Rights of Nature

In this dynamic seminar we will learn about the historic 2008 event when Ecuador became the first country to include Rights of Nature in its national constitution and then cover movements since then in Bolivia and here in the U.S. as Rights of Nature takes hold as an idea whose time has come. Rights of Nature laws create a right to legal standing, such that people, communities, Indigenous peoples, non-profit environmental organizations, and others would have standing to protect the environment. Climate activists have long been seeking a tool, which would enable communities affected by climate change to gain recognition for the harms done not just to human interests around the globe, but also to environmental ones. We come together with a common interest to actively advance the creation of human communities that respect the Rights of Nature. We will also explore how Rights of Nature invigorates momentum for a new cultural narrative that honors our living Earth. Join us and step into this historical moment!

This course will include:

What are Rights of Nature?

What is happening in the local/ global movement for Rights of Nature?

How can we change our personal and cultural narrative to create an Earth-honoring society?

How to understand Rights of Nature personally in our everyday lives
Enter into history in the making!
Rights of Nature can express our deep respect and care for our Earth in a human structure of law. It can, in part, help to restore the ancient and life-sustaining concepts that have been damaged in our current times. Rights of Nature defines the relationship of humankind and nature as interdependent, and as such, the need for humankind to live in harmony with Nature is essential.

Suggested reading :
The Rights of Nature, The Case for a Universal Declaration on the Rights of Mother Earth
(essays by many authors)
Wild Law: A Manifesto For Earth Justice, Cormac Cullinan
Uprisings for the Earth: Reconnecting Culture with Nature, Osprey Orielle Lake

Instructors:

Shannon Biggs is the Director of the Community Rights program at Global Exchange. She recently co-authored a book, Building the Green Economy: Success Stories from the Grass Roots (PoliPoint Press). Her current work focuses on assisting communities confronted by corporate harms to enact binding laws that place the rights of communities and nature above the claimed legal "rights" of corporations.

Osprey Orielle Lake is a lifelong advocate of environmental justice and societal transformation. She is the director of the Women’s Earth and Climate Caucus (WECC) and on the Board of Praxis Peace Institute. Her book, Uprisings for the Earth: Reconnecting Culture with Nature,(White Cloud Press) is a 2011 Nautilus Book Award winner. In December 2010, she initiated Rights of Nature into the framework of WECC’s working groups and is a member of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature.
Starts Friday evening September 30th. 7:00pm -9:30pm continues October 1st 10:00am-5:00pm
Location: Corte Madera Community Room in Marin County in the office building at
770 Tamalpais Drive, Suite 201.
Course fee: $55.00
Bring lunch on Saturday or there are many near-by restaurants for the mid-day bre