Environmental Rights Action (ERA - Protecting the Environment, Democratizing Deveopment). ERA is a grassroots organization, open to membership from all parts of Nigeria. Membership is independent of the centre but cannot be independent of the philosophy. ERA is the Nigerian chapter of Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) as well as the co-ordinating NGO for Oilwatch International, the global network of groups concerned about the effects of oil on the environment of people who live in oil-producing regions. The organization is also a member of the African Forest Action Network (AFAN). ERA is a 1998 winner of the Sophie Prize, the new international award in environment and development. The organization is dedicated to the defence of human ecosystems in terms of human rights, and to the promotion of environmentally responsible governmental, commercial, community and individual practice in Nigeria through the empowerment of local people.