Event summary: ecocide in global politics
In June, the International Law and Politics Working Group held a two-day workshop on ‘Ecocide in Global Politics’ at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol). The workshop was supported by funding from BISA and the British Academy Early Career Researcher Network, and was led and convened by Dr Suwita Hani Randhawa.
It brought together early-career researchers from across the social sciences to explore interdisciplinary perspectives on ecocide’s conceptual, historical and philosophical foundations; the political and legal challenges surrounding its criminalisation; its significance for political resistance and activism; and its pedagogical importance within the classroom.
The workshop also featured keynote addresses from Professor Damian Short (Co-Director of the Human Rights Consortium and Professor of Human Rights and Environmental Justice at the School of Advanced Study, University of London) and Jojo Mehta (Co-founder and CEO of Stop Ecocide International). The keynote speakers also facilitated roundtable discussions on ‘Researching Ecocide: Strategies for a Successful Research Career’ and ‘Making a Difference: Translating Ecocide Research into Real Impact’ with the participants.
As a formal network of ecocide researchers does not yet exist in the UK, the workshop also involved brainstorming sessions on the formation of an ‘Ecocide Researchers Network’ in the UK.
