This autumn Zero Waste North West is hosting a series of events to explore the meaning and possibilities for rights of nature on these islands. Zero Waste North West is part of the movement that seeks to fundamentally change the way humans relate to and respect the interconnected web of life so that we might enable a flourishing future for all beings.
Derry City and Strabane District Council was the first council on these islands to pass a rights of nature motion, advanced by People Before Profit councillor and Zero Waste North West member Meabh O’Neill. Since then, Omagh and Fermanagh and Donegal councils have done the same. Moreover, the 2023 Citizens Assembly on Biodiversity Loss recommended the Republic of Ireland enshrine the Rights of Nature and the human rights to a health environment within the Irish Constitution. This autumn series of events explores how rights of nature ideas shift our practices and mindsets.
On 10 September from 6:30-7:15, the Derry Rights of Nature group is hosting a meeting via Teams to learn about ways the Hare’s Corner Collective in Garvagh represent the interests and voices of nonhumans within their work, including within their meetings and decision making. Join the conversation here.
On 21 September from 4:30- 5:45, the Centre for Contemporary Art Derry-Londonderry will be screening the 40 minute film “Rights of Nature” in association with the closure of the exhibition Strata. Artworks within the Strata explore minerals, extractivism, and embodiment. The film introduces the rights of nature concept through a distinctive Irish perspective and was produced by Ravenhill Films and the Environmental Justice Network Ireland. Following the film will be a short Q&A and panel discussion featuring Meabh O’Neill, Mary McGuiggan, and Marella Fyffe. This film is the first in a short series that ZWNW is coordinating alongside the Playhouse as part of the Artitude Project. Reserve your seat here.
On 12 October, Ulster University’s Magee campus will host a symposium, “Rights of Nature and Heritage on the Island of Ireland”. This symposium is organised by ZWNW committee member Anjuli Grantham. The symposium features academics, activists, and heritage practitioners as they explore the connections between more than human wellbeing and heritage practices within Ireland. Register for the symposium here.
