Its been a whirlwind of activity since we launched the book The Rights of Nature: The Case for a Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth, during Earth Day week with our partners at the Council of Canadians and Fundacion Pachamama, in time for the first ever United Nations dialog including Rights of Nature. The emerging conversation around nature’s rights was elevated to a whole new level.
Introducing the UN all-day dialog was Bolivian Ambassador to the UN, Pablo Solon, who we are so proud to announce is our 2011 Human Rights Award International Honoree. He along with Domestic Honoree Wilma Subra and People’s Choice Honoree Javier Sicilia will be honored June 1 at our awards gala in San Francisco.
To catch up on the book launch, and the historic events at the UN (including Amb. Solon’s inspiring speech), check out this blog post. The book launch event in New York was attended by 450 people, and in San Francisco, although much smaller, was covered by 5 separate media outlets. The book, with contributions from Vandana Shiva, Desmond Tutu, Maude Barlow and our own Shannon Biggs, among many others has sparked a whole new conversation.
In the book, Ambassador Solon writes:
We are facing a debate in the United Nations among those who believe we need to strengthen the capitalist logic as it relates to Nature, and others that suggest we should recognize Rights of Nature. … The future of humans and Nature depends on the path humanity chooses.
For more information about our 2011 Human Rights Awards Gala and the honorees, and to purchase tickets to the Gala, please visit the Human Rights Awards website.
Don’t miss out on receiving your own copy of The Rights of Nature: The Case for a Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth! To order your copy and make a much-appreciated donation to Global Exchange, please visit our online action center or contact Kylie Nealis.