Human Rights Approach to Environmental issues

WWGS Human Rights Approach to Environmental Issues

What one word IMMEDIATELY comes to mind when you think about the word ENVIRONMENT?

Think of at least 1 stereotype associated with being 'green'

Miriam Webster

a Definition of ENVIRONMENT:

The impact of people connect directly to the environment

Environmental impact connects directly to people

People and planet are interlinked.

Human rights

Right to health, housing, clean water and sanitation...

Environmental issues can impact:

Right to life, and to live in freedom and safety (article 3 UN Declaration of human Rights)

Human rights

Connecting human rights with environmental issues: A disconnect between people and planet?

The Denial of entanglement

Why the disconnect?

Indigenous peoples: informed custodians of the land

Connecting human rights to environmental issues

Words not mentioned in The UN Sustainable Development Goals

The environment is tied to inequalities

When we dig deeper, we can discover many ways to create and advocate for long lasting change

Joining the dots

Exploring how the world is interconnected

Digging deeper

Welcome Sumaya! Climate activist Member of Student Climate Action network (SCAN)

Patrick Kirwan, Irish Schools Sustainability Network. (Teacher, Ardscoil na Mara, Tramore.

Collective action: engaging with the system

Time for action

Time for reflection

Exploring environmental themes: A Human Rights Approach

Questioning our actions - are we using a solidarity approach? (for example, although well-meaning, are we taking a recyclable item and turning it into a non-recyclable in order to raise awareness? (glueing plastic or mixing it with other materials means it’s destined for landfill)

Waste systems: landfills and health

Who can slow and stop the flow of it?

How is plastic connected with other global justice issues?

When and why did we start using so much plastic?

Plastics

Commodofication of soil

Time for action

Time for reflection

Regenerative agriculture

How does biodiversity link with other global issues?

Indigenous communities campaign for the rights of rivers

Indigenous Communities: custodians of land

What impact does biodiverty loss have on people?

Why is biodiversity loss an issue?

What is causing biodiveristy loss?

School GArden

Exploring environmental themes: A Human Right Approach

Exploring environmental themes: A human rights approach

How lack of access to water can lead to other insecurities and inequalities - loss of livelihood, food scarcity, displacement, increased conflict); Island Nations going under Water - Kiribati , Water collection keeping Girls and Women from school and opportunity.

Is it right that some people don’t have access to water for drinking, sanitation or growing food? Water as a Human Right

what is causing water scarcity? Who can slow or stop this? How is this connected with other Global issues?

Water being denied to local communities as companies divert water for cash crops (Think of examples of this - Avocados, cotton, rice, palm oil, grain and soy for animal feed etc)

Questioning our actions - are we using a solidarity approach? (We can continue to focus on our own water consumption but we must also look at the root cause of some of these issues and see where we can aim our influence towards positions of power - for example boycotting products, creating collective action, raising awareness etc

World Water Day

Thank you :)

Additional slides below (Not used in presentation)

the denial of the limits of the planet

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the denial of the immensity of the problem

the denial of entanglement

the denial of systemic violence and complicity in harm

the 4 denials

guiding principles of GCE

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Power relations

neo liberalist policies

Post colonial legacies

Mass consumption

What systems and structures are causing this destruction?