On July 28, 2015 the U.S Women’s Climate Justice Initiative presented the final session in a series of free, online advocacy and education trainings. ‘Rights of Nature & Community Rights: Protecting & Defending the Places We Live’ featured climate women leaders Shannon Biggs of Movement Rights and Osprey Orielle Lake of the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network.
During the training Shannon and Osprey provided a background on Rights of Nature and the importance of a legal framework that honors Earths living systems rather than treating them as property. They described how Rights of Nature can be used to take immediate, concrete steps to protect our communities and the planet– and also as a tool for furthering deep, long-term shifts in culture, law, policy, and our relationship with the Earth. They shared techniques for asserting community rights and Rights of Nature over supposed corporate ‘rights’, power, and profit, and told stories about communities across the US and the world who are already using local Rights of Nature ordinances to take back their ability to protect the Earth and make decisions about the places they call home.
A collection of resources presented during the training is provided below.
Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature- ‘What Are Rights of Nature?’
Earth Law Center- ‘What Is Rights of Nature?’
Movement Rights blog – ‘Are California Communities Running Out Of Water- Or Democracy’
Osprey Orielle Lake- ‘Rights of Nature and an Earth Community Economy’
Christopher Stone- ‘Should Tree’s Have Standing?’
Cormac Cullinan- ‘Extracts from Wild Law’
WECAN International blog- ‘International Rights of Nature Ethics Tribunal Climate Change Case Statement’
Global Exchange-‘Rights of Nature: Planting Real Seeds of Change’
Global Exchange-‘Does Nature Have Rights?’