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24118 results for "rights of nature"
The River Wye just became the first river in the UK to receive cross-border legal rights protecting it from pollution. The historic charter gives the 155-mile waterway the right to flow naturally, support biodiversity, and even have its own voice in official meetings.
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A forgotten thinker's radical idea is reshaping how courts view rivers, forests, and mountains. Thomas Berry believed Earth itself is a living text we've forgotten how to read.
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South Africa's iconic Table Mountain is being recognized as a rights-bearing entity under law, not property to exploit. Environmental lawyer Cormac Cullinan is leading the quest to shift how humans relate to nature through legal frameworks.
New Zealand lawmakers just introduced groundbreaking legislation that would recognize whales as legal persons with rights to migrate freely, maintain their culture, and live in healthy habitats. The bill honors an Indigenous treaty signed by Pacific leaders before Māori King Tūheitia's death in 2024.
A Brazilian city just made history by granting legal personhood to ocean waves, giving them the right to exist, regenerate, and stay clean. It's the first time any government has recognized part of the ocean as having its own legal rights.
Scientists in Peru discovered five spider cousins glowing like tiny neon signs in the rainforest, each species showing off its own unique pattern. The glowing backs might be nature's way of helping these creatures find the right mate in the dark.
Amina Bouayach, who leads Morocco's National Human Rights Council, is calling for urgent action after revealing women globally have access to just 64% of men's legal rights. Her message on International Women's Day challenges governments and communities to turn promises into real protection.
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After seven years in court, a determined LGBTI rights organization in Eswatini refuses to back down in their fight for the constitutional right to exist. Their persistence is protecting civic freedom for everyone in the kingdom.
India's Madras High Court ruled that prisoners awaiting trial can choose where they receive medical treatment, affirming that constitutional rights don't stop at prison walls. The landmark decision recognizes healthcare choice as part of the fundamental right to life.
Mexico is asking more than 16,000 Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities to help shape a groundbreaking law that would protect the rights of 25.8 million people. It's the first comprehensive Indigenous rights law in the nation's 200-year history.
A Canadian mine accidentally releases enough natural hydrogen to power hundreds of homes every year. Scientists say most of Earth's rock could do the same, offering a clean energy source right beneath our feet.
NASA satellites captured a stunning natural phenomenon where winds created perfect spiraling clouds behind a volcanic island. The cosmic dance happens only when conditions are just right.
A Canadian river just became a legal person, protecting it from harm the same way laws protect you and me. Three new books reveal how treating nature as alive—not just as resources—is sparking real conservation wins around the world.
A powerful new report documents how Namibian courts have delivered historic victories for LGBTQ+ rights, even as lawmakers push back. The fight for full equality continues, but the legal foundation is stronger than ever.
Governor Abigail Spanberger has restored voting rights to more than 66,000 Virginians with past felony convictions since January. The move reverses restrictive policies and comes weeks before voters decide whether to make the change permanent through a constitutional amendment.
New Zealand's Department of Corrections has settled a discrimination case with a transgender employee, issuing an apology and committing to new training programs. The landmark settlement affirms transgender rights and sets a precedent for workplace dignity.
When ICE raids intensified, North Carolina activists created a simple framework to help businesses protect employees legally. Now over 1,000 workplaces across 12 states are learning how to exercise constitutional rights.
Jesse Jackson, the legendary civil rights leader who worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and spent decades fighting for equality worldwide, has passed away at 84. His voice and vision inspired millions and helped shape the United Nations' work against racism and apartheid.
The UN marks two decades of a landmark treaty protecting disability rights as 192 countries gather to tackle what's working and what still needs fixing. Progress is real but moving too slowly, leaders say.
Two groundbreaking British Columbia court decisions are strengthening Indigenous land rights and pushing the province closer to true reconciliation. The rulings affirm that Indigenous peoples have legally recognized claims to their ancestral territories after centuries of displacement.
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