Dear Reader
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We’ve faced fierce storms lately—both in nature and in society. Storm Éowyn uprooted trees across Ireland, battered the UK, and reminded us of the increasing instability caused by climate breakdown. Meanwhile, political and technological storms continue to weaken freedoms, democracy, and peace worldwide.

In times like these, it’s more important than ever to stand for principles that foster care for all beings and future generations—for ecological integrity, equity, justice, and peace.

Since launching the first Haumea Essential Ecoliteracy Course in early 2020, I’ve shared the importance of the Earth Charter—a remarkable civil society and UNESCO- and IUCN-endorsed set of principles, that is also a values teaching framework and a comprehensive definition of sustainability for a better world.

Now, with the launch of the Haumea Ecoversity Community, the Earth Charter will be at the heart of our learning—guided by wisdom, love, and beauty to co-create a better world.

🎓 Our First Special Guest Speaker: Prof. Sam Crowell

I’m thrilled to announce that Prof. Emeritus Sam Crowell (USA), a senior Earth Charter Council Member and Educator, will be our first Special Guest Speaker of 2025, while he's visiting Ireland.

📅 [Online via Zoom] Monday, 10 February
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⏰ 7 PM Irish | GMT | 2 PM EST | 8 AM NZDT

Sam’s talk, “Unpacking the Earth Charter: A Vision for Re-Enchantment”, is open to all. He is particularly interested in the growing engagement with the Earth Charter across Ireland and its global diaspora.

I had the honour of meeting Sam last year and can tell you firsthand—he is a warm, inspiring speaker whose insights into education for sustainability (ESD) are vital for our times. He also has a great interest in weaving care, creativity and contemplation into transformative, holistic learning.

✅ Modest fee options are available—your participation also supports the independent, peer-to-peer Haumea Ecoversity community.
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✅ Only registered participants will receive access to a transcribed recording.

👉 Click the button to register for Prof. Sam Crowell’s online presentation
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🌍 Why This Talk is Timely

Sam’s visit coincides with preparations for the 25th anniversary of the Earth Charter, which will be celebrated at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, from 1–3 July—where the Charter was first launched for all world citizens in 2000.

This is particularly significant because the Earth Charter is fundamentally a Peace Charter—its preamble shares a wise holistic, ecological vision we desperately need now as conflict continues to escalate against people, the climate, and wildlife. (You can see the 'Peace Dove' in the logo of the Earth Charter below).

During these global celebrations, Sam will be delivering a keynote address for the gathering. The theme for Earth Charter 25+ is "Planetary Consciousness, Ethics of Care, and Intergenerational Justice."

I’m eager to hear how the Earth Charter is increasingly recognised as an ethical and intergenerational teaching framework in schools, universities, local governments, organisations, and businesses.

🌿 My Journey with the Earth Charter & Ecocide Law

My husband Martin and I have already booked our place for the Earth Charter 25+ event (there’s an early bird price if you wish to attend), and we’ll be travelling by ferry and train (Do let me know if you are coming too - another person is already attending from Ireland!)

While in The Hague, I also plan to briefly visit the International Criminal Court (ICC) to honour the late Polly Higgins and her visionary work on establishing ecocide law—as the missing fifth crime against humanity (ecocide crime at this global level, means 'unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-term damage to the environment being caused by those acts').

Some of you may remember my early (and unexpected!) involvement in Irish Green Party motions in 2013 and 2020, advocating for ecocide crime to be recognised as an international crime in peacetime and that I twice had the good fortune to meet Polly. (Ultimately Polly Higgins and the global Stop Ecocide Campaign she co-founded support recognition of ecocide as a globally recognised standalone crime in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, although there is much ecocide law activity for national constitutions too).
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At present, the Rome Statute lists four crimes: Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity, War Crimes and the Crime of Aggression. The Statute can be amended to include a fifth crime of Ecocide.

🌱 Why did I become interested in developing Ecocide Crime Law? Because my late father was affected by chemical defoliants used in the Vietnam War, and because the word ecocide was first coined during that time—just as I was born. And I still have a belief, despite current wars and environmental destruction, that law and other soft law frameworks like the Universal Declaration for Human Rights matter, they are our best intentions manifested.

For years, I have believed that island nations like Ireland and Aotearoa New Zealand should stand in solidarity with Pacific Island nations, who are on the frontlines of climate breakdown and have courageously tabled ecocide law at the ICC in recent years.

Encouragingly, Scotland, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Azerbaijan, and other European nations are already supporting this effort.

💡 Why This Matters for Ecoliteracy in Ireland

Ecoliteracy in Ireland is still in its early stages. While global Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) policy is entering national policies, it is only beginning to shape school education.

This is where the Earth Charter can be a vital first step, particularly for adults, colleges, universities and local government—and particularly in Ireland now that the Earth Chatter has been translated into Irish and is already adapted for younger audiences.

More than ever, we need an educated, ecoliterate public who understands why ecocide law matters and how all social injustices and environmental degradation are deeply interconnected.

The Earth Charter’s holistic vision and accessibility (translated into 66 languages) can shape personal, corporate, and governmental accountability, ensuring that an ethic of care for all beings, future generations, lands, waters, and air guides everything we do. It can also help us understand those who are bravely progressing ecocide laws and Rights for Nature.

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If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading. I truly appreciate your time, and I hope you’ll join us for Sam Crowell’s talk—it’s an opportunity to engage with a vision for a more just and life-sustaining future.

👉 Register here.​

Looking forward to seeing you there.

With care for all,

📖 PS: A Book Recommendation

A dear supporter who has supported Haumea Ecoversity from the start, recently suggested I re-read Polly Higgins’ book Dare to be Great: Unlock Your Power to Create a Better World (2014).

Polly always believed that ecocide law would be achieved within two decades—and with the growing momentum of the Stop Ecocide International campaign, I believe she was right, although we need to urgently deepen our ecological education at the same time.

Revisiting her words, I was reminded of the Arne Naess Foundation in Norway, which recognised Polly’s work. Naess, the ecological thinker of Deep Ecology, was a radical thinker for recognising natural law and a young Professor who shook up academia. I was moved to read in Polly's reflections that he introduced 'values-based teaching as a prerequisite for all students at the University of Oslo' (p. 131).

So, no wonder I have long gravitated toward the Earth Charter and the many decades of wisdom from many people, from many different cultures and professions, who strive to make compassionate principles a reality for all.