From Global Exchange People to People Blog.
Faced with climate change, shrinking forests, polluted waters, mass extinctions and more, the time has come to ask the question: Is nature a commodity or a system governing our own wellbeing? Nature is not just a business opportunity, and yet in the eyes of the law, nature is seen as mere property, for human ownership and use. The questions before us now are: can we envisage for ourselves a future based not on exploiting nature but upon recognizing that nature has inherent rights? How different would our human societies, economies, and structures of law look as part of a connected, Earth-centered community? And, how do we get there?It is not too late to change our human relationship with nature from one of dominance to one of interdependence and balance. In fact, the movement for nature’s rights is happening all over the world. Join us for a rich and interactive dialogue on how we can rewrite our human story on planet Earth, by signing up for a one-hour telecourse or a weekend seminar in the San Francisco Bay Area.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, offering citizens, communities, Indigenous peoples, and others a revolutionary new way to protect the vitality of ecosystems.Climate activists have long been seeking a new way to protect the climate and all of the environment, 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! 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. Shannon@globalexchange.org
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 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.Rights of Nature WEEKEND Training Friday, September 30th (7:00-9:00 pm) & Saturday, October 1st 10:00am-5:00pmCourse discussion includes:- 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 history in the making!
