Ecocide law - the conversation goes global
Ecocide law - the conversation goes global
This month it’s all about the conversation:
remarkable media coverage:
TIME, The Guardian, The Economist, New Statesman, El Pais, Huffpost.escampaign expands: Aotearoa-New Zealand and Australia
in conversation with:
Indigenous voices in Canada
Patrick Alley of Global Witnessjust in from the US! Biden lifts sanctions on ICC
the power is in the word itself. It encapsulates the terrible extent of damage happening to the natural living world in so many ways. And once we understand the word, we know it must stop.
The more politicians hear that word, the stronger momentum becomes to put ecocide law in place. What we are seeding is a global conversation. And people are talking.
Media
The last few weeks have seen a rapidly growing focus on ecocide law in high profile publications. And this spurs political discussion.
What’s in a name? Is it time for “ecocide” to become an international crime? A growing movement wants destruction of the environment to be treated like genocide and crimes against humanity.
Lawyers Are Working to Put 'Ecocide' on Par with War Crimes.
Could an International Law Hold Major Polluters to Account?
Philippe Sands on why “ecocide” should be a crime. How a proposed amendment to international human rights law could prohibit the systematic destruction of nature.
To stop climate disaster, make ecocide an international crime. It's the only way. Outlawing ecocide would hold governments and corporations accountable for environmental negligence. We can’t wait
‘Ecocidio’, un nuevo delito para proteger al planeta de la humanidad. Un panel de 12 expertos prepara un borrador para introducir este crimen en el Estatuto de la Corte Penal Internacional
Ecocidio: un nuevo crimen contra la paz para salvar el planeta.
Juristas de reconocido prestigio tratan de definir el delito para que pueda ser juzgado por la Corte Penal Internacional de La Haya.
National Teams
Our reach on the ground continues to expand, with new teams this month in Aotearoa-New Zealand and Australia.
We notice that where we have communications teams, ecocide law starts to gain political traction. You may think that changing international law is something that happens in some remote corridor of power… but it starts with a simple conversation. One that more and more people are joining.
Whatever your network, big or small, you can grow that conversation.
Watch
From the Grassroots to the Courts: How criminalizing ecocide could benefit frontline defenders?
Co-hosted by Stop Ecocide Canada & RAVEN Trust.
Speakers: Sleydo’ (Molly Wickham) (Wet'suwet'en Nation), Chief Dana Tizya-Tramm (Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation), Melissa Mollen Dupuis (Innu community of Ekuanitshit).
Moderator: Suzanne Dhaliwal.
Jojo Mehta, Co-founder of Stop Ecocide International in conversation with Patrick Alley, Co-founder of Global Witness on exposing the links between corrupt practices, economic greed and environmental destruction, and how an international law of ecocide could help untangle that mess...
Look out for
EU Consultation on Environmental Crime Directive- full details in a special mailing coming soon
AUS: Earth Law alliance event on April 14th, 6pm AEST. International campaign update, followed by Q&A with guest Jojo Mehta.
EN: Outrage & Optimism podcast out on 15th April. Jojo is interviewed by Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac & Paul Dickinson.
Accelerate our work
Set up a regular donation via Paypal or credit/debit card today
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And keep talking!
PS - Just in from the US! Biden lifts sanctions on ICC
We’re delighted to hear that US President Joe Biden has now revoked former President Trump’s executive order and repealed sanctions placed against International Criminal Court officials. This is a promising development, showing that while the US may not become a member of the ICC just yet, there is no longer state hostility towards the Court as an institution.
Ms. Silvia Fernandez de Gurmendi, President, Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court announced yesterday: ”I welcome this decision which contributes to strengthening the work of the Court and, more generally, to promoting a rules-based international order.”
EU supports recognition of ecocide
EU supports recognition of ecocide
EU - Parliament votes to encourage EU members states to recognize ecocide, while environment committee votes to examine the possibility of EU ecocide legislation
Canada & Luxembourg both state that they will follow international ecocide law conversation with interest
Ecocide expert drafting panel - meetings get under way, public consultation takes place
Netherlands - Crimes Against Humanity communication with strong ecocide focus filed at the ICC in The Hague by French lawyer Bourdon on behalf of indigenous Chief Raoni
France - Affaire du Siècle case landmark ruling says government has failed its climate obligations and can be held accountable by victims, while trial continues on ecocidal Agent Orange chemical case
UK - Dasgupta report says economy must protect nature, while Supreme Court ruling says Shell can be held accountable for damage by subsidiaries
EU: taking ecocide seriously
In an amendment to its report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World 2019, the European Parliament voted to urge “the EU and the Member States to promote the recognition of ecocide as an international crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC)”.
And In its opinion on the liability of corporations for environmental damage, the European Parliament’s ENVI (environmental) Committee echoed that vote - and also asked “the Commission to study its relevance for EU law and EU diplomacy”.
Canada & Luxembourg to follow ecocide law developments
In its official response to a parliamentary petition submitted last November, the Canadian government has stated that it is “committed to be a world leader for climate… and will continue to follow closely the discussions on ecocide at the international level.”
Luxembourg’s Ministers of Foregn Affairs and of the Environment have meanwhile promised that the government is “ready to support the recognition of ecocide in European and international law when the time comes.”
Former President of Finland (2000-2012), Tarja Halonen, publically expresses her support for an international crime of ecocide and becomes a signed up ‘earth protector’
More about states leading on ecocide law at our dedicated web page
Definition drafting & consultation
In January the Independent Expert Panel for the Legal Definition of Ecocide had its first full meeting and drafting is now under way. The panel session was supported around the globe with ceremony held by Elders of the Mother Earth Delegation of United Original Nations, “lighting our sacred fires, standing with Mother Earth so Her voice can inform this panel of Her laws of nature.” (Grandmother Jyoti Ma)
A public consultation was launched in January to encourage diverse input to the panel. Reports and background considerations have also been sought from respected scientific, indigenous, youth, corporate, faith and climate policy voices. The closing date on the consultation has been extended to Sunday 21st Feb.
UK Treasury landmark report
The UK Treasury’s Dasgupta report marks a sea-change in economic thinking in the government context. While still using the financial language of “natural capital” and “ecosystem services”, there is nonetheless a genuine shift towards acknowledging our interconnectedness with, and responsibility towards, the natural world. A highly significant step.
French: Ecocide and the Agent Orange case
Spanish: Programa Utopías, Radio3
19/01 Raven Trust / Stop Ecocide Canada: Crimes against nature and indigenous sovereignty
18/02 EarthX: Amazonian Indigenous Voices
20/02 World Federalist Movement / Institute of Global Policy: Towards a common future
Share!
This month we’ve got a fabulous share from EcoAction Families: The Ripple Effect is a fun, pass-it-on chain reaction we hope you’ll be part of.
Excited about our work? Help fund us
We are uniquely placed to both influence and amplify worldwide momentum on ecocide law, and your help can make all the difference. So please consider:
Setting up a regular donation via Paypal or credit/debit card today
Recommending us to organisations or individuals you know who could help fund our work
PS - Cyprus campaign now active!
We’re delighted to welcome Evi heading up our Cyprus campaign, as we gradually reach around the Mediterranean… website in Greek in the pipeline - watch this space.
Change the law, protect the Earth
with love and unshakeable persistence,
The Stop Ecocide Team
Nuremberg to The Hague (via Helsinki & Madrid)
Nuremberg to The Hague (via Helsinki & Madrid)
Launch of Independent Expert Panel for the Legal Definition of Ecocide, 75 years after Genocide & Crimes Against Humanity coined at Nuremberg
Side events at the International Criminal Court’s Assembly of States Parties: Ecocide as an International Crime: Key Considerations and The destruction of ecosystems and its impact on indigenous communities: a role for the ICC?
Belgium: 1st European country to raise the issue at the ICC of criminalising ecocide
Finland: gesture of support for ecocide conversation
Spain: Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Committee calls for consideration of criminalising ecocide
Netherlands: white paper on ecocide submitted to parliament
France: national ecocide law sparks controversy over the term
Top lawyers to draft ecocide definition
Last month with powerful symbolic timing, exactly 75 years since the terms “Genocide” and “Crimes Against Humanity” were first spoken in Nuremberg’s Courtroom 600, the Stop Ecocide Foundation launched its Independent Expert Panel for the Legal Definition of Ecocide. As Co-chair Philippe Sands put it, “new times call for new crimes” and with ecocide now a threat on a global scale, defining it as an international crime is rapidly becoming imperative. The drafting panel expects to report back in June 2021.
Side events at the ICC
For the second consecutive year, the Republic of Vanuatu co-hosted an official ICC side event with us on the subject of ecocide. In association the Institute for Environmental Security, this excellent panel event featured renowned international lawyer (and Co-chair of the ecocide drafting panel) Philippe Sands, as well as Kate Mackintosh of the Promise Institute at UCLA, MEP Marie Toussaint and former ICC judge Tuiloma Neroni Slade. Superbly moderated by the BBC's Africa correspondent Andrew Harding, this is essential holiday viewing...
This collaborative panel saw the moral and judicial values of the ICC as key to addressing the most serious international crimes, including the possible future crime of ecocide. It was an honour to welcome Nina Gualinga, indigenous and environmental rights defender from the Sarayaku people in Ecuador, with Wouter Veening of the Institute for Environmental Security, Patrick Alley of Global Witness, Rhavena Moreira of the Center for Climate Crime Analysis and Charlie Holt of Greenpeace International. Co-hosted by Foundation Earth and Green Transparency
Belgium raises ecocide at ICC
This year Belgium became the first European country to raise criminalising ecocide at the International Criminal Court. The country’s official statement to the ICC’s Assembly of States Parties last week was made by Deputy Prime Minister & Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmès who stated: “Belgium believes that it would be useful to examine the possibility of introducing crimes known as ‘ecocide’ into the Rome Statute system.” Read more here .
Finland extends gesture of support
Finland has extended a clear gesture of support towards the criminalisation of ecocide at the International Criminal Court. Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto sent a special video greeting to our side event co-hosted with Vanuatu. We look forward to Finland actively joining the conversation over the coming months.
Spain: Foreign Affairs Committee calls for consideration of ecocide
Spain’s Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Committee has just passed a resolution calling on the government to consider criminalising ecocide. The resolution has 3 parts, urging the Spanish government to examine the possibilities for including ecocide in domestic legislation; for supporting Vanuatu and the Maldives with regard to amending the Rome Statute; and for actually proposing ecocide amendments to the Statute. Read more here.
White paper on ecocide submitted to Dutch parliament
Dutch Party for the Animals, which holds 4 seats in the NL Parliament, has this week , submitted its white paper to Parliament outlining the need for international legislation on Ecocide.
Dutch Parliamentarian Lammert van Raan said: “we call on Parliament to take 10 actions, ranging from submitting an amendment to add ecocide as a crime to the Statute of Rome to investigating the role of the Netherlands in waylaying such an effort in the past. Read more here.
French government’s weak use of the term “ecocide”
In an unexpected move, the French government recently announced the creation of a new crime of “ecocide” which appears to be little more than a stronger enforcement of environmental obligations under existing law. This use of the term doesn’t come close to what President Macron implied in his supporting statement in June when he promised to champion recognition of ecocide at the international level. Read more here .
What to share this month
Video recording of Stop Ecocide Foundation’s official written statement to the ICC’s Assembly of States Parties.
Political speech of the year! - calling on all states to consider adding ecocide to the Rome Statute. Delivered by our co-founder Jojo Mehta.
Excited about our work? Support us!
Momentum is gathering around criminalising ecocide, which means we are busier than ever and the work is expanding fast. Your help is invaluable in enabling us to keep pace with global developments, so please consider setting up a regular donation via Paypal or credit/debit card today.
For many around the world this year has been dark and difficult. Lost loved ones. Lost livelihoods. Lost species. Lost ecosystems. But perhaps - if governments are beginning to consider making it a crime to destroy our precious life-support systems - not lost hope. It’s been 5 years since the Paris agreement, and there are now 6 ICC member states interested in criminalising ecocide.
In 2021, let’s make it the conversation on everybody’s lips.
Politics, prayer & progress
Politics, prayer & progress
Over 70 world leaders pledge to “strengthen national and international law enforcement” to protect biodiversity
In Belgium, newly formed government pledges to “take diplomatic action to halt ecocide crime” - full info HERE
In Sweden, two motions calling for ecocide law are submitted to parliament; Stop Ecocide meets with Elders of original nations, Youth activists, Swedish politicians and a Catholic cardinal - more info HERE
International alliance of parliamentarians launched by MEP
… and we’re very excited to announce that the Stop Ecocide website is now available in both Portuguese and French!
Leaders Pledge for Nature
Launched in the run-up to the UN Biodiversity summit this year, the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature has been signed by 78 heads of state and sets out intentions for halting biodiversity loss, including to “ensure effective, proportionate and dissuasive legal frameworks [and] strengthen national and international law enforcement”. This is a significant step in the right direction (and gives us a clear list of potential supporters for ecocide law)
Belgian Government’s ecocide crime pledge
A year and a half after elections in 2019, the Belgian government finally reached its new form (a 7 party coalition) at the start of this month with a 4-year programme in place. For the first time in an official government programme, ecocide law featured specifically, with pledges to investigate inclusion in Belgium’s penal code, and to “research and take diplomatic initiatives aimed at halting the crime of ecocide, which is to say the conscious destruction of ecosystems” at the international level. Strong and welcome words.
Sweden to discuss ecocide Law
Not one but two motions calling for ecocide law have been submitted to the Swedish parliament in recent weeks - one from the Left Party and one from the Green & Social Democrat parties. In both cases, the government is invited to take the lead in amending international law to include the crime of ecocide.
Historic meeting in Stockholm
Hosted by parliamentarian Rebecka Le Moine in the Swedish parliament building, a remarkable gathering took place on 8th October. Elders from the Mother Earth Delegation of United Original (Indigenous) Nations spoke of the roots of colonial domination, movingly acknowledged by Sweden’s Catholic cardinal; youth activists addressed the pain of growing up in the resulting global ecological crisis, while our co-founder Jojo Mehta along with End Ecocide Sweden’s Pella Thiel set out the potential of ecocide law to help mend our broken relationship with nature and protect the future of life on Earth. A potent mix, which you can witness in this online webinar full version (held the previous day).
Watch two minute summary film here.
Parliamentarians join forces
MEP Marie Toussaint has launched an initiative connecting parliamentarians around the world in a coalition for the recognition of ecocide crime. Beginning with 10 parliamentarians from Brazil to Belgium, we think this group is set to grow fast, and look forward to working together on progressing ecocide law.
New languages now live!
Stop Ecocide is now available in both Portuguese and French.
We’re delighted to welcome the Portuguese campaign team, already in lively discussion with parliamentarians in Lisbon.
The new French website is an important bridge to Francophone communities worldwide in France, Canada and many other countries from Africa to the Pacific.
We’ll be collaborating on a well-established Facebook page and growing a new Twitter platform in French too.
What to share this month:
Paul McCartney and Princess Esmeralda of Belgium have signed up as Earth Protectors - why not encourage your networks to do the same? They can sign our international petition and then continue to join as an Earth Protector! Available now in English, Spanish, Dutch, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Brazilian Portuguese
Change the law, protect the Earth
with love and unshakeable persistence,
The Stop Ecocide Team
The Pope’s “ecological conversion”
The Pope’s “ecological conversion”
On 3rd September Valérie Cabanes, ecocide law advocate and member of Stop Ecocide’s Advisory Board, personally presented to Pope Francis a request from Stop Ecocide: for him to use his diplomatic and spiritual influence to build on his call last year for ecocide to be made a “fifth category of crimes against peace” at the International Criminal Court.
Part of a special eco-delegation from France, Cabanes and colleagues (including writer Pablo Servigne and actress Juliette Binoche) found the encounter “intensely moving”. Francis set aside his prepared speech and spontaneously recounted the “ecological conversion” he experienced through encountering indigenous elders in the Amazon and Canada, who knew how to “live in harmony with creation.” They helped him see “the way all things connect. Everything is connected, everything is in relationship. In our human societies we have lost this understanding… this sense of roots, of belonging.”
Pope Francis signalled his new direction in 2015 with the encyclical Laudato Sí, a papal document based on expert scientific advice on climate and ecology. Since then Francis has increasingly broken with Catholic tradition in his strong advocacy for harmony with nature.
A Beatle on board!
This summer has brought another globally revered name on board: last month Paul McCartney discovered Stop Ecocide: “Recently heard about this campaign […] the idea is clearly catching on... and not before time if we are to prevent further devastation of the planet. I've just signed up as an “Earth Protector” to support”. Thank you Paul! All you need is love… and a law of ecocide. (You can find him on our list here…)
Meat Free Monday, the charity founded by McCartney and daughters Mary & Stella, also published a great piece about our campaign. MFM promotes reducing meat consumption as a response to the ecocidal practices of industrial livestock farming and overfishing. We’re delighted to have them as partners.
At last, our international petition
We’ve often been asked if people can sign up to the campaign without actually becoming paid-up Earth Protectors - in particular young people and those on low incomes or without online payment means. Well now you can! All you need is an email address.
The signup page is now an international petition, which has significant benefits for the campaign:
Gathering signatories ourselves - this enables us to visibly grow our support base and (for example) contact signatories in a particular country if a national government petition or new branch of the campaign is started;
Keeping the petition open - this way we can periodically use the figures, both total and by individual state, to demonstrate to governments the building level of civil support. The more signatures we have, the more pressure we create.
Once people have signed the petition, they can go on to join as an Earth Protector if they wish to. Already existing Earth Protectors will be automatically included in the petition - after all, you’ve already said you want ecocide to become an international crime! www.stopecocide.earth/become
Canada government petition
Talking of national government petitions - a new one has launched in Canada recently, so if you’re a Canadian resident or citizen, sign here
Reports: peace, harmony & extinction
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ Harmony with Nature report and supplement this summer mentions ecocide 3 times, documenting the proposals of the French Citizens’ Climate Assembly and the Swedish workers’ movement as well as the recommendation from last year’s “Wuppertal Call” conference of churches to explore “the recognition of ecocide as a criminal offence”.
The Institute for Economics & Peace’s newly published Ecological Threat Register shows strong correlation between least peaceful and most ecologically threatened areas of the world - a clear vindication for approaching ecocide as an international “crime against peace” (as ICC crimes are frequently known).
WWF’s latest Living Planet report is an “SOS for Nature”, documenting “devastating” animal population losses of over ⅔ since 1970. At a press conference last week, director Marco Lambertini was unequivocal: “We are the cause of this ecocide.”
And in the UK last weekend, revered presenter Sir David Attenborough presented a stark BBC documentary Extinction: The Facts. It underlined the urgent need for stronger laws to address issues such as the habitat destruction driving extraordinary rates of biodiversity loss.
Making ecocide a crime is becoming an increasingly obvious step.
Rebellion around the globe
This month sees Extinction Rebellion (XR) once more out in force around the globe with a range of (at times highly controversial) civil disobedience. Not everyone may feel aligned with their tactics, but it’s only now - thanks to XR and the youth strikes forcing serious conversation on climate and ecological emergency - that people are listening to what we’ve been saying about ecocide for years. That is hugely important. It’s humbling that thousands are willing to peacefully challenge rules and even risk arrest for what they know to be right - and most historic legal changes have been triggered this way.
Click below to watch our co-founder Jojo Mehta and activist barrister Paul Powlesland in conversation about how these Conscientious Protectors can reframe in the courtroom what it means to stand up for the Earth.
From the Spanish campaign
Ecocide in the Mar Menor “worst in Spanish history”
Our Spanish campaign co-ordinator Maite Mompó was interviewed by major Spanish publication El Diario on the combination of contamination and extreme weather events which last year created “an unprecedented catastrophe that shook up the political and environmental landscape at national level, reviving criticism of the use of agro-pesticides and the dumping of waste from Murcian agriculture into the Mar Menor.”
The campaigners involved are now strongly demanding the criminalisation of ecocide. This is exactly the kind of horrific situation that we encourage campaigners around the world to frame as ecocide, just as these campaigners are doing. The more the term is used, the clearer the demand for its recognition as a crime.
Spanish webinar this Sunday!"Legal instruments to protect the Earth and its protectors". In collaboration with Re.Earth, Fridays for Future, Latinas for Climate and #FIBGAR, we will discuss how international law can benefit frontline communities defending lands and waters, as well as how it can benefit Nature. There will be presentations on two campaigns: the Escazú Agreement and Stop Ecocide, and an introduction to the work of FIBGAR (Baltasar Garzón’s Foundation). The whole event will take place in Spanish. Join us and share the event to your Spanish speaking circles!
What to share this month:
Courtesy of climate solutions amplifier Grounded.org, we had an amazing sponsored piece in the Guardian this week as part of their Climate Academy series. Please share widely - it’s a comprehensive and well-written introduction to the campaign.
This next one’s fun!
A collaboration with Fridays For Future, Youth Strike for Climate, Eco Action Families and XR, it’s a pop video created to promote youth climate action. The 30-second piece below is the one specially done for us… we LOVE it - it’s bubbly and joyous. You can share from our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube. (Full song here)
Last but not least, keep encouraging your networks to help ecocide become a crime by adding their names to the international petition at www.stopecocide.earth/become - they can become an Earth Protector as a next step if they like!
Earth Protector Communities news
Our sister grassroots charity initiative, based in the UK, is examining ways that communities can begin to behave as if ecocide law were in place. This week their youth-created online mini-series Wildlife to the Rescue aired on IGTV - it’s an invitation for all young people to be informed, inspired and encouraged to take what positive actions they can within their immediate sphere of influence.
The amazing line up included interviews and conversations with (among others) Myra-Rose Craig, popularly known as #BirdGirl; Annabel Ross, BBC audio producer, nutritionist and entrepreneur; Nicola Peel, environmental activist extraordinaire, and Ian Redmond OBE, internationally renowned conservationist champion of gorillas and elephants.
And last but not least, integrating an Earth Protector approach into early years education is proving to be a key area of exploration - check out this article in Primary Times (officially the UK’s most highly circulated magazine!).
The Belgian parliament, Greta Thunberg… and you
The Belgian parliament, Greta Thunberg….
and you
What’s the connection?
All are discussing a crime of ecocide.
This month we have lots of incredible news, and also great opportunities for immediate, easy action (yes, signing things! From the comfort of your laptop or phone!).
Belgium to discuss ecocide
Spurred on by Macron’s support in France just weeks ago, the Ecolo-Groen (Green) parties in Belgium lost no time introducing a bill into the federal parliament in July, to propose legislating on ecocide both nationally and at the international level, backing the call from Vanuatu and the Maldives last December. Proposer Samuel Cogolati, himself a Harvard Law School graduate, worked closely with Stop Ecocide associate and legal expert Valérie Cabanes on the bill. He said:
“If we, as legislators, take scientists seriously, we have to say as a matter of criminal law: destroying the Earth is not ok. It's actually punishable. Because without water, without forests, without clean air, we cannot survive on Earth.”
Read our full press release here
#FaceTheClimateEmergency: Greta and youth activists’ open letter calls for ecocide crime
Also in July, an open letter was submitted to EU leaders by four young women activists: Greta Thunberg, Luisa Neubauer, Anuna de Wever and Adélaïde Charlier. Signed by thousands of citizens, scientists and influencers, the letter demands that EU and global leaders “advocate to make ecocide an international crime at the International Criminal Court” alongside halting investments and subsidies for fossil fuels.
The activists point out that the emergency response to Covid-19 shows that leaders have not yet treated the climate and ecological crisis as a crisis. “We want leaders to address the root causes,” said Thunberg. Ecocide is certainly a root cause.
Read our full press release here
Donation from Greta’s foundation
Click on image to watch our thank you message
As if this wasn’t enough to bring ecocide into the spotlight, the news a few days later certainly did. Greta Thunberg was awarded the first Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity (€1M) on 20th July for her work “to mobilize younger generations for the cause of climate change and her tenacious struggle to alter a status quo that persists”.
Her foundation promptly donated €100K of the prize fund to Stop Ecocide “to support their work to make ecocide an international crime.” What an incredible gift! This is a fantastic support for our legal and diplomatic work with climate and ecocide-vulnerable states and we are hugely grateful for this recognition and generosity.
Fridays For Future Brazil initiative SOS Amazonia received a similar donation for its work tackling Covid-19 in the Amazon.
Read our full press release here
International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples (9/08/20)
Click the image to watch the film
We celebrated International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, with a beautiful short film from Stop Ecocide supporter Kelly Roberts, From Harm to Harmony - the missing law to protect people and planet. It features indigenous resistance to toxic exploitation and deforestation in the Amazon, and highlights the need for ecocide law to protect the forest for the sake of all of us.
In the words of the film-maker: "This film is a prayer for us all to take responsibility and to stand up for what we believe in."
Voices include Patricia Gualinga (Sarayaku people), Oswando Nenquimo (Waorani people), Clare Dubois (Treesisters) and David Dene (UN Earth jurist).
The film was created in direct response to Polly Higgins’ call: ‘Dare to be Great’. It was originally premiered in The Hague last December and is dedicated to Polly’s memory. Feel free to share widely!
Watch here: Youtube
Calling UK citizens: 2 (yes, 2) government petitions
For UK citizens reading this, two easy actions: please sign and share BOTH of the two petitions that went live last week on the UK government’s petition site after delays due to lockdown... they are different asks and therefore both worth signing.
This one was initiated by us and aims to put Boris Johnson in the same position as Emmanuel Macron - promising support for an international crime of ecocide.
Sign here
This one, originated by Earth Protector, artist and activist Sophie Miller, is a new attempt to ask the UK government to legislate nationally.
Sign here
Let’s go for this from both angles! And when you share on social media, we suggest doing it from these links because they include BOTH petitions:
Facebook , Twitter, Instagram. If you are from elsewhere in the world and would like to start a government petition in your country click here for useful info.
International allies
Stop Ecocide is becoming more international all the time.
This month we welcome branches of the campaign starting up in:
Canada: canada@stopecocide.earth / Facebook
Portugal: portugal@stopecocide.earth
Denmark: danmark@stopecocide.earth / Facebook
We have allies in Argentina, Mexico and Ireland who will be helping to evolve campaign branches very soon. Do let us know if you would like to be put in contact with them: operations@stopecocide.earth
We also look forward to offering the website soon in Portuguese and French, with more languages to follow.
We are also working closely with associate groups and networks such as End Ecocide on Earth and End Ecocide Sweden… stronger together!
Translators required:
Due to our rapid expansion, we are looking for legal translators to assist in translating the most important of our documents - the Earth Protectors Trust Fund document upon which our campaign is founded. Please contact: operations@stopecocide.earth
Stay tuned
Follow us on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram and keep on sharing our content, or take it a step further and Be an ambassador for Stop Ecocide… It’s your support that takes this work forward. Make it your mission to sign up your friends and networks to support making ecocide an international crime.
Change the law, protect the Earth
with love and unshakeable persistence,
The Stop Ecocide Team
PS: Celebrating Vanuatu!
At the end of July the small Pacific island Republic of Vanuatu celebrated 40 years of independence. Vanuatu is one of the world’s most highly climate-vulnerable nations. It was also the first sovereign state to call for ecocide to be seriously considered as a crime at the International Criminal Court (Dec 2019) and has been a strong ally for some years now.
2020 has been really tough for the small island state, due to the devastating effects of cyclone Harold in the spring, local volcanic activity, malaria outbreaks and keeping out Covid-19 (one of the only places on the planet which has managed to do so).
The people of Vanuatu showed they have the resilience, energy and spirit to celebrate nonetheless! We certainly celebrate Vanuatu and send strength and solidarity.
France to champion international crime of ecocide
France to champion international crime
of ecocide
The possibility of establishing ecocide as an international crime has just come significantly closer. President Emmanuel Macron this week gave his official response to the 150 randomly selected members of the French citizens assembly on climate, the Convention Citoyenne pour le Climat (CCC), a body he convened last year to provide proposals to the government to tackle climate change.
The assembly’s deliberations took 9 months. Foremost among their proposals, supported by a remarkable 99.3% of the assembly, was making ecocide a crime. Macron stopped short of accepting the exact text proposed, but clearly endorsed the principle. He assured the citizens of his support:
“We'll study, with you and legal experts, how this principle can be incorporated into French law."
Moreover he specifically promised, on behalf of France, to champion the enshrining of ecocide crime in international law.
“As for ecocide, I think I was the first leader to use that term when the Amazon was burning," the head of state said. "So I share the ambition that you defend … the mother of all battles is international: to ensure that this term is enshrined in international law so that leaders … are accountable before the International Criminal Court.”
This is a huge step forward. Already the conversation is expanding and interest in the subject is growing fast. Our alerts for press mentions of “ecocide” are pinging several times a day now (bear in mind 18 months ago this was once or twice a month!)...
The French developments are being celebrated in particular by human rights expert and long-term ecocide law advocate Valérie Cabanes, who is a close associate of the Stop Ecocide campaign. It was Cabanes who in January presented to the CCC in January the ecocide law proposal for which she had previously been lobbying. Inspired by the work of our co-founder Polly Higgins, she has dedicated many years to progressing the legal protection of nature. She is both thrilled and resolute:
“We take Emmanuel Macron at his word concerning his wish to fight for the recognition of the crime of ecocide at the International Criminal Court on behalf of France. He says he shares our ‘emotion faced with those who destroy entire ecosystems with "full knowledge of the facts and with impunity".’ Mr President, we expect you to stick to your words! In the meantime: Thank you!”
Look out soon on our social media for a conversation with Valérie Cabanes and Jojo Mehta in discussion on what this means for France and for the wider campaign.
Convergence of injustice
The world has been shaken by events in the US, and the environmental movement among others has had to consciously examine its assumptions. Should any of us be surprised that ecological, health, social and racial injustice which have been turned away from - and even violently silenced - have all converged to become visible at once? Read our campaign statement HERE.
Speech, debate, interview
Jojo Mehta in conversation with Amazon activist Zoë Tryon, 5th June, hosted by Medicine Festival… Jojo & Zoe recall Polly Higgins and celebrate the latest developments in the Stop Ecocide campaign. You can watch here: FACEBOOK / YOUTUBE
Our co-founder Jojo Mehta presented to the UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA) conference on 26th June as part of a panel on The Rule of Law and the Environment. You can listen to her 15 minute speech HERE
If you missed the exciting debate in Spain last month with Joaquín Araujo, Baltasar Garzón and our own Maite Mompó, you can watch it HERE
And if you missed the lively conversation between Jonathon Porritt and Jojo Mehta you can watch it HERE
Partnering…
If your organisation, group, NGO, publication or business believes in what we’re doing, we would love to hear what you can do with your membership and your strategy to include this simple, essential demand to governments: “Support making ECOCIDE an international crime.”
Please visit our Partner with us page.
Volunteers - some specific asks
Do you believe in what we’re doing and have some time to spare? We’re looking for people to help with translations for our international web sites, particularly German, Swedish, Brazilian Portuguese and Italian.
Please email volunteers@stopecocide.earth
Amplification
We have a feeling things are only going to accelerate from here. So stay tuned on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and keep on sharing our content, or take it a step further and Be an ambassador for Stop Ecocide… It’s your support that takes this work forward!
And for something new to share, here is an excellent short video on the work to criminalise #ECOCIDE - put together by INTERPRT, our forensic investigation partners. It includes original footage of Vanuatu Ambassador's official speech at the International Criminal Court, Dec ’19.
Watch HERE or click on the below image taken from the video.
We felt appropriate to include an image of Polly Higgins & Jojo Mehta together as Polly would have been 52 yesterday (4th July) if she were still with us - "interdependence day" as she used to call it.
Change the law, protect the Earth
with love and unshakeable persistence,
The Stop Ecocide Team
Earth Protector Communities News
How do we act ‘as if’ ECOCIDE law were already in place, right across communities? Earth Protector Communities, sister charity initiative of the Stop Ecocide campaign, is co-creating models at grassroots level to sow the seeds of how this might be done.
Young people lead on Earth Protector Universities
Universities could emerge as fertile ground for these seeds. Last month we invited 16 students from France, Germany, Holland and the UK to meet online, and an energetic first discussion took place around developing a map for protecting the Earth and regenerating community via the organisation of a university, embedded in its particular local community. The students continue exploring how best to encourage their Universities to become beacons - declared Earth Protector institutions committed to collaborative decision making and prioritising ecology, ethics and social justice. More conversations to come!
Local well-being regeneration: a community hub
Our Healthy Being team is evolving a practical model for how Earth Protector Towns might work, in our home town of Stroud, UK.
Together with local sustainability organisations, our charity is developing a community space to support the long-term mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing of the town.
This will include hot-desking space, a community café, venue for classes, events, conversations and counselling, public washing facilities and a base for local peer-to-peer food hub business StroudCo, linking the community firmly to the local economy of sustainable food producers.
Even at this early stage, we can see from this “on the ground” work that combining community well-being, ecology and economy for the benefit of all is the way forward as we emerge from the covid-19 crisis.
In this context we feel that the #BlackLivesMatter and #BuildBackBetter movements are deeply correlated - our statement on this is HERE.
First do no harm
With warmth and resilience
The Earth Protector Communities Team
CONVERGENCE Of INJUSTICEConvergence of injustice
Anyone in the (so-called) “first world” who is not either examining their identity, privilege and prejudices right now or protesting those of others is simply not paying attention. Which is a pretty extraordinary situation, and many would argue decades - if not centuries - overdue.
While the precise form of this moment of (yes) horror and (yes) crisis and (yes) awakening could not have been predicted, should any of us be surprised that ecological, health, social and racial injustice which have been turned away from and violently silenced have all converged to become visible at once?
It is all connected. We are all connected - to each other and to the living world. We are interdependent participants in an inescapable, ongoing mutual exchange of energy. It ought to be beautiful. Indigenous voices have been telling the rest of us this for a very long time.
But over 2 millennia of dualistic thinking (ideal vs real, spiritual vs earthly, reason vs nature) have led to a mindset of separation so profound that a small number feel able to treat both nature and other people as an infinite resource… and the majority have been either subjugated or brainwashed into considering that state of affairs either inevitable or desirable.
We know that the roots of ECOCIDE – mass damage and destruction of nature – are inextricably intertwined with this brutal exploitation, colonialism and profound misunderstanding of how the living world really works.
We know that as a result, ECOCIDE has become the material basis of the entire global economic system.
We also know that this can be changed.
At Stop Ecocide we focus on one thing - making ECOCIDE an international crime. Our supporters fund the diplomatic, legal and awareness-raising work to make this possible. We believe it is a foundational piece of protective law, one which can be simply implemented within existing systems and which will signal a profound shift in humanity’s operating framework.
We know that criminalising ecocide will not fix everything. But we do know it is a bridge to a liveable world. Without doing this, there is little hope that the toxic practices of the fossil fuel, mineral extraction, agricultural and manufacturing industries – practices perpetuating the worst human rights and ecological atrocities and the biggest threats to climate stability - will be stopped in time, if at all.
We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and with all courageous protectors of justice for people and the planet.
Ecocide: calling a crime a crime
Ecocide: calling a crime a crime
This is a unique moment, when those of us accustomed to “first-world” living have had to slow down, and millions in the developing world and indigenous communities are experiencing increased hardship and risk. Many around the world are grieving those they have lost. It’s a moment we hope to live through consciously and with compassion.
It’s also a moment when changing the ground rules is becoming a household conversation. While some unscrupulous political players are taking advantage of this moment to plough ahead with ecocidal projects (Canadian oil pipelines, Amazon deforestation), many voices, including millions of health professionals, are now highlighting the links between the human health crisis and the ECOCIDES suffered by the Earth.
Making ECOCIDE a crime can therefore make a profound difference, creating a legal foundation for all life on Earth to thrive, a foundation for ALL of this:
protecting biodiversity
slowing climate change
supporting indigenous rights
promoting green infrastructure
enabling sustainable development
safeguarding future generations
This is why we are now reaching out to many other interest groups, campaigns and NGOs, from youth strikers to conservation charities, from indigenous peoples to faith groups and from workers unions to green business leaders: let’s all start naming ECOCIDE as the crime that it should be.
Already the workers movement in Sweden has publicly done this: see guest blog from our partner association End Ecocide Sweden.
Image: Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson, chairman of The Swedish Trade Union Confederation, and Anna Sundström, secretary general of Olof Palme International Center “We stand behind the growing global opinion demanding that large-scale destruction of ecosystems should be a crime.”
Just last week, model and actress Cara Delevingne contributed the video below to Artists for Amazonia’s online fundraiser also featuring Sting, Morgan Freeman, Peter Gabriel, Carlos Santana, Jane Fonda and many more - specifically encouraging folk to sign up to Stop Ecocide!
Cara is also co-founder (with Advaya) of the fabulous climate action platform EcoResolution.
The legal possibility is there; the conversation has already been begun at state level … and as more - and more diverse - voices join the conversation, so the political possibility grows too. Let’s do this together.
Be an ambassador for Stop Ecocide.
World Environment Day, Friday 5th June
We’re going to be marking WED in Spain with a high-profile online debate on 5th June, (6pm CET) as part of the Despierta Festival featuring world-renowned former judge and highly esteemed member of our advisory board Baltasar Garzón, one of Spain's best known environmentalists Joaquín Araujo and our own Spanish campaign manager Maite Mompó. In the run-up, ticket-holders can view Spanish versions of the 3 films on Ecocide which premiered in The Hague last December: Big Sun (Vanuatu), From Harm to Harmony (Ecuadorean Amazon) and an excerpt of The Code (International Criminal Law).
For English speakers, our co-founder Jojo Mehta will be in conversation with renowned veteran environmentalist and author Jonathon Porritt (whose new book Hope in Hell comes out this month) on our YouTube and Facebook channels at 4pm BST on Friday 5th June. Facebook event
Change the law, protect the Earth
with love and unshakeable persistence,
The Stop Ecocide Team
Earth Protector Communities News
How do we act ‘as if’ ECOCIDE law were already in place, right across communities? Earth Protector Communities, the sister charity initiative of the Stop Ecocide campaign, is co-creating models at grassroots level to do just that.
Image: 'Joseph in Nigeria: 'We cannot leave the Earth as we met it'.
Last month the Covid-19 crisis meant our Earth Protector Schools projects went on hold, but our online creativity ramped up to produce Earth Week interviews from Brazil to Ecuador via the Cotswolds (England), covering subjects from permaculture to plastic with pioneers spiritual and ecological. Check out the collection on Facebook.
More recently we supported emerging “Youth Voices”, produced by and for young people in our hometown of Stroud. Participation grows confidence, well-being (a particular Earth Protector focus) and active hope, as well as the building blocks of an Earth Protector Youth Community. Enjoy on Instagram and Facebook whatever your age
First do no harm
with warmth and resilience
The Earth Protector Communities Team
THE SWEDISH LABOR MOVEMENT CALLS FOR ECOCIDE AS A CRIMETHE SWEDISH LABOR MOVEMENT CALLS FOR ECOCIDE AS A CRIME
Guest blog: from associate group End Ecocide Sweden
Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson, chairman of The Swedish Trade Union Confederation, and Anna Sundström, secretary general of Olof Palme International Center are writing in Svenska Dagbladet (one of the largest newspapers in Sweden) on ecocide. “We stand behind the growing global opinion demanding that large-scale destruction of ecosystems should be a crime. Sweden ought to lead the way to amend the Rome Statute with ecocide as a fifth crime against peace” they write.
– It is very welcome that The Swedish Trade Union Confederation and Olof Palme International Center take a stand for ecocide as an international crime, says Peder Karlsson, End Ecocide Sweden. It is not just ecosystems who are victims of the ruthless exploitation which is legally permitted today. The workers of the world are paying a high price in the form of environmental destruction and climate change, especially in the global South.
“In two years time Sweden will again invite the world to an international conference on the environment; Sweden then has the opportunity to show that it is possible to combine welfare, equality and a radical transition to sustainability”, Thorwaldsson and Sundström write. They are referring to that it is almost 50 years ago that the administration of Olof Palme arranged the first ever conference on international environmental issues, the so called Stockholm Conference of 1972, where Palme was one of the first to use the term ecocide (see this clip).
Now, half a century later, it is high time to seriously take care of the nature which we are part of. The Stockholm +50 conference is a great opportunity to unite the world around a Duty of Care for the Planet, making ecocide a fifth crime against peace. The swedish workers movement shows the way toward a solidarity with all of life with this clear article.
Clips from a meeting between Polly Higgins, the lawyer who proposed ecocide as a crime under the Rome Statute, and Jan O Karlsson, Minister of Government of Olof Palme who was a contributor to the speech Palme holds above.
NOTABLE MEDIA ARTICLE: published in Svenska Dagbla 20/03/20
CRIMINALISING LARGE-SCALE ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION
Sweden should take the lead in reducing impunity and making it costly to destroy human life conditions, say Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson, chairman of The Swedish Trade Union Confederation, and Anna Sundström, secretary general of Olof Palme International Center.
Together, we face humanity's greatest challenge. The climate and the ecosystems are under immense pressure with human suffering and incalculable economic damage as a result. Ravaging violent fires, the widespread and long-lasting drought, the massive devastation of the recurring hurricanes and the catastrophic consequences of the floods. This is the acute crisis of our society, our democracy and our economic system. At the same time, we see how a number of states and groups of large companies are actively counteracting necessary change. Therefore, The Swedish Trade Union Confederation and the Olof Palme International Center require that large-scale environmental degradation is criminalized.
We see more and more how some states and large corporations invest huge sums of money in disinformation campaigns, pushing for increased overexploitation of man and nature. Fossil fuel emissions, environmental degradation, inequality and suffering also continue to increase. The cost of such behavior today is minimal, both financially and legally. On the contrary, they are directly profitable and encouraged by a system designed to safeguard these interests.
A thorough restructuring of the economic system is necessary and needs to be done very quickly. The public systems and their financial instruments must be fundamentally changed to make it easy to do the right thing - for consumers, workers, municipalities as well as for companies. All the companies and individuals who want to make the transition possible should have the best conditions to do so. Public investment, procurement rules, taxes and subsidies must be clearly directed at the branches of human activity that contribute positively to the transition with care for workers and the environment. The international trade union movement wholeheartedly supports such a development, where the decent jobs, the opportunities for increased equality and a good life is to be found.
We are also convinced of the need to increase the legal capacity to claim responsibility. Today, impunity is extensive for environmental crimes and destruction of habitats. There are no global tools with sufficient jurisdiction to deal with these issues and with the ability to claim the responsibility of individuals in relation to the consequences of their actions and decisions. It is almost forty years since Olof Palme hosted the world's first international conference on the environment. In his introductory speech, he pointed out that:
"in the field of the human environment there is no individual future, neither for human beings nor for nations. Our future is common. We must share it together. We must shape it together."
Therefore, we support the growing world opinion that requires that large-scale environmental degradation should be criminalized. Sweden should take the lead for Ecocide Law to be added to the Rome Statute as a fifth crime against peace. And thus, in a decisive way, contribute to a new approach to investment, exploitation and growth.
During the post-war period, the labour movement showed that a rapid and profound social change is possible. With our faces turned towards the future, we did not shy away from the necessary change. In two years, Sweden will once again invite the world to an environmental conference. We then have the opportunity to show the world that it is possible to combine a welfare society with increased equality and a radical transition. Together with the states who are threatened with eradication due to rising sea levels, Sweden should take the lead in reducing impunity and making it costly to destroy human life conditions. We assume this necessary challenge and urge the government and parliament to do the same. Sweden has every opportunity to once again show the world that we are a pioneering country.
Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson
The Swedish Trade Union Confederation, chairman
Anna Sundström
Olof Palme International Center, Secretary General
Kriminalisera storskalig miljöförstörelse
Sverige bör gå i täten för att minska straffriheten och göra det kostsamt att förstöra människans livsbetingelser. Det skriver Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson, LO, och Anna Sundström, Olof Palmes internationella center.
Gemensamt står vi inför mänsklighetens största utmaning. Klimatet och ekosystemen befinner sig under en oerhörd press med mänskligt lidande och oöverskådliga ekonomiska konsekvenser som följd. De våldsamma brändernas framfart, den utbredda och mångåriga torkan, de återkommande orkanernas massiva förödelse och översvämningarnas katastrofala följder. Det är vårt samhälles, vår demokratis och vårt ekonomiska systems akuta kris. Samtidigt ser vi hur ett antal stater och en samling storföretag aktivt motarbetar den omställning som är nödvändig. Därför kräver LO och Palmecentret att storskalig miljöförstörelse bör kriminaliseras.
Vi ser allt mer hur vissa stater och storföretag investerar ofantliga summor i desinformationskampanjer, driver på för ökad rovdrift och ytterligare exploatering av människa och natur. Utsläppen, miljöförstörelsen, ojämlikheten och lidandet fortsätter också att öka. Kostnaderna för sådant beteende är i dag minimala, både ekonomiskt och juridiskt. De är tvärtom direkt lönsamma och uppmuntras av ett system som designats för att tillvarata dessa intressen.
En genomgripande omställning av det ekonomiska systemet är nödvändig och behöver ske mycket snabbt. De offentliga systemen och de ekonomiska styrmedlen måste förändras i grunden så att det blir lätt att göra rätt för både konsument, arbetare, kommuner och företag. Alla de företag och individer som vill göra omställningen möjlig ska ha de bästa förutsättningarna att göra det. Offentliga investeringar, upphandlingsregler, skatter och subventioner måste tydligt riktas mot de branscher och verksamheter som bidrar positivt till omställningen med omsorg om arbetare och miljö. Den internationella fackliga rörelsen ställer sig helhjärtat bakom en sådan utveckling. Där finns de anständiga jobben, möjligheterna till ökad jämlikhet och ett gott liv.
Vi är också övertygade om nödvändigheten att öka de juridiska möjligheterna att utkräva ansvar. Straffriheten är i dag omfattande för miljöbrott och förstörelse av livsmiljöer. Det saknas globala verktyg med tillräcklig jurisdiktion för att hantera dessa frågor och med möjlighet att utkräva ansvar av individer i relation till konsekvenserna av deras handlingar och beslut. Det är snart fyrtio år sedan Olof Palme stod värd för världens första internationella miljökonferens. I sitt inledningsanförande poängterade han att "i relation till mänsklig livsmiljö finns det ingen individuell framtid, inte för människor och inte heller för nationer. Vår framtid är gemensam. Vi måste dela den tillsammans. Vi bör forma den tillsammans." Vi ställer oss därför bakom den växande världsopinion som kräver att storskalig miljöförstörelse bör kriminaliseras. Sverige bör gå i täten för att ekocid (från engelskans ecocide), ska läggas till Romstadgan som ett femte brott i fredstid. Och därmed på ett avgörande sätt bidra till ett nytt förhållningssätt till investeringar, exploatering och tillväxt.
Arbetarrörelsen visade under efterkrigstiden att en snabb och genomgripande samhällsomställning är möjlig. Med ansiktet vänt mot framtiden skyggade vi inte den nödvändiga förändringen. Om två år bjuder Sverige återigen in världen till en miljökonferens. Vi har då möjlighet att visa världen att det är möjligt att kombinera ett välfärdssamhälle, ökad jämlikhet och en radikal omställning. Tillsammans med de stater som hotas av utplåning med stigande havsnivåer bör Sverige gå i täten för att minska straffriheten och göra det kostsamt att förstöra människans livsbetingelser. Vi antar denna nödvändiga utmaning och uppmanar regering och riksdag att göra detsamma. Sverige har alla förutsättningar att återigen visa världen att vi är ett föregångsland.
Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson
ordförande för LO
Anna Sundström
generalsekreterare Olof Palmes internationella center
A MUST WATCH - “CAN YOU IMAGINE”
Can You Imagine?
As we are building an emerging picture of the pathway that it’s best to take to create the world we want to bring into being. We wish to bring one crucial, very practical piece to that emergent picture.
This key piece is an amendment to international law. It is quite simply to make ecocide – mass damage & destruction of ecosystems - a crime. The video below shows how such a law will support every environmental campaign on the planet. Of course, this alone would be reason enough to take it forward, but I would like to share with you how beautifully simple, hugely powerful, and surprisingly possible it is.
How is it simple?
In our so-called “first world” culture we use criminal law to draw the moral red line – to define what is, and what is not, acceptable. Murder is a crime – it is not acceptable. It is universally condemned and no corporation can legitimately build a business on it.
Now at present, destroying nature does not attract that level condemnation. For example, polluting corporations see it at best as a regrettable side-effect of making money. So even though everyone knows we’re in a global ecological crisis, and even though there are hundreds of environmental treaties already in existence, dangerous industrial activity has continued to increase.
Polly Higgins, who co-founded the Stop Ecocide campaign, once asked the head of a UK bank “Why do you continue to finance these destructive practices?” The answer was simply “It’s not a crime.”
Investment will flow where it is permitted to flow. So until we make it a crime to inflict serious harm on the living world, the destruction will continue – and all those who care will continue mopping up the mess… when we could be simply turning off the tap. When destroying the rainforest or spraying pesticides across huge areas becomes a crime, investors can no longer back projects which involve such activities, and businesses must therefore develop different modes of operation.
And it is important to make ecocide an international crime, because that is the simplest and most effective way to enforce it – within existing systems. There is no need to appeal to a special court or tribunal – we can simply report the criminals to the police in any country that has ratified the crime. This has the effect of allocating criminality to where it is actually happening – with those creating harm, not with those standing up to protect communities and ecosystems against that harm. At a stroke it puts the police and the courts on the right side of the moral fence. It’s a simple and effective safeguard.
And how it is powerful?
Firstly because ecocide crime makes individuals criminally responsible, specifically those in superior positions – the ones who make the decisions. Breaches of civil regulation usually only lead to fines – and corporations simply budget for those fines.
But CEOs and government ministers will feel very differently about issuing a mining permit or signing off a drilling project could lead to a jail sentence. Ecocide crime is different to genocide or war crimes in this respect: corporations depend upon reputation and public confidence, and no CEO wants to be seen as the equivalent of a war criminal.
Secondly, making ecocide a crime is powerful because it puts the whole world on legal notice.
Criminal laws don’t work retrospectively but from the date they’re put in place.
Putting in place a new international crime takes time. We estimate around 3-5 years. And it is already on the horizon. Once a state actually proposes it at the International Criminal Court, which could be as early as this year or next year, the writing is on the wall. It is like giving the entire world a deadline – creating an automatic transition period. When the data protection laws came in in Europe – every single business knew that it would have to comply by a certain date, and every single business had to adjust its practices in advance of that date.
And with covid-19 we have seen that when the world needs to, it can absolutely act that quickly. What’s a few years to turn the entire planetary ship around? In many arenas we’ve done it in a few short weeks.
We are often asked – which CEOs or political figures would you want to see in the dock under ecocide law? We can think of several, but it is not actually our aim to “put the bad guys in the dock”... ideally, we don’t want to see anyone in the dock. Our aim is to change practices so that the Earth is genuinely protected, so that the harm is stopped. It will start with those at the very beginning of the production chain – the banks, financiers, the insurers, the re-insurers – who are always the first to see legislative changes coming. And they are the ones with their hands on that faucet. They are the ones who enable polluting corporations to continue with business as usual. When the flow of funds is diverted, things will change pretty fast.
For us though, the truly inspiring power of this law is the way it will – subtly but surely – begin to change that mindset of separation – the mindset that has dominated Western culture not just for decades but for centuries, allowing a relatively tiny number of individuals and state actors to subjugate both nature and much of the rest of humanity.
So how does it change that mindset? When we place “ecocide” alongside “genocide” in our legal frameworks, when we make mass destruction of nature equivalent to mass destruction of human beings, we change the ground rules in a way that helps us to see a reality which has always been there… a reality which indigenous cultures have never forgotten… we are ALL PART of the wider web of life on this planet and we cannot survive, let alone thrive, unless we acknowledge this.
Finally, how is it possible?
This is the exciting part. Making ecocide an international crime sounds like a massive task, but in fact it is surprisingly achievable. The procedure is simple and has four stages. To start the process it only takes one state member of the International Criminal Court. They must officially propose an amendment to the Rome Statute – the Court’s governing document and arguably the most powerful legal document in the world.
With a simple majority at the Court’s annual Assembly that amendment can be discussed. Then, with a two thirds majority, the amendment can be adopted into the Statute. Finally after that, states can begin to ratify it.
At present there are 123 member states so that would mean 82 states would need to support it. It sounds like a lot, but it’s a one-state, one-vote system, so small island states at the sharp end of climate change, or indeed Amazon and African states suffering toxic extractive practices, have as much power to take this forward as any of the G20 countries. Just adding those groups together (even without Brazil) could already reach the required number.
And even countries which don’t ratify this crime will still be restricted by it. They will no longer be able to operate ecocidal businesses in countries which have ratified, and their nationals can be arrested and prosecuted in those countries. This is how the Chilean dictator Pinochet was arrested in the UK for Crimes against Humanity back home in Chile. Just having the crime on the Statute makes this possible.
And the best thing about doing this at the international level is that it is much lower political risk than trying to pass ecocide laws country by country. We’ve already seen in France that individual states are reluctant to be the first to adopt, it feels too economically risky, but at the international level, by definition a large number are required to take it forward. This creates political safety in numbers. It also creates the opportunity to be seen to lead on something everyone already knows, in their hearts, is needed. Those states who take this forward are going to be the heroes of tomorrow’s history classes.
We are already working with researchers, international criminal lawyers and small nation states, but governments across the world also need to understand ecocide law as a public demand, and an essential practical step to a liveable world. This comes from expanding the global conversation and mobilising civil support. This is why we advocate at both the international diplomatic level and in our public-facing campaign, which anybody can join at StopEcocide.earth.
And now, in the space created by the covid-19 pandemic, there is a real opportunity for putting this law on the global roadmap.
So – it’s simple. It’s powerful. It’s possible. And it’s inevitable if we are to transition to a sustainable world.
If we can change the ground rules to prevent serious harm to the Earth, we have a genuine chance for that world to emerge.
One year on: remembering Polly Higgins
One year on: remembering Polly Higgins
This week marks one year since the passing of our co-founder, visionary and legal pioneer the late Polly Higgins (1968-2019). Plans for any kind of live event have of course had to be cancelled due to COVID-19, but we have put together some beautiful online content to celebrate and remember her. Below are two short video pieces created specially – enjoy and feel free to share:
Polly on the origins of Stop Ecocide:
Polly on Greatness as a Legacy:
It is of course also Earth Day this week, 50 years on from the first Earth Day in 1970. We are delighted to be contributing to several global Earth Day events – from Green Cross Netherlands’ video for the EarthX conference, to a slot in the LiveHOPE Telefest, to a live talk from Jojo Mehta as part of the Pachamama Alliance’s Voices for the Earth Summit.
Closer to home, sister charity initiative Earth Protector Communities is launching the first stages of a toolkit for individual and community resilience and regeneration, inspired by Polly Higgins’ recently republished book Dare to be Great.
Picture by Jaine Rose, local Stroud artist and Earth Protector
Dubbed the Earth Protector Quest, you can join to see developments and lots of special Earth Week contributions HERE, including films, interviews, singing celebrations and even a “virtual pub night”! They will also be releasing content on the Earth Protectors Community facebook group HERE.
Remembering Polly, and acknowledging all those (that’s ALL OF YOU!) who understand the importance of making ecocide a crime … as a bridge to the more beautiful world we all want to bring into being.
A MOTHER’S THOUGHTS
A mother's thoughts
In the UK this Sunday, it’s Mother’s Day. And I’m a mother.
At some point I guess we all ask ourselves why we’re here, and we probably all find different answers. But I’m going to hazard a guess that in the moment we become mothers, as our mothers did, there’s one answer to that question that kind of appears by itself and instantly takes precedence: we’re here to nourish and protect our children.
It’s the strongest biological urge and the deepest, most visceral emotional drive, and we share it with most living creatures. It’s what we’ll run into a burning house for.
Which is pretty much what we’re all having to do right now, because, as young climate activist Greta Thunberg keeps pointing out, our collective house IS on fire. Things feel pretty apocalyptic. In the last 12 months we’ve had devastating fires in Australia, in the Amazon, in Africa. Floods in Indonesia. Plagues of billions of locusts in East Africa – it’s kind of biblical in scale. And now coronavirus, overwhelming the healthcare services in multiple countries and turning us inward on ourselves in an attempt to slow down the need for emergency care.
Being on lockdown means we’re conscious of being mothers all the time – with kids at home all day every day… and conscious of our own mothers too, with many of them being among the most vulnerable to this illness. We may be having to support them more and yet keep away from them at the same time, a new and strange kind of caring to be engaging in.
I work from home, so at present my inconvenience is limited to my kids refusing to go to bed and behaving like we’re on holiday (except with added handwashing). But if you have a workplace to go to, and especially if you’re a single mum, it’s very different. School may well provide you with the ability to work in the first place. And that doesn’t begin to approach the crisis this sickness may be producing in less wealthy countries.
But even here in the affluent UK, it begs a really big question for me, about what we’re here for, about what, as mothers, we want for our children. About what makes life worth living, and about the difference between surviving and thriving. Are my children in school to train to get a job, as our society seems to dictate? A job that in many cases perpetuates the culture that keeps us consuming and poisoning the seas and the skies?
Research shows that people on their deathbeds regret two things the most: not enough time with loved ones, and not enough time spent in nature. Research also shows that communities that live the longest and stay the healthiest do lots of both.
I find it hard to believe that with humanity’s level of sophistication, knowledge and ingenuity we can’t enable everyone to do this. Just in my own country – the UK, one of the world’s wealthiest economies – there are completely unacceptable levels of poverty and loneliness. We have a lower proportion of old-growth forest left than most if not all countries in Europe, our wildlife is dwindling at a startling rate and our government fails miserably to keep air pollution below basic safety levels. It’s bewildering. I keep coming back to the sense that there are dots that just aren’t getting joined. I think it’s that same sense of disconnect that brought so many people onto the streets over the last year, with the climate strikes and Extinction Rebellion. There’s a feeling that the whole crazy show doesn’t make sense.
Sometimes it takes a child’s understanding to highlight this. Seven years ago my daughter overheard me talking about fracking, a way of extracting oil and gas using highly toxic fluids injected into the ground. She burst into floods of tears. “But mummy, if they are poisoning the Earth don’t they realise they are going to be poisoning themselves too? You have to call them and tell them to stop!” I remember thinking “my five-year-old can understand that this is insane. How can this be happening?”
A friend once asked me “if you were Prime Minister, what single policy would you bring in tomorrow?” And I have to say I was torn between two things.
One I saw as a supportive policy: universal basic income. I personally believe that one of the key reasons so many feel disempowered is that they are so darn busy working to put bread on the table (so that their kids can grow up to do the same, trapped by debt and running to stand still) that they’ve no energy left to pursue what they really care about or challenge the ‘norms’ that are already producing record levels of anxiety. A basic or citizen’s income could meaningfully address that, and now could be the perfect time to try out such a policy. It could provide a much needed safety net for working mums and others in similar situations, and could also free up time and energy for community interaction, resilience and catalysing change… and that is going to be so important in the unstable world our children are facing.
The other policy I thought about was the one I now work full-time on, which is this: making it a crime to destroy nature. Because right now it isn’t. So that’s what our campaign, Stop Ecocide, focuses on.
Making ecocide – or serious harm to nature – a crime is like a kind of safeguarding policy for life on Earth. We believe it should be a baseline rule, like the crime of murder. It’s simple: when destroying ecosystems is prohibited, the Earth’s ability to sustain and generate life is protected. It feels like stating the obvious, but we seem to have forgotten that nature is generative – that “she” is, in the most literal sense, the mother of all life, as so many indigenous cultures understand so well.
As one mother to another, but even more as one child to another (after all we may not all have children but we all have mothers), I’m inviting you to support this law to protect the Earth. When we protect her, we are doing the best mothering of all, because we’re protecting all of life – and the future of all our children.
Stop Ecocide web site: www.stopecocide.earth
Guest blog by Shirleen Chin
Guest blog post by Shirleen Chin
Original version of the article published in CAMBIO 16 Magazine, dated March 2020.
"Protect what you love. I love humanity and the earth on which I live... I wish more could see how these two are inextricably intertwined."
THE MISSING CRIME
All Fired Up
Picture this: you’re standing in an open field watching helplessly as a massive inferno engulfs hectares of hard-toiled farmland, generationally used to grow lemons and avocados. Ever- increasing global temperatures, lack of rainfall and parched vegetation over the years have concocted the perfect recipe for a tragic Southern Californian roast. This was the reality experienced by several families in December 2017, when the wildfire named Thomas Fire blazed, through the region that winter. To put it in perspective, the fire brought destruction to a land area equal to the size of 213,000 football fields, the entirety of Hong Kong.
That Woman
As the West Coast went up in flames, across the United States on the East Coast, 4,500km away, on the Eastern Coast of the United States, a distinguished silver-haired lady, unpacked four curved tubes from her luggage and clicked them into place. She then reached into her hand-carry for something else: a fine bottle of Scotch whisky. After pouring herself and her host a glass, she took a sip and twirled the hula hoop, that she had just assembled, and began chatting like nothing she had just done was out of the ordinary. Her name was Polly Higgins. She had just arrived in wintery New York City for the 16th Session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) of the International Criminal Court scheduled for the following week at the United Nations’ headquarters. It was not Polly’s first time attending the ASP or any other major conference where the rule of law and environmental justice were topics to be discussed. Unbeknown at the time, her two weeks in New York City would yield another let-down. The political red tape and appetite she encountered to further her campaign would prove to be a sticky barrier. Ten years ago, Polly abandoned her lucrative career in London as a rising barrister to start a campaign on ecocide crime. While many would see such a switch as a big leap of faith into the risky unknown, she saw it as a necessary response, no different from wanting to rescue a drowning victim or a person trapped in a burning home. Polly’s first-hand knowledge of the basic, legal protections provided even to the worst of criminals, led her to wonder how the Earth, as a victim of unsustainable human activity, could similarly be protected. To her, the answer was simple: introduce the missing crime of Ecocide; to do no harm. Polly sold her house and used the proceeds to initiate the campaign our world continues to need.
Ecocide on Our Doorsteps
The definition submitted by Polly Higgins to the UN Law Commission in 2010 describes ecocide as the serious loss, damage to, or destruction of, the environment to such an extent that peaceful enjoyment by the inhabitants in that territory is severely diminished. One year after the 2017’s Thomas Fire described above, wildfires erupted again in South California, called the Woolsey Fire. This time the fires primarily affected luxury houses of residents living in Malibu and to the north, including the homes of Hollywood celebrities like the Kardashians, Lady Gaga and Orlando Bloom. Fast forward to late 2019, the continent of Australia is similarly hit by wildfires described by many as apocalyptic. To date, over 1 billion animals in Australia have perished, even more injured, nearly 30 people have been killed and a land area the size of 18,200,000 football fields or the entire country of Portugal – and the fire is still not over.
Falling Off the Tipping Point
The planet is facing extreme, often violent weather events, extinction of numerous species at an alarming rate, increasing rates of acidification in our oceans and rising sea-level, to name a few. Extreme hot and cold temperatures have been observed globally. The city of Paris sweltered in 45 degrees heat last year causing a need to create “cool rooms” to avoid repeating traumas like that of the 2003 heatwave that killed 15,000 people in the country. More and more places are exposed to either too much rain or too little water. In the South of Spain, as temperatures soar and rainfalls diminish, winemakers will find it difficult to grow grapes. In the future, atypical places like Scandinavia and Siberia may just replace traditional wine regions like Spain. In Kerala, India, erratic weather patterns brought disastrous floods killing more than four hundred people in 2018. Every year for the past seven years has been the hottest on record. In Iraq, as 50 degrees is now becoming the new norm during the summer, the wealthy few turn to air-conditioning to cool down while the poor struggle to afford generators for air-conditioning. A United Nations report released by UN Special Rapporteur Professor Philip Alston describes this scenario as “climate apartheid”.
A Drowning Reality
According to the World Meteorology Organisation, global average temperatures are on track to increase between 3 to 5 degrees by the end of the century. The last time there was this much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, humans did not walk the planet. In the Pacific region, sea level is projected to go as high as 0.8 metres by year 2100. Solomon Islands, a sovereign state with six major islands and hundreds of smaller islands have lost five islands over the years and is at risk of losing six more, with one of the six home to 25 family units. Oceans are warming 40% faster than the United Nation’s prediction of just six years ago. Those whose livelihoods depend on fishing are affected by the migration of fish to cooler areas. Tuvalu, the fourth smallest country in the world, is not only threatened by sea level rise but also by diminishing fish resources.
All Talk and No Show
For almost three decades, the United Nations has served as a platform for climate talks. The United Nations Climate Change Conference or the Conference of the Parties (COP) are held every year, since 1992, with a view to encourage countries to commit to ever-ambitious emissions reduction. Many critics have said that this is only a ‘dog and pony show’ because the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere has only gone one way and that is up.
A Little State in the South Pacific
It came as no surprise that Polly was approached by Vanuatu, who was reaching out based on their established policy on climate change. Vanuatu is a small island developing state in the South Pacific. With one of the smallest GDP in the world, its annual share of the world’s CO2 emissions is negligible and by that, I mean, 0.00%. Vanuatu, like its neighbouring countries in the Pacific, has been on the frontlines of climate change. When category 5 Cyclone Pam tore through the region in 2015, it wiped out more than 60% of its GDP, a GDP that is heavily reliant on agriculture and tourism.
The Duty of Care
With a focus on international criminal justice, Polly’s campaign aimed at the use of international criminal law as a strong deterrent against ecocidal practices. This is because there is currently neither legally binding international response nor any duty of care for the planet. In other words, where there is no crime, no punishment can be imposed. Introducing the crime of ecocide obliges governments, companies and individuals to think twice about continuing business as usual – dirty business that has brought about more frequent, intense and erratic climate events. Compared to “soft law” instruments, like the Paris Agreement, the crime of ecocide will actually signal a zero-tolerance policy towards harmful behaviour. The seat of the International Criminal Court is located in The Hague, the Netherlands. Its governing document is called the Rome Statute. The four widely recognised serious international crimes contained within the Rome Statute are genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression. Blatantly missing from this list, is ecocide, a crime that determines the survival of our planet and its inhabitants.
Spin Doctors
There are volumes of scientific climate data to demonstrate that climate change is real. Yet, carbon major countries and companies choose to undermine its alarming calls. In fact, carbon major companies have known about the severe and negative impacts of extracting what they call “black gold” since the 1970s. They have chosen to go the path taken by the tobacco industry by spinning tales to mislead, confuse and manipulate public opinion. Equally perpetuating ecocidal practices are the other extractive and polluting industries such as mining, logging and waste management companies. Where regulation or the rule of law is weak, as often is the case in the countries where these companies operate, years of unsustainable and unaccounted practices have brought irreversible damage to the environment and the helpless communities. Often, government officials are complicit in the damaging acts.
Power to the Little Ones
The International Criminal Court offers a lifeline, unlike no other, to those who have suffered in the hands of unscrupulous practices that harm the environment. At present, there are 123 countries who are members (called states parties) of the court. It only takes one state to table a proposal to include ecocide crime into the Rome Statute. Unlike other international voting procedures, such as the UN where the Security Council has veto power, or the European Council where voting is based on population size, each ICC state party has one vote irrespective of political power or size. Once a simple majority (sixty-three countries) agrees to consider the proposal, all it takes is a two-thirds majority or eighty-two states parties to make ecocide law. It is important to note that there are fifty-seven small island developing states worldwide. There are certainly other states who would consider such a proposal. Given the urgency of the climate crisis, the motivation to explore this legal avenue should be of utmost priority to all island nations and countries whose (capital) cities are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The inclusion of ecocide crime in the Rome Statute will signal the much-needed zero-tolerance towards harmful behaviour and galvanise genuine action towards net zero carbon emissions.
No More Dilly-Dally!
The planet has become warmer since industrialisation began in 1750 and human activity is threatening to push mankind into a point of no return. The earth has warmed by 1 degree, with two-thirds of this happening at breakneck speed since 1975. The acceptable limit for a climate- safe future for human and nature is 1.5 degrees. In order to achieve this, emissions must be cut by half by 2030 and be reduced to net zero by 2050. Carbon capture or carbon drawdown technology is available and has become cheaper over the years. Planting trees or rehabilitating wetlands can be easily done to sequester the carbon dioxide in the air. Consumption patterns are slowly changing in some parts of the world as sustainable awareness grows each day. There is hardly any excuse to avoid carbon reversal actions at the individual or governmental level. The UN Secretary General is appealing for countries worldwide to stop the building of new coal plants, transition to 100% renewables and end all subsidies for fossil fuels. After all, a greener economy is not just good for all, it holds immense economic opportunities for businesses. It is time to leave the old world behind. Investors are now seeing the risks and faults in the extractive industries and are divesting. Consumers are also demanding better.
“If this is what it takes...”
Sadly, Polly passed away last April, five weeks after unexpectedly being diagnosed with terminal cancer. It was a sudden and tragic loss to her family, friends, the communities she inspired and of course, Mother Earth. She still had so many plans for her campaign. In her words, almost like a premonition, “if this is what it takes” to draw attention to the need for ecocide law, Polly passing away may just be the trigger the world needs. With bad comes the good and vice versa. The rise of grassroots movements like Extinction Rebellion and the introduction to Greta Thunberg happened simultaneously with some of the most tweeted environmental tragedies on social media and poor political leadership – just see what Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro had to say about the Amazon fires.
In December 2019, at the 18th Session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Vanuatu and Maldives both called the International Criminal Court to consider introducing the crime of ecocide.
Indigenous communities in Brazil are rallying to call for the protection of the Amazon from President Bolsonaro. France’s President, Emmanuel Macron, has openly declared that the crime of ecocide will work more effectively if adopted at international level. His government is already considering inclusion of ecocide into national law.
The world is finally becoming more aware of the importance of having ecocide law in place.
Polly’s non-profit organisation, Ecological Defence Integrity, continues her work at the diplomatic and legal as well at grassroot levels to bring about the acknowledgement, advancement and inclusion of ecocide crime at the international level. ‘Polly left behind a spark and her team is already busy fanning the fire– as a figure of speech of course.’
In loving memory of Earth’s lawyer/guardian angel, co-Founder of Ecological Defence Integrity (EDI), Polly Higgins, 1968 – 2019
Original version of the article published in CAMBIO 16 Magazine, dated March 2020.
The magazine can be purchased via this link HERE
EDI's public-facing campaign Stop Ecocide has already got a branch in Spain: go to www.ProtectoresdelaTierra.org. Supporters declare themselves Earth Protectors and contribute to a globally validated Trust Fund which is ring-fenced to support the diplomatic/legal work.
Ecocide: a global conversation
Ecocide: a global conversation
Because our work is strongly focused around the Assembly of the International Criminal Court in December each year, winter is a time for taking stock and preparing next steps.
A global conversation
This year there is broader change in the air. The word "ecocide" is becoming a household term. This is profoundly tragic given it comes with the knowledge that up to a billion animals have perished in Australia's horrific bushfires - but sadly it seems necessary in order for the public to understand the terrible absence of legal protection for our planet, and to demand action of our governments.
The extremes of this expanding conversation are particularly starkly shown in the Amazon, where in Brazil the assassination of indigenous activists and Bolsonaro's recent bill to support expansion of mining and agri-business come against a backdrop of indigenous accusations of genocide, ethnocide and ecocide and impassioned pleas from indigenous leaders. Extreme ecocides waiting to happen, such as these terrifyingly unsafe tailings dams in Ecuador, do not hit the headlines. And at the same time, Pope Francis, leader of the 1.3 billion-strong global Catholic community, has just reinforced his November statement calling for ecocide crime with a powerful Vatican bulletin on environmental and social justice: "The businesses, national or international, which harm the Amazon and fail to respect the right of the original peoples to the land and its boundaries, and to self-determination and prior consent, should be called for what they are: injustice and crime.”
The clash of mindsets is clear, and remarkable – indigenous and Catholic spiritual leaders calling attention to reality (our interdependence with the natural living world) while industry-focused politicians cling to blind faith (in an economic model which is as incompatible with the facts as believing the earth is flat).
Since Vanuatu and the Maldives stepped up to call for serious consideration of ecocide crime at the International Criminal Court last December, the ecocide conversation is now taking place at state level. France may have failed to legislate nationally for it last year but last month President Macron went on record HERE (see question at 20h04) saying that ecocide crime "makes sense if you do it internationally. I hope that we go in this direction. I am sceptical about the useful effect if we only do it in French law, I am in favour of having it go forward internationally." Let's hold him to that.
Catching up with ourselves
We find ourselves in a curious position. Simply put, we've already travelled further than people realise towards a goal most people don't know is possible. While many people intuitively feel mass destruction of ecosystems to be criminal, they don't realise that:
a) in most of the world, it is not actually a crime
b) it could be
c) they could help it to become so
Even lawyers writing about criminalising ecocide – see barrister Kirsty Brimelow's great piece in The Times – talk about it hypothetically, apparently not realising that the work to take it forward is alive and kicking.
Our task is to make this visible. We don't need to convert anyone. We simply need to reach those who care and let them know. For starters, we've already translated the Stop Ecocide website into Dutch [www.stopecocide.nl] and Spanish [www.protectoresdelatierra.org].
Every single environmental campaign – and every ecosystem – on the planet will benefit when ecocide becomes an international crime, so it should be an easy pitch.
Support now!
So... if you can afford a monthly donation to help us expand, however modest, please set this up HERE.
And for a wee musical alert to your networks, supported by acclaimed UK dub band Zion Train please watch and share the video below, made during our first international team workshop recently – this one's on YouTube but you can also share directly from Facebook - @EcocideLaw.
We are all influencers
We all have networks. They might be 40 people, they might be 40,000. But don't they all deserve to know that there is a way of stopping the harm by changing the rules? Just sharing the weblink www.stopECOCIDE.earth every now and again will keep the awareness moving.
You could also share this link to our latest brochure: http://bit.ly/EDIBrochure – it's a great introduction (or update) to our work.
Dare to be Great - pre-order now!
Our co-founder the late Polly Higgins' inspiring personal-journey book Dare to be Great, out of print since 2015, is about to be republished as the launch title for a new imprint of The History Press called Flint books ("books to spark conversations"). With a foreword by Marianne Williamson and afterwords by Dame Jane Goodall and Michael Mansfield QC as well as a new introduction about Polly and Ecocide Law timeline, we hope this book will bring Polly's work and the continuing campaign for Ecocide Law to a broader mainstream audience. You can already pre-order your copy from Waterstones or from Wordery.
Earth Protector Communities
Things are developing fast - the movement building aspect of the campaign now has its very own website. We already have a growing number of schools/colleges, businesses and towns in the UK lining up to join the scheme (and international enquiries arriving already) to work together to protect land, wildlife, air, soil and water, as well as endorsing the Stop Ecocide campaign. Our Regenerative Community Toolkit, a powerful conceptual and practical resource for Earth Protector Communities of all types and sizes, will launch later this year.
And so the story continues... with us, and with you.
Thanks for standing with us.
The Stop Ecocide team.
PS – Podcasts...
Our co-founder Jojo Mehta keeps popping up on the web lately! Here are two recent podcasts:
The Sapience Project - half an hour around the digital campfire: an informal but densely informative video interview on the power of ecocide law.
Wyse Women – a longer, intensely personal audio interview originally recorded in October last year, about Jojo's close friendship and work with Polly Higgins, what Polly was like, her illness and passing and what happened after.
Climate change and Ecocide Survey - finally, Earth Protector and PhD researcher at the Western Sydney University Jolanda Kramers is conducting a survey about attitudes to climate change and ecocide. The survey is available in 7 languages, links below, and results will form part of her doctoral thesis. Thanks for participating!
These are the different links to all surveys:
English: https://bit.ly/2rgDhXX
Spanish: http://bit.ly/2WQYVfh
French: https://bit.ly/2JkaoiQ
Portuguese: http://bit.ly/2Iqx6GA
Italian: https://bit.ly/2Ozyomv
German: https://bit.ly/2pLX809
Dutch: http://bit.ly/2YYPJqB
COP25 - Guest Blog by Maité Mompó our Spanish Campaign Manager
COP25
Guest Blog by Maité Mompó our Spanish Campaign Manager
COP25, the last Summit on Climate organized by United Nations and which finally took place in December 2019, in Madrid (after being previously rejected from both Brazilian and Chilean presidents). The official result is more than disappointing.
The whole city and the COP buildings were full of posters with “Time to act” messages welcoming the so-called “The Ambitious Summit”- as it was supposed that finally ambitious commitments on reduction of CO2 emissions were going to be reached by the countries to settle the insufficient Paris Agreement.
However, the only real winners there were, once more, the corporations (mainly the ones from fossil industry) that imposed their economic benefits over Life. Even if there was a growing group of countries asking for Climate Justice and effective action inside the COP, even if outside the social society mobilized everyday in the same way – topping the rising massive protests along this year, the defenders of the planet were not listened to.
While country representatives spent hours and hours debating around the article 6 of Paris Agreement which establish a “carbon trade scheme” which threatens Indigenous Peoples rights and puts a price on nature, the demands of civil society and scientists on real action to cope with the global climate emergency were held on last place.
The most interesting part of the COP was taking place in the Complutense University where the Social Summit for Climate had been organized by volunteers who did an amazing job and where over 200 organizations held meetings and came together creating bonds between the indigenous peoples and the social movements to work on cooperation strategies to build a new society.
Above RIGHT: Berta Caceres daughter of Laura Zúñiga Cáceres)
The Earth Protectors movement attended the Social Summit and Spanish and Portuguese protectors worked together to get our campaign Stop Ecocide heard everywhere. We started with a presentation-debate on Ecocide on Saturday 7th, twice delivered the message of the vital importance of getting the Ecocide Law UK LINK / ES LINK at international level and shared information about Conscientious Protectors UK LINK / ES LINK to help the ones who take peaceful action for climate, in the daily Social Summit General Assembly at the end of the day.
We also made contacts with other movements different movements of indigenous peoples, environmental activists and NGOs – both local and international – and the young people from Fridays For Future. Earth Protectors attended a protest in front of the Canadian Embassy to support Native American tribes who are opposing tar sands and the huge pipes to take that dirty oil to the United States as the whole thing is one of the largest ecocides of our time – it was impossible to stop tears running down listening to how these projects are affecting their communities.
We also spent some time at the Green Zone of COP25 (the area allowed to social society) delivering information about our campaign and took part in some of the protests there joining Extinction Rebellion people.
What these representatives of governments are doing with their empty words and total lack of action at this crucial moment of dealing with climate is to move forward the biggest of the crimes: the Climate Ecocide which would affect not only to all humanity but also to all the living beings in our planet.
The last COP has been a failure – as the previous 24 were – but there has been something positive: the verification of the fact that a constantly growing part of global society is joining together to stand up and denounce those who are constantly failing the demands of scientist community on the urgency to act.
Sovereign states call on ICC to seriously consider ecocide crime
Sovereign states call on ICC to seriously consider ecocide crime
The last two weeks have been extraordinary. First and foremost let's celebrate the biggest public step forward in progressing ecocide as an international crime in nearly 5 decades...
On Monday 2nd December in The Hague, at the International Criminal Court (ICC)'s annual Assembly of States Parties, the Pacific island state of Vanuatu made a bold statement - that the Assembly should seriously consider expanding the court's remit to include a crime of ecocide.
Ambassador John Licht of Vanuatu, speaking on behalf of his government to the full plenary session of the Assembly, declared: "An amendment of the Rome Statute could criminalise acts that amount to ecocide. We believe this radical idea merits serious discussion."
This came in the context of Vanuatu's declared commitment to universal justice for the most serious crimes, and also the observation that sea level rise and other impacts of climate change continue to compromise Vanuatu's ability to achieve sustainable development under the 2030 SDG Agenda.
For our team this signifies a sea change in the weight and credibility of the conversation around ecocide crime, a change that was underlined within days by the official government statement from the Maldives strongly echoing Vanuatu's call.
The statement issued by Maldives, a State Party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) since 2011, read; "We believe the time is ripe to consider an amendment to the Rome Statute that would criminalise acts that amount to ecocide.” The statement was issued by Mr. Ahmed Saleem, Member of Parliament and Chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environment. In it he emphasised the life-or-death situation faced by his people and was critical of the lack of international action on climate change.
All the events we participated in during the week of the ICC's Assembly were very well attended. Vanuatu's statement came shortly after a side event hosted by the island Republic on "Investigating & Prosecuting Ecocide: the current and future role of the ICC". The event was chaired by Ambassador Licht and featured Pacific speakers from Tuvalu and new ICC member state Kiribati, whose accession to the ICC's Rome Statute took place just last month following a key roundtable meeting in Vanuatu's capital Port Vila earlier this year. Also speaking were French lawyer Valérie Cabanes, Chilean lawyer Rodrigo Lledó, international criminal barrister Richard Rogers and our own co-founder Jojo Mehta.
Reflecting afterward on the charged atmosphere at the event, Jojo said: "This is an idea whose time has not only come, it's long overdue. It's committed and courageous of Vanuatu to take the step of openly calling for consideration of a crime of ecocide, and it was clear from the response today that they will not be alone. The political climate is changing, in recognition of the changing climate. This initiative is only going to grow - all we are doing is helping to accelerate a much-needed legal inevitability."
Ecocide in 3 short films (or was it 4?)
On Wednesday 4th December we took over the auditorium at the beautiful Museon for a truly inspiring film night. Dutch TV presenter Floortje Dessing gave a brief introduction to the evening at which the spirit of our late co-founder Polly Higgins was vividly present.
Polly had directly inspired the making of two of the three short films: Big Sun, Isaac Confino's moving and intimate documentary filmed in Vanuatu about the effects of drought and rising sea levels on traditional life; and From Harm to Harmony, Kelly Roberts' galvanising and inspirational piece about the deforestation and contamination of the Amazon and the indigenous activists' ongoing fight to protect the "lungs of the world". Both directors were present to take questions, which brought the stories they were telling very much to life.
Polly herself featured in the third film, a condensed extract from documentary The Code following famed international lawyer Baltasar Garzón's mission to establish universal jurisdiction to ensure that even heads of state and CEOs are not above the law. Two of Garzón's team were also present to speak.
The evening was rounded off with an engaging "Call to Action" piece by Mari Muench following some school-children researching laws to protect the Earth. Mari's extraordinary 97-year-old mother also starred in the video and attended the evening!
We are working on making this collection of material available as a fantastic campaign tool – we'll keep you posted.
The reception afterwards was beautifully held by the growing Dutch campaign team led by Katy Olivia van Tergouw, our amazing NL director (front left of pic) who also co-ordinated the entire week's operations, ensuring delegates, speakers and team were all where they needed to be.
Building Alliances
The workshop event we co-hosted on Friday 6th December at the House of Europe was also well attended by legal and NGO contributors from all corners of the globe. Expertly facilitated to elicit key questions and highlight strategies for taking forward the legal protection of our beautiful planet, the highly interactive day rounded off an amazingly productive week of connections and conversations. Our team is still digesting!
A presence in Madrid
The results of the COP talks were nothing like as promising as the ICC Assembly events, but we're delighted that our campaign presence there was significant... led by the indomitable Maité Mompó with a stand at the Social Summit for Climate Action, who gave a talk at the campaign on Saturday 7th and also talked twice before its Assembly at the end of the day. She also went later at the Green Zone of the COP25 - even reaching Spanish and Portuguese TV by the end of the fortnight!
Images: COP25 in Madrid, including (bottom right) Laura Zúñiga Cáceres, daughter of renowned activist Berta Cáceres Meantime our strategic partnerships lead Shirleen Chin who also attended the 2nd week of the COP talks co-organised and moderated a workshop with the Climate Emergency Institute at the Social Summit youth forum there, and connected with key Pacific island representatives at official side events such as the "Not without my Neighbour" panel event organised by Tuvalu Climate Action Network, Oxfam and Greenpeace.
This week in Spain also saw calls for an international convention on ecocide, an approach necessitating a separate court. While we recognise that in the long term such a convention could be a necessary and useful parallel legal instrument establishing a broader range of duties and obligations on states than a single criminal law, it is less immediately effective and enforceable than accessing the already existing criminal jurisdictions in all ICC member states via amending the Rome Statute. Given the urgency of the ecological crisis, it remains of paramount importance to criminalise mass damage and destruction to nature.
A political afterward...
Both UK and French governments rejected ecocide law on Thursday 12th December. In the UK this was simply the result of the electorate handing government to the Conservative party which has recently stated it "does not recognise the term ecocide".
In France the government has engaged rather more deeply - a law of ecocide was actually proposed to the national assembly by the socialist party but was rejected.
Two very different levels of engagement - at least in France the conversation around ecocide is being taken very seriously - but both highlight for us that approaching this law from the international perspective is essential. Individual jurisdictions have trouble mustering the courage to take this vital step to protect our planet. By contrast, taking this forward at the International Criminal Court creates safety in numbers, as an international crime by definition requires support of multiple states and so no one state needs to feel "out on a limb".
Thanking all Earth Protectors – and reaching out
We could not have made the incredible progress we have if it wasn't for all our signed up Earth Protectors – your donations enable us to do what is usually the exclusive privilege of wealthy corporations... advocate for a law to suit us. And the "us" we mean is a very different one to the corporate lobbyists. We mean all of us – humans, animals, trees, insects, rivers, land and sea, the ecosystems of Earth... the natural living world.
As is the case every year at the International Criminal Court, our week in The Hague takes us forward in strides – and exhausts our funds. It stretches our team and makes us realise what further help we need as we expand. And with state support for ecocide law now visible on the international stage, we are moving into the fast lane.
So now is the time to sign up your networks, or to tap that wealthy relative on the shoulder and suggest they visit our donate page... or contact us for a personalised communication of what would best benefit the work going forward.
Wishing you all a festive season that shines bright
The Stop Ecocide team
PS: Philippines judgement on climate change and human rights
Last week saw encouraging conclusions from a four-year long inquiry by the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines which announced its findings at the COP talks: carbon majors such as the big fossil fuel companies could be found legally and morally liable for human rights violations resulting from climate change. The evidence and potential legal approaches are ramping up...
PPS: Children's book just out in UK!
JUST OUT! - Juliana Muniz Westcott, a committed Earth Protector, recently created this charming children's book about our visionary co-founder Polly Higgins. Without funds or time to approach a publisher before Christmas she has made the on-demand version available for now at this link where you can still get UK delivery in time for the 25th! Profits go to the campaign - thank you Juliana!!!
Estados soberanos hacen un llamamiento en la CPI para que seriamente se considere delito el ecocidio
Las últimas dos semanas han sido extraordinarias. Lo primero y principal, tenemos que celebrar el mayor paso que se ha dado para avanzar hacia la consecución del ecocidio como delito en casi cinco décadas...
El lunes 2 de diciembre en La Haya, en la Asamblea anual de los Estados Parte de la Corte Penal Internacional (CPI), el estado insular de Vanuatu en el Pacífico hizo una valiente declaración: que la Asamblea debería considerar seriamente ampliar el mandato de la corte para incluir el delito de ecocidio.
El embajador John Licht de Vanuatu, hablando en nombre de su gobierno en la sesión plenaria de la Asamblea, declaró: "Una enmienda al Estatuto de Roma podría criminalizar los actos que equivalen a ecocidio. Creemos que esta idea radical merece una discusión seria".
Esto se produjo dentro del contexto del compromiso declarado de Vanuatu con la justicia universal para los crímenes más graves, y también la observación de que el aumento del nivel del mar y otros impactos del cambio climático continúan comprometiendo la capacidad de Vanuatu para lograr el desarrollo sostenible de acuerdo con los ODS (Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible) de la Agenda 2030 de Naciones Unidas.
Para nuestro equipo, esto significa un cambio radical en la seriedad y credibilidad de la conversación sobre el delito de ecocidio, un cambio que fue subrayado pocos días después por la declaración oficial del gobierno de las Maldivas que se hizo un enorme eco del llamamiento de Vanuatu.
La declaración por Maldivas, Estado parte del Estatuto de Roma de la Corte Penal Internacional (CPI) desde 2011, decía: "Creemos que ha llegado el momento de que se tenga en consideración una enmienda al Estatuto de Roma que criminalice los actos que equivalen a ecocidio". Esta declaración fue realizada por Mr. Ahmed Saleem, Miembro del Parlamento y Presidente de la Comisión Parlamentaria Permanente sobre Cambio Climático y Medio Ambiente. En ella, enfatizó la situación de vida o muerte a la que se enfrenta su pueblo y criticó la falta de acción internacional respecto al cambio climático.
Todos los eventos en los que participamos durante la semana de la Asamblea de la CPI fueron muy concurridos. La declaración de Vanuatu se produjo poco después de un evento paralelo organizado por la República isleña llamado "Investigando y Procesando el Ecocidio: el papel actual y futuro de la CPI". El evento fue presidido por el Embajador Licht y contó con oradores del Pacífico procedentes de Tuvalu y del nuevo estado miembro de la CPI Kiribati, cuya adhesión al Estatuto de Roma de la CPI tuvo lugar el mes pasado tras una reunión clave en la capital de Vanuatu, Port Vila, a principios de este año. También hablaron la abogada francesa, Valérie Cabanes, el abogado chileno, Rodrigo Lledó, el abogado penal internacional, Richard Rogers y nuestra propia cofundadora, Jojo Mehta.
Reflexionando después sobre la atmósfera cargada del evento, Jojo dijo: "Ésta es una idea cuyo momento no sólo ha llegado sino que debería haber estado ahí desde hace mucho tiempo. El haber hecho un llamamiento abierto a que se considere el ecocidio como delito muestra el compromiso y la valentía de Vanuatu y está claro, por la respuesta obtenida hoy, que este país no va a estar solo. El clima político está cambiando en cuanto al reconocimiento de que el clima está cambiando. Esta iniciativa seguirá creciendo: todo lo que nosotros estamos haciendo está ayudando a que se acelere el inevitable y necesario cambio legal.”
El Ecocidio en 3 cortometrajes (¿o eran 4?)
El miércoles 4 de diciembre tomamos el auditorio del precioso Museon para una noche de cine verdaderamente inspiradora. La presentadora de televisión holandesa Floortje Dessing hizo una breve introducción al comienzo de la noche en la cual el espíritu de nuestra difunta cofundadora Polly Higgins estuvo vívidamente presente.
Polly había inspirado directamente la realización de dos de los tres cortometrajes: Big Sun (El Gran Sol, en español), un conmovedor e íntimo documental de Isaac Confino rodado en Vanuatu sobre los efectos de la sequía y el aumento del nivel del mar en la vida tradicional; y From Harm to Harmony (Del Daño a la Armonía, en español), una sobrecogedora e inspiradora obra de Kelly Roberts sobre la deforestación y la contaminación de la Amazonía y la lucha continua de los activistas indígenas para proteger los "pulmones del mundo". Ambos directores estuvieron presentes para responder preguntas, lo cual hizo más vívidas las historias que contaban.
La propia Polly apareció en la tercera película, un extracto condensado del documental The Code (El Código, en español) que relata la misión del famoso abogado internacional Baltasar Garzón de establecer la jurisdicción universal para garantizar que incluso los jefes de estado y los Directores Ejecutivos no estén por encima de la ley. Dos miembros del equipo de Garzón también estuvieron presentes para hablar.
La noche se completó con una atractiva obra de Mari Muench de "Llamamiento a la acción" que muestra a varios escolares investigando leyes para proteger a la Tierra. ¡La extraordinaria madre de Mari, de 97 años, también protagonizó el video y asistió al evento!
Estamos trabajando para hacer que todo este material esté disponible como una fantástica herramienta de campaña. Os mantendremos informados.
La recepción posterior fue fantásticamente organizada por el creciente equipo holandés que trabaja en nuestra campaña dirigido por Katy Olivia van Tergouw, nuestra increíble directora de los Países Bajos (parte delantera izquierda de la foto), quien también coordinó las actividades de toda la semana, asegurando que los delegados, los oradores y el equipo estuvieran siempre donde tenían que estar.
Construyendo alianzas
El taller que organizamos conjuntamente el viernes 6 de diciembre en la Casa de Europa también contó con una amplia asistencia de colaboradores legales y de ONG de todos los rincones del mundo. Fue facilitado por expertos para poder extraer cuestiones clave y resaltar estrategias para llevar adelante la protección legal de nuestro hermoso planeta. De esta manera, el altamente interactivo día completó una semana increíblemente productiva de conexiones y conversaciones. ¡Nuestro equipo todavía está en proceso de digestión!
Nuestra presencia en Madrid
Los resultados de las conversaciones de la COP25 no fueron tan prometedores como los acontecimientos que tuvieron lugar en la Asamblea de la CPI pero estamos encantados de que nuestra campaña tuviera una presencia significante... Ha estado dirigida por la indomable Maité Mompó que montó un pequeño stand en la Cumbre Social por el Clima, dio una charla sobre la campaña el sábado 7 y se dirigió dos veces a la Asablea que tenía lugar al finalizar el día. También acudió a la Zona Verde de la COP25 – incluso alcanzando a televisiones españolas y portuguesas al final de la cumbre.
Fotos: COP25 en Madrid, incluida (abajo a la derecha) Laura Zúñiga Cáceres, hija de la reconocida activista Berta Cáceres
Mientras tanto, Shirleen Chin, nuestra experta en relaciones estratégicas, quien también acudió a las conversaciones durante la segunda semana de la COP y co-organizó y moderó un taller con el Instituto de Emergencia Climática en el foro jóven de la Cumbre Social por el Clima además de conectar representantes de países isleños clave del Pacífico en eventos que se realizaron en el lado oficial tales como la mesa redonda "Not without my neighbour" (No sin mi vecino, en español) organizada por la Red de Acción Climática de Tuvalu, Oxfam y Greenpeace.
Esta semana en España también se hizo un llamamiento para una Convención Internacional sobre ecocidio, un enfoque que requiere un tribunal separado. Si bien reconocemos que a largo plazo dicha convención podría ser un instrumento legal paralelo necesario y útil que establece una gama más amplia de deberes y obligaciones en los estados que un sólo derecho penal, es más efectivo de forma inmediata y exigible el acceder a las jurisdicciones penales ya existentes en todos los estados miembros de la CPI mediante la modificación del Estatuto de Roma. Dada la urgencia de la crisis ecológica, sigue siendo de suma importancia criminalizar el daño masivo y la destrucción de la naturaleza.
Epílogo político..
Los gobiernos del Reino Unido y Francia rechazaron la ley de ecocidio el jueves 12 de diciembre. En el Reino Unido, esto fue simplemente el resultado de que el electorado haya entregado el gobierno al partido conservador que recientemente declaró que "no reconoce el término ecocidio."
En Francia, el gobierno se ha involucrado bastante más profundamente: el partido socialista propuso una ley de ecocidio a la Asamblea Nacional, pero fue rechazada.
Dos niveles muy diferentes de compromiso (al menos en Francia, la conversación sobre el ecocidio se está tomando muy en serio), pero para nosotros ambos hacen resaltar que es esencial abordar esta ley desde la perspectiva internacional. Las jurisdicciones individuales tienen problemas para reunir el coraje suficiente como para dar este paso vital para proteger nuestro planeta. Por el contrario, llevar ésto adelante en la Corte Penal Internacional crea seguridad en cuanto al número, ya que, por definición, un crimen internacional requiere el apoyo de múltiples estados y, por lo tanto, ningún estado puede sentir que se queda aislado.
Agracedemos a todos/as los Protectores/as de la Tierra al tiempo que llegamos a nuevas personas
No podríamos haber logrado el increíble avance que hemos tenido si no fuera por todos nuestros Protectores de la Tierra inscritos: vuestras donaciones nos permiten hacer lo que generalmente es el privilegio exclusivo de las corporaciones ricas... abogar por una ley que nos convenga. Y este "nos" al que nos referimos es muy diferente al de los lobbies corporativos. Nos referimos a todos nosotros: humanos, animales, árboles, insectos, ríos, tierra y mar, los ecosistemas de la Tierra... el mundo natural vivo.
Como cada año ocurre en la Corte Penal Internacional, nuestra semana en La Haya nos hace avanzar a pasos agigantados pero agota nuestros fondos. Exige el máximo esfuerzo a nuestro equipo y hace que nos demos cuenta de que necesitamos ayuda adicional a medida que nos expandimos. Y con el apoyo estatal para la ley de ecocidio ahora visible en el escenario internacional, nos estamos moviendo en la vía rápida.
Por ello ha llegado el momento de inscribir a tus redes, o dar un toque a un pariente rico y sugerirle que visite nuestra página para hacer una donación o contactarnos para una conversación personalizada sobre de qué manera qué beneficiaría más a nuestro trabajo en el futuro.
Os deseamos que esta época festiva brille
El equipo de Stop Ecocidio
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P.D: Juicio en Filipinas sobre cambio climático y derechos humanos
La semana pasada se produjeron unas conclusiones alentadoras por parte de una investigación de cuatro años realizada por la Comisión de Derechos Humanos de Filipinas que anunció sus hallazgos en las conversaciones de la COP: las grandes empresas de carbono tales como las grandes compañías de combustibles fósiles podrían ser legal y moralmente responsables de las violaciones de derechos humanos resultantes del cambio climático. Las pruebas y los posibles enfoques legales están aumentando...
Pope calls for Ecocide law
Pope calls for Ecocide law
On Friday 15th November in the Vatican, at a meeting of the International Association of Penal Law, one of the oldest-established legal associations in the world, Pope Francis proposed that 'sins against ecology' be added to the Catholic teachings - and then went a step further, saying "ecocide” should be a fifth category of crimes against peace at the international level.
The Pope described acts that "can be considered as 'ecocide': the massive contamination of air, land and water resources, the large-scale destruction of flora and fauna, and any action capable of producing an ecological disaster or destroying an ecosystem".
"By 'ecocide' we should understand the loss, damage or destruction of ecosystems of a given territory, so that its' enjoyment by the inhabitants has been or may be severely affected. This is a fifth category of crimes against peace, which should be recognized as such by the international community."
If this sounds familiar, that's because it is - in essence, it's the very definition submitted by our co-founder Polly Higgins to the UN Law Commission in 2010.
We're not sure how to express quite how exciting this is. Whatever the Catholic Church may need to address within its own ranks, Pope Francis himself (evidenced in his choice of papal name following Francis of Assisi) has a strong public record of deep concern for nature. The message his support for ecocide law will send to a huge section of the global population should not be underestimated.
As Greenpeace observes on the subject in their latest Unearthed newsletter: "as the international legal and banking systems slowly toy with the idea of making environmental harm some kind of crime/metric of failure the Pope has decided to get ahead of the game."
Raising the profile of ecocide at the International Criminal Court
We're excited about our presence at the ICC's annual Assembly coming up in less than a fortnight - targeted invitations have been going out to diplomats, politicians, NGOs and activists for our series of events focusing on ecocide crime. The world may focus on the COP talks in Madrid but the real potential for change will be at The Hague...
This year is going to be all about opening up the conversation and building alliances. You can view our programme here.
Backing a winner - with the added bonus of tax relief
We are at a point of major positive acceleration - which means our funding requirements are growing too. Fortunately - and with perfect timing - we are now able to accept UK charitable donations in support of the campaigning side of our work. So if you've been holding back from giving for tax reasons, now is your moment!
Please go to our DONATE PAGE and choose the best method for you - Paypal option (which also accepts cards) and bank transfer details are all there.
You can also give anonymously via the Charities Aid Foundation using our UK Charity details: Earth Community Trust, UK registered charity no. 1143660.
Don't forget to order your reverse Christmas cards!
We'd be mad not to remind you... this year we're helping you to pre-empt unwanted & unnecessary gifts with our "reverse Christmas cards" – tell your nearest and dearest that instead of buying you a gift this year, you wish to invite them to sign up as Earth Protectors and help progress a law of ecocide! You'll be saving them time and trouble, withdrawing support for the production of (often) unsustainably sourced gifts AND helping support a law that can truly protect the planet. What's not to like? Click on the image to order your pack of 3 exclusive designs on 100% recycled cards.
We'll be back...
We look forward to reporting on events in The Hague and wish you in the meantime a wonderful run-up to the festive season.
Rebels, Alliances and Reverse Christmas Cards
Rebels, Alliances and Reverse Christmas Cards
The last few weeks have been all about building alliances.
Early October saw a strong team presence throughout the International Rebellion in London. The team gave talks at several sites – our stand was mobbed after Jojo Mehta's talk on the main stage, and sustained continuous interest throughout the Rebellion. A big thank you to our incredible on-the-ground volunteers and all those enthusiastic rebels who ensured our placards were visible everywhere... we completely ran out of them, as well as all t-shirts, badges, etc by the end of the first week, the energy was amazing and there was just so much interest! Lawyers for XR specifically included support for Stop Ecocide in their Declaration and remembered our co-founder, the ever-inspirational legal pioneer Polly Higgins (1968-2019).
Jojo Mehta with journalist George Monbiot, also speaking at the Rebellion. (Photo Carla Oxlade).
This year Vienna's key green event EARTHtalks was dedicated to Polly's memory. Jojo spoke there last week alongside highly acclaimed film-maker Richard Ladkani, contemporary musician Yasmo and inspirational activist Joanna Sustento.
We are also delighted that connections have been re-ignited with French and Swedish ecocide campaigners, and we are honoured that FIBGAR in Spain have publicly announced that they are working alongside us on legal research and development.
Even the UK government wanted to hear from us: courtesy of shadow Farming and Rural Affairs minister David Drew, Jojo was invited to brief MPs in Westminster during the Rebellion before addressing the rebel crowds in Trafalgar Square.
The most exciting time of year
We are approaching the most exciting time of year for the campaign which is December when the International Criminal Court holds its annual Assembly in The Hague. This year we are accompanying not one but at least 3 (Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Kiribati) Pacific island states. We have several important events planned to raise the profile of ecocide law with both delegates and the public, including a panel event on the role of the ICC in prosecuting ecocide which is part of the official Assembly programme.
There is one public event among these: a film night on 4th December at the beautiful Museon, with 3 short films addressing ecocide: two specially commissioned ones from the Amazon and the Pacific, and a condensed edit of legal documentary The Code. These films will be made available online as well in due course.
Reverse Christmas Cards – an eco twist on seasonal giving
This year we're helping you to pre-empt unwanted & unnecessary gifts with our "reverse Christmas cards" – tell your nearest and dearest that instead of buying you a gift this year, you wish to invite them to sign up as Earth Protectors and help progress a law of ecocide! You'll be saving them time and trouble, withdrawing support for the production of (often) unsustainably sourced gifts AND helping support a law that can truly protect the planet. What's not to like? Click on the image to order your pack of 3 exclusive designs on 100% recycled card...
XR activist acquitted on necessity – and conscience?
XR activist Angela Ditchfield was recently acquitted of criminal damage by a UK magistrates court on grounds of necessity (preventing damage to property due to climate change) alongside her strong Christian convictions which she said led her to take action from her conscience. This is highly significant and we trust will be the first of many... becoming an Earth Protector can similarly provide evidence in court of your deeply held beliefs – in the sanctity of life on Earth.
You can read our recent blog post about using your Earth Protectors Trust Fund document in a court context here – and you can see our updated short animation on the subject here.
Earth Protector Towns... businesses... schools... and a UK charity
The town council of Glastonbury, UK has quickly become the second municipality to declare itself an Earth Protector Town by unanimous vote, joining our pilot scheme which is now firmly under way. We are also being approached by institutions, universities, and businesses which are interested in Earth Protector status. Our team has even begun to be invited into primary schools to talk about Earth Protectors and ecocide law.
This expanding initiative has given us the possibility of breathing new life into a UK charity, the Earth Community Trust (UK charity no. 1143660), with its stated aims of Earth Care, People Care, Future Care, to take charge of this side of our work along with the educational and awareness-raising aspects of the campaign. This will be hugely helpful for fundraising.
We've also been getting a bit of celebrity attention – the UK's highest paid fashion model and actress Cara Delevingne (below) has signed up and endorsed us, which is a phenomenal boost to visibility (given her mind-boggling 43M followers on social media) and the single biggest "shout out" we've ever had. Despite her obvious eco-credentials we do however look forward to having a serious conversation about the "fast fashion" she also condones with her work...
Declaring ourselves in our own networks...
We don't have to have 43M followers to make a difference though! Even with 43 followers, declaring yourself to your own networks as an Earth Protector like Cara did will spread the word from friend to friend and heart to heart...
Other things you can do...
If you've previously signed up as a volunteer on paper, or would like to sign up now, please complete this volunteer form so we have your details, location and how you'd like to help the campaign:
Supporting us from your Earth Protector's armchair? Print out a placard HERE, take a selfie and post it on social media. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Going on a march? Get in touch and request leaflets and placards to distribute.
Know a celebrity? Ask them to tweet about us...
Got some spare cash? Donate HERE.
And if you are a lawyer, academic, NGO official, journalist/blogger or other influencer/commentator and would be happy to declare your endorsement or even write about ecocide law, please also get in touch - we are compiling a database of professional supporters and would love you to be in it.
PS: Letters to the Earth
The beautiful book Letters to the Earth, an initiative from Culture Declares Emergency, is due out this week (14th November) and includes some of Polly Higgins' words as well as those of many others including Emma Thompson and Caroline Lucas and Yoko Ono.
Jojo Mehta said:“Cried my way through this beautiful collection and feel privileged to be reading Polly's contribution at the official launch in London on the 17th. Let's make law this way, like we make love at our best... with fierce cherishing, respect and profound connection. Then it will be blindingly obvious what we are protecting by making it a crime to seriously harm the Earth."
Rebeldes, alianzas y tarjetas navideñas con doble sentido
Las últimas semanas nos hemos dedicado especialmente a construir alianzas.
A principios de octubre, nuestro equipo tuvo una fuerte presencia en toda la Rebelión Internacional en Londres. El equipo dio charlas en diferentes lugares – nuestro stand se llenó de gente tras la intervención de Jojo Mehta en el escenario principal y un gran interés se mantuvo durante toda la Rebelión. Agradecemos enormemente a nuestros increíbles voluntarios y a todos los rebeldes entusiastas que se aseguraron de que nuestras pancartas de mano fueran visibles por todas partes... A finales de la primera semana ya no nos quedaban ni pancartas ni camisetas ni chapas, etc. ¡La energía era increíble y había un interés desbordante! Los abogados de Rebelión contra la Extinción (Extinction Rebellion - XR) incluyeron específicamente su apoyo a la campaña Stop Ecocidio en su declaración y volvieron a recordar a nuestra co-fundadora, nuestra pionera legal que siempre nos inspirará Polly Higgins (1968-2019).
Jojo Mehta con el periodista George Monbiot, también hablando en la Rebelión. (Foto: Carla Oxlade).
Este año, el EARTH talks (Conversaciones sobre LA TIERRA), un evento verde clave que se celebra en Viena, fue dedicado a la memoria de Polly. Jojo habló allí la semana pasada junto con el aclamado director de cine Richard Ladkani, el músico contemporáneo Yasmo y la inspiradora activista Joanna Sustento.
Estamos también de que se hayan reiniciado las conversaciones con responsables de la campaña de ecocidio en Francia y Suecia y y nos sentimos honrados de que en España FIBGAR (La Fundación Internacional Baltasar Garzón) haya anunciado públicamente que están trabajando junto a nosotros en la investigación y el desarrollo legal.
Incluso el gobierno del Reino Unido quiso saber de nosotros: por cortesía del ministro de Agricultura y Asuntos Rurales David Drew, Jojo fue invitada durante la Rebelión a informar a los parlamentarios en Westminster antes de dirigirse a las multitudes rebeldes en Trafalgar Square.
El momento más excitante del año
Nos acercamos a diciembre, la época más emocionante del año para la campaña pues es cuando la Corte Penal Internacional (CPI) celebra su Asamblea anual en La Haya. Este año estamos acompañando no a uno, sino al menos a 3 (Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Kiribati) islas-estados del Pacífico. Hemos planificado varios eventos importantes tanto con los delegados como con el público para así elevar el perfil de la ley de ecocidio, incluyendo una mesa redonda sobre el papel de la CPI en el enjuiciamiento del ecocidio que forma parte del programa oficial de la Asamblea.
Entre todos los actos hay un evento público: el 4 de diciembre hay una noche de cine en el precioso Museon con 3 cortometrajes que abordan el ecocidio: dos que fueron encargados en la Amazonía y el Pacífico y una edición condensada del documental legal The Code. Estas películas estarán disponibles también en internet a su debido tiempo.
Tarjetas navideñas con doble sentido: un giro ecológico en las donaciones de temporada.
Este año te ayudamos a evitar regalos no deseados o que son innecesarios con nuestras "tarjetas de Navidad con doble sentido": ¡Dile a tus seres queridos más cercanos que en lugar de comprarte un regalo este año, se registren como Protectores de la Tierra y así ayudan a conseguir ley de ecocidio! Les ahorrarás tiempo y problemas, además de quitar apoyo a la producción de regalos que a menudo tienen un origen insostenible Y de dar respaldo a una ley que realmente puede proteger el planeta. ¿No me digas que no te gusta la idea? Haz clic en la imagen para pedir tu paquete de 3 diseños exclusivos en tarjetas hechas de material 100% reciclado.
Activista de Rebelión contra la Extinción (XR) absuelta en base a la necesidad y la conciencia
La activista de XR Angela Ditchfield fue recientemente absuelta del delito de daños por un tribunal del Reino Unido por razones de necesidad (prevenir el daño a la propiedad debido al cambio climático) junto con sus fuertes convicciones cristianas que, según ella, la llevaron a tomar medidas desde su conciencia. Este hecho es muy significativo y confiamos en que será el primero de otros muchos... Convertirte en Protector/a de la Tierra puede igualmente servir como prueba ante los tribunales de tus creencias profundamente arraigadas en el carácter sagrado de la vida en la Tierra.
Puedes leer nuestra reciente entrada de blog sobre cómo usar tu documento del Fondo Fiduciario de Protectores de la Tierra en un contexto judicial aquí - y puedes ver nuestra breve animación actualizada sobre el tema aquí.
Ciudades Protectoras de la Tierra... empresas... centros educativos... y una organización benéfica del Reino Unido
El ayuntamiento de Glastonbury, el Reino Unido, se ha convertido rápidamente en el segundo municipio que se ha declarado Ciudad Protectora de la Tierra por unanimidad, uniéndose así a nuestro programa piloto que ya está en marcha. También nos están contactando instituciones, universidades y empresas interesadas en la situación de los Protectores de la Tierra. Nuestro equipo incluso ha comenzado a ser invitado a centros de educación primaria para hablar sobre Protectores/as de la Tierra y la ley de ecocidio.
Esta iniciativa en expansión nos ha dado la posibilidad de dar nueva vida a una organización benéfica del Reino Unido, el Fondo Fiduciario de la Comunidad de la Tierra (Earth Community Trust), que tiene como objetivos declarados el Cuidado de la Tierra, el Cuidado de las Personas y el Cuidado del Futuro. La Comunidad de la Tierra se va a hacer cargo así de esta parte de nuestro trabajo junto con los aspectos educativos y de sensibilización de la campaña. Esto también nos será de gran ayuda en cuanto a la recaudación de fondos.
También hemos recibido algo de atención por parte de celebridades: la modelo y actriz mejor pagada del Reino Unido, Cara Delevingne, se ha inscrito y nos ha dado respaldo, lo cual es un impulso fenomenal para la visibilidad de nuestra campaña (dados sus alucinantes 43 millones de seguidores en las redes sociales) y ha proporcionado el mayor tirón que hemos tenido. A pesar de sus obvias credenciales ecologistas, esperamos sin embargo mantener una conversación seria con ella sobre la "moda rápida" a la que da respaldo con su trabajo...
Declararnos nosotros/as mismos/as en nuestras redes sociales...
No obstante, ¡nosotros no tenemos 43 millones de seguidores para marcar la diferencia! Incluso aunque los tuviéramos, si te declaras en tus propias redes como Protector/a de la Tierra como ha hecho Cara, correrá la voz de amigo a amigo y de corazón a corazón ...
Otras cosas que tú puedes hacer...
Si te has inscrito previamente como voluntario sobre papel o bien te gustaría inscribirte ahora, por favor completa este formulario de voluntariado para que podamos tener así tus detalles, la localidad y cómo te gustaría ayudar a la campaña:
¿Eres Protector de la Tierra y nos apoyas desde casa? Imprime un cartel desde AQUÍ, hazte un selfie y publícala en las redes sociales. Síguenos en Facebook, Twitter e Instagram.
¿Vas a una manifestación? Ponte en contacto con nosotros y te facilitaremos folletos y pancartas para distribuir.
¿Conoces a alguna celebridad? Pídeles que tuitteen sobre nosotros.
¿Tienes algo de dinero extra? Dona AQUÍ.
Y si eres abogado, académico, trabajador en una ONG, periodista/bloguero u otro tipo de influencer/comentarista y estás dispuesto a declarar públicamente tu apoyo o incluso escribir sobre la ley de ecocidio, ponte también en contacto con nosotros. Estamos construyendo una base de datos de simpatizantes profesionales y te encantará estar en ella.
P.D. Cartas a la Tierra
El precioso libro Letters to the Earth (Cartas a la Tierra), una iniciativa de la Cultura Declara la Emergencia (Culture Declares Emergency), saldrá esta semana (el 14 de noviembre) e incluye algunas de las palabras de Polly Higgins, así como las de muchas otras personas, incluidas Emma Thompson, Caroline Lucas y Yoko Ono.
Jojo Mehta declaró: "Lloré mientras leía esta preciosa colección y me siento privilegiada de leer la contribución de Polly en el lanzamiento oficial en Londres el día 17. Hagamos la ley de esta manera, como hacemos el amor de la mejor manera... con un cariño feroz, con respeto y con una conexión profunda. Entonces será totalmente obvio qué es lo que estamos protegiendo al convertir en delito dañar gravemente a la Tierra ".
Pause Frack: cautious celebration and Conscientious Protectors
Pause Frack: cautious celebration and Conscientious Protectors
Authors: Jojo Mehta & Louise Somerville
There is no doubt that the recently announced official fracking moratorium “until the science changes” (Andrea Leadsom, business minister) is a serious blow to commercial gas and oil fracking in the UK.
It will make it very hard for potential fracking companies to attract and sustain financial investment.
From the first earth tremors in Blackpool in 2011 to the 2.9 quake this summer which halted fracking in Lancashire, there has been strong and effective local and national campaigning and there is absolutely cause to celebrate this as a victory for the grassroots anti-fracking movement.
However, anti-fracking campaigners are not complacent. Campaigns will continue, nationwide – it has been made clear that the moratorium is temporary, and the timing – to coincide with the launch of the Conservative election campaign – is likely to be cynically chosen.
The movement has particular significance for the Stop Ecocide campaign because the first flurry of people signing up as Earth Protectors were anti-fracking campaigners. Stop Ecocide compiled a fracking “harms dossier” which was, and still is, available for use as part of their legal defence in court, and it was the cases brought by these activists that demonstrated the power of the Conscientious Protector approach (relying on the human right to Freedom of Conscience, ECHR art. 9, UDHR art. 18).
Helen Chuntso from Frack Free Greater Manchester was the among the first Conscientious Protectors to use the Freedom of Conscience line of argument in court. She did so in the context of fracking - to striking effect – indeed she was told by the judge that in a parallel life she could have been the brightest barrister of her generation! Other defendants were likewise given unusual leeway to express their convictions and bring their evidence in situations where a criminal court would often restrict evidence to whether or not the precise offence (eg obstruction of the highway) took place.
This approach is not about “winning” or “getting off” – and for that reason is often dismissed by lawyers trained to use established defences to achieve exactly that. Rather it’s about inserting a wedge into the court procedure to enable the activist’s voice to be heard, and we have found it to be effective (when used along with for example a defence of necessity) in doing this.
Legal rights and legal defences do not spring into being of their own accord – and they do not spring into being at all if they are not attempted or discussed. Conscientious Objectors of the 20th century won the human right to Freedom of Conscience over decades. Now arguments of conscience are beginning to surface more and more frequently, and we trust it will not be long before Conscientious Protectors also gain recognition in law. Just this week Angela Ditchfield, an XR activist was acquitted on the basis of necessity, which she argued alongside the Christian convictions that spurred her conscience.
Signing up as an Earth Protector can similarly evidence a deeply held belief justifying an act of conscience – a belief that all of nature has the right to peaceful enjoyment and that severe disruption of that natural unfolding of life should be a crime.