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.