QUITO, Ecuador - From September 27 to September 28, 2018, the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN), along with its global partners, will hold the International Rights of Nature Symposium to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the Rights of Nature in Ecuador, at the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar.

Ecuador was the first country to recognize the Rights of Nature in its Constitution through the ratification of a referendum by the people in September 2008. Since then, at least seven countries have recognized the inherent rights of and legal standing for nature in their legal systems, including dozens of U.S. communities. This Symposium will commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the Ecuadorian ratification, analyze the history and current status of the Rights of Nature movement globally, and determine the next steps for greater recognition of Nature’s inherent rights.

As Fiona Wilton of the Gaia Foundation explains, “Earth-centred values and practices, including customary laws and indigenous rights, are being undermined at an alarming rate. This International Symposium in Quito brings together global voices to celebrate the movement that nurtures the rights of all components of Nature - the right be, to right habitat, and the right to fulfil their role in the ever-renewing processes of our Mother Earth.”