Webinars: Rights of Nature 101, 201 & More
by Thomas Linzey, Special Counsel
What a difference fifteen years makes.
In 2005, I began talking with communities and grassroots groups about the need to adopt laws which recognize legally enforceable rights of ecosystems and nature. This involved arguing that nothing short of human rights-style protections for nature could reverse the tide of destruction that we have rained down on the natural world.
Few listened. Even fewer acted. Many laughed.
But as time passed, a new understanding has emerged across the globe. It is based in the knowledge that unless we stop treating nature as property, whose use can simply be permitted and regulated, and instead elevate protection of nature to our highest legal standards, we threaten the very systems upon which all life – including our own – depends.
Today, the Great Barrier Reef is experiencing bleaching and die-off, a global wave of extinction is sweeping across animals and plants, the climate is beginning to boil, and the oceans are acidifying to the point where they strain to support life.
It has become clear that we must work to strengthen the Earth’s own immune system by changing our system of law and governance to secure a permanent place for nature and ecosystems. Some countries and communities have begun this transition, recognizing legal Rights of Nature, with courts beginning to recognize that rivers, forests, and other ecosystems are to be accorded legal rights and protections.
To do this means crashing the party of the Western system of law – a system which sees nature as merely a “thing” to be used – and forcing open the doors of legislatures and courts to let nature in. Further, it means, that dominant legal systems must finally recognize that humankind is not an island existing alone on the Earth.
Over more than a decade, we’ve been sharing the lessons that we’ve learned – from the legislative hallways of Ecuador’s Constituent Assembly as they wrote the world’s first constitution to include the Rights of Nature; to the small borough of Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, the first municipality in the U.S. to adopt a Rights of Nature law. To share the experiences that we’ve had, and to spotlight the work that is now occurring in bigger and broader circles around the world, the Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights is launching a series of free webinar training workshops to connect those who want to do this work with those that have.
Free Webinars & Trainings
We are hosting free monthly webinars on the most recent developments in the Rights of Nature field, which will provide an opportunity to delve deeper into the concept. Join us to hear from activists who are advancing Rights of Nature law and policy, discuss key concepts, and more. In addition, for those seeking to learn more and build campaigns to advance Rights of Nature laws and polices, we will be holding training webinars, including:
Rights of Nature 201
Our free three-hour webinar will offer a workshop for those who want to draft Rights of Nature laws and build campaigns to adopt them in their community, state, or national government.
Rights of Nature 101
Our free one-hour webinar will offer an introductory class on the Rights of Nature, tracing its development, where it’s happening, and where it’s headed.
Advanced Training Workshop
We are also offering a more advanced training webinar for communities, groups, and others seeking to build campaigns to advance the Rights of Nature and democratic rights. This training webinar will provide a deeper journey through Rights of Nature laws, tactics used by opponents seeking to block the protection of nature, campaign strategies to advance lawmaking and policy campaigns, along with state and nation-specific information about enacting and enforcing such laws.
Led by those who have been involved in almost every major campaign to win Rights of Nature protections at local, state, and national levels, the webinars will feature presentations and curriculum materials, as well as opportunities for attendees to ask questions and explore strategies for moving forward.
Over the course of the year, we will hold workshops in different countries around the globe, as well as in scores of cities, towns, and counties across the United States.
Join us in advancing an idea whose time has come, to build a movement that can’t be stopped.
Contact us to learn more or to schedule a webinar. Join our e-newsletter to receive updates and the schedule of our webinars, including registration information. As well, follow us on Facebook and Twitter to receive news on our webinars, and check out our Events schedule.
