Global Generations Conference: Human Rights and the Earth at a Crossroads

On February 19, 2008, the University of Ottawa Student Chapter of CLAIHR presented the 4th Annual Global Generations conference: Human Rights and the Earth at a Crossroads. The Global Generations Conference provides a unique forum for students from coast to coast to present their innovative research on contemporary human rights issues.

The Conference added a new dimension in 2008 by collaborating with the Environmental Law Students Association, to explore the intersection between human rights and environmental protection. Topics included the right to a clean environment, the impact of climate change on Inuit communities, and the growing problem of environmental refugees.

Student presentations were made in front of a diverse audience, including a panel of judges, composed of leading human rights and environmental law academics and activists. The keynote speaker was Anil Naidoo, Coordinator of the Blue Planet Project and expert advisor to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour. Mr. Naidoo discussed water scarcity and the universal right to water.