Politics of the Forest
Philippe Sands and Teresa Vicente
Rights for Nature
Debate
Philippe Sands and Teresa Vicente, eminent figures in the domain of environmental justice, describe their struggle to take legal action against ecocide, and to get ecosystems recognised as subjects with rights.
In the present situation of global climate crisis and progressive destruction of ecosystems, getting the concept of ecocide recognised as a crime against nature is an essential need. However, granting rights to nature means a constant struggle for compliance with laws which, confronting a powerful system based on exploitation and extraction, frequently stand in the way of the interests of corporations and states. Philippe Sands, a member of the Independent Expert Panel for the Legal Definition of Ecocide, and Teresa Vicente, leader of the Mar Menor People’s Legislation Initiative to introduce a law granting legal personhood to this ecosystem, discuss their experiences in the struggle for the rights of nature and environmental justice. This session concludes the “Politics of the Forest” cycle of debates with an emphasis on the need to change our understanding of nature and to perceive it not as an object but as a subject with rights for which we are collectively responsible.
Moderators: Maria Ptqk
Participants: Philippe Sands, Teresa Vicente
This activity is part of Amazons, Politics of the Forest