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On Tuesday, April 26th, The Pachamama Alliance hosted a panel discussion celebrating the second meeting of the Global Alliance for Rights of Nature, of which Pachamama is a founding member.
Featured on the panel were Natalia Greene, of Fundación Pachamama; Thomas Linzey, of Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund; and Cormac Cullinan, a South African environmental lawyer and author of Wild Law. Bill Twist, CEO of The Pachamama Alliance, moderated the evening’s discussion.
All three panelists spoke about the history and development of Rights of Nature, and the impact this quickly spreading concept can have on our ability to secure a just and sustainable future.
Video of the Rights of Nature panel discussion
Rights of Nature: Exponential Growth
Since the Global Alliance’s first meeting in September 2010, it’s become clear that Ecuador’s inclusion of Rights of Nature in its 2008 Constitution was just the beginning of a period of exponential growth and awareness of Rights of Nature.
Bolivian president Evo Morales convened the People’s Conference on Climate Change in Cochabamba, Bolivia in April 2010. Out of that conference came the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth, which then became a source document for Bolivia’s own legislation recognizing Rights of Nature, passed earlier this year.
Most recently, on April 20th the United Nations General Assembly held a panel debate on sustainable development in harmony with nature. Cormac Cullinan and Vandana Shiva were among those present, and both strongly encouraged the U.N. to adopt the Universal Declaration of Rights of Mother Earth.
Charting a Course for Ecuador and Beyond
After the close of the U.N. debate, Global Alliance members gathered at Green Gulch Farm north of San Francisco for an Earth Day weekend of visioning and strategizing next steps for Rights of Nature efforts worldwide.
Ecuador remains a primary focus of the Global Alliance, with Fundación Pachamama as the primary point of contact. In her remarks at Tuesday’s panel, Natalia Green stressed that there is an urgent need for regulations and legal cases that will guide judges and other Ecuadorian officials in enforcement of Rights of Nature, from the municipal to national level.
Continued education and public awareness of Rights of Nature will support the legislative and juridical effort. This two-pronged approach - legislation and education - will also guide the Alliance’s work worldwide.
Getting to the Root: Nature as Property
All three panelists repeatedly touched on the need to shift modern society’s fundamental concept of Nature from property to interdependent being.
Thomas Linzey pointed out that U.S. legislation to recognize Rights of Nature has been driven by conservative rural municipalities, most notably in Pennsylvania. Many people involved are first-time activists concerned that corporations have more rights than the communities where they do business.
Emphasizing municipal legislation will give people a legal framework to take action where the challenges and solutions are most evident: the communities and ecosystems where they live, work, play, eat, drink, and breathe.
Creating Conditions for Something New
The last four years have seen incredible advances for Rights of Nature. As they implement their new strategy, the Global Alliance for Rights of Nature is looking forward to celebrating even more success at their next gathering later this year.
