Environmental pollution and the depletion of natural resources have caused great harm to our Earth and her inhabitants. This website explores if Restorative Justice can play a role in healing environmental harms.
First European Seminar on Restorative Responses to Ecocide
The seminar brought together criminologists, judges, RJ practicioners, students, government and industry workers - and an artist - in the exploration of enticing questions, such as: "Who are the victims of environmental harm, how are their rights ensured and how can they have a voice in restorative processes? Who speaks on behalf of future or past generations and nature (animals, plants, rivers, land, climate)? What kind of expertise is required to adequately speak for the non-human? How can we repair the irreparable? How can we assess who the perpetrators are and how can we ensure they participate in restorative processes?"
It was an inspiring and stimulating day, and participants committed to take this research subject further in their respective fields - and to follow up with future meetings and joint efforts.
I gave a presentation titled 'Reconnecting to Nature through Restorative Justice'. During my presentation I honoured
Polly Higgins
for introducing me to Ecocide law and Earth law back in 2013 (in my
TED talk
I tell about the impact she has had on my life) and for encouraging me to take the idea of restorative approaches to Ecocide further. Polly Higgins was a dedicated and courageous woman, a true 'lawyer for the Earth' who spent the last ten years of her life fighting for the recognition of Ecocide as a crime against mankind. She also played a key part in the events that resulted in the creation of the seminar. She passed away on Easter Day 2019, only 50 years old. If you want to learn more about Polly's work and support her legacy, please visit her
website
.
The fact that our seminar took place in the Leuven Irish college, which in its courtyard has a centuries-old mosaic with the names of trees in Gaelic, seemed meaningful with Polly in mind. She cherished her Celtic roots and drew inspiration from her strong connection to the Scottish land.
Photo: the Leuven Institute for Ireland. Source: Wikipedia.
Wed, 01 May