Events

We were invited to host a workshop with Die Junge DGVN Nord at the University of Hamburg, sharing our knowledge on law and sustainability. Through an interactive workshop, consisting of role-playing scenarios adn thought experiments, Alina and Simon helped the workshop participants think about: 1) 'Who am I?', 2) 'How is (and how should) society be defined?', and 3) 'What is the relationship between law and sustainability?'

We hosted a 2 day event, as part of Berlin Science Week, with roundtables and workshop on our research on the Rights of Nature, its philosophical and legal implications, practical application, and activism as a way of social change. Our interdisciplinary approach allowed us to identify key consensus within ecological and legal discourses on the Rights of Nature to move both research and praxis forwards towards more harmonious living with the environment and its entities.

YERA Hub took on the role of moderator of the Webinar which explored how emerging legal concepts like Ecocide Law and Rights of Nature could become powerful tools for climate action and sustainable development. At the centre of the discussion stood the CLICCS Climate Transformation Outlook 2024, a comprehensive research framework developed by over 70 scholars to identify 12 key societal drivers that will shape Germany's path to climate neutrality. Among these drivers, the idea of recognising ecocide as an international crime emerged as a particularly transformative concept.

As part of its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Developmen*, the German United Nations Association (DGVN) hosted a special youth-led conversation café titled 'For a Sustainable Future'. The event brought together young people engaged in sustainability, climate action, and global justice. Alina from YERA Hub highlighted how international and European law can be harnessed for environmental protection and intergenerational justice. Drawing from her academic and advocacy work, she sparked dialogue on legal reform, planetary boundaries, and the role of young people in transforming global governance.

Our second research and presentation workshop featured an introduction and summary of YERA's development, followed by five minute elevator pitches by each of our research groups, followed by longer breakout sessions with each of the groups. The three research groups presenting in this workshop were:

1) 'Rethinking fire in the EU: Rights of Nature to stop arson for profit' by Maria Stoikou
2) 'Rights of Nature as a catalyst for achieving the European Green Deal objectives' by Juan Cedro
3) 'Rights of Nature and ocean corporate due diligence' by Augustine Hacques and Henrieke Bünger

Our researchers hosted online discussions on the Rights of Nature and explore the concept of giving legal rights to natural entities, giving examples and case studies of how it could be used in practice!

We participated on a panel with the Heinrich Böll Foundation, DGVN and Stop Ecocide Germany to discuss the role that law should play in order to put a stop to the progressive loss of biodiversity and the escalating climate crisis.

We hosted an event on Innovation in the Legal NGO Sector, held in collaboration with Talent Development. This event featured our co-founders discussing the story of how YERA Hub was funded and also featured an in-depth discussion on the Rights of Nature, an emerging and crucial concept in addressing the climate crisis.

We hosted a stall at the PPLE careers fair, introducing the concept of ecocide to students and more.

We presented our research on the Revised Environmental Crime Directive, including its implications and shortcomings, at the University of Amsterdam. We were joined by experts in the field of environmental law to share their knowledge and come to new insights together.

We met with DGVN Nord to dive into the core of how our legal systems are built: our worldviews. We explored the idea that law isn’t just a set of rules, but a reflection of how we perceive reality. By shifting our perspective, we unlock entirely new ways to structure and improve society.