Earth Day: do environmental rights = human rights?
Earth Day: do environmental rights = human rights?
Here's a guest post from Priscila Néri, Hub Content Coordinator at Witness, an international human rights organization that provides training and support to local groups to use video in their human rights advocacy campaigns. -- Luis
What images come to mind when you think of human rights? Pictures of torture, unjust detention, police brutality, political persecution? Or do you think about climate change? What about when you think of the environmental movement? Do you picture polluted oceans, destroyed forests, endangered wildlife? Or do you think about people?
It's Earth Day, and although the environmental and human rights movements may sometimes be perceived as two different things - especially in many developed countries like the United States - in much of the world they are closely intertwined. Earth Day is not just about recycling, reducing your carbon footprint, and protecting wildlife. It's also rooted in the struggle for the rights to clean air, water, and a healthy environment - all basic human rights.
In March 2009, Kelly Matheson and I traveled to the annual meeting of the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide to speak with activists from around the world about this connection. We asked them: do environmental rights = human rights?
The responses we heard were so illuminating that we decided to make this short video (go here to learn more about the images shown in the video or to download a copy):
Now we want to hear from you: do environmental rights = human rights?
JOIN THE CONVERSATION:1) Help Spread the Word!
Share this video with your friends via email and on your social networks.
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If you're on Twitter, tweet this video (we're @witnessorg).
- If you're on Facebook, join the WITNESS Cause and change your status to this question: do environmental rights = human rights? (don't forget to include a link to the video!)
- On YouTube? Add your video response here.
2) Share your thoughts on the Hub
Join the conversation by leaving a comment below or uploading a video (to upload, join the Hub now - it is free and easy).
3) Take Action to Honor Earth Day!
Celebrate Earth Day by taking action. You've heard of the Butterfly Effect? Well, put it into action!
Bloggers & Vloggers
If you post or blog about our Environment is Life video, send us an email or a tweet (@witnessorg)... Also, if you want to add a Hub button on your blog, get one here!
