda. The meals are set menus with some flexibility for food allergies and dietary restrictions. Students can choose to skip meals or seek alternatives as they like, but the program fee does not change based on their personal choices each day. Students will be given a take-home final, due by 5 p.m. on April 15, 2013.
If Hofstra Law students require financial assistance to participate in the Ecuador Field Study, please work with the Law School’s Financial Aid Office after being accepted. The total budget for the program, below, is the maximum amount allowable in financial aid. For Hofstra Law students, their spring financial aid budget will be increased by this amount to allow for participation.
Hofstra Student Tuition: Free — included in spring semester credit load
Program and Housing Fee: $2,695 — paid to Hofstra Law
Transportation: $1,000
Living Expenses and Miscellaneous: $800
Total: $4,495
Non-Hofstra Student Tuition: $835 — paid to Hofstra Law
Program and Housing Fee: $2,695 — paid to Hofstra Law
Transportation: $1,000
Living Expenses and Miscellaneous: $800
Total: $5,330
Students need to apply by Friday, January 25, 2013. Upon submitting the application and deposit, students will receive an acceptance letter that permits them to move forward with the financial aid process. All 2L, 3L, 4L and LL.M. students are eligible to participate in this program.
Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to explore international environmental law issues in Ecuador! For further information, please contact:
Office of International Programs
Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University
121 Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY 11549-1210
Telephone: 516-463-4547
Fax: 516-463-5220
E-mail: internationalprograms@hofstra.edu
