Rizal, Philippines — April 30, 2025 — Advocates of the Rights of Nature (RoN) from across the Asia-Pacific convened at Mount Purro Nature Reserve (MPNR) in Rizal, Philippines, from April 27 to 29, 2025, making a grand plan to consolidate the Asia-Pacific Hub’s 73 members from 16 countries—while expanding its reach across more than 60 countries in the region—to advance the formal recognition of the Rights of Nature.
Delegates from Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, South Korea, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Australia, and the Philippines gathered in the three-day event, which opened with an Earth-honoring ritual. It acknowledged the presence of all creation and the sacredness of the space where the gathering is happening. Fr. Edwin Gariguez, Chairperson of the Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc. (PMPI) in welcoming the participants, said: “We are here to restore justice for all of creation, as we also mourn the death of Pope Francis, a global champion for nature. We may be diverse, but we have a shared dedication to come together… Systems have failed to protect nature and have enabled the exploitation of it. We are here to strengthen the Rights of Nature movement and especially its Asia Pacific Hub, as one of the most vulnerable to ecological collapse.”
Executive Director of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN), Natalia Greene of Ecuador, the first country to enshrine the Rights of Nature in its Constitution, delivered an inspiring keynote address. She highlighted that the time of Rights of Nature has come, which inspired the delegates with a vision of a strong, unified, and resilient movement for the Rights of Nature in the region. “This family has grown a lot, and I am extremely happy that this is happening in the Asia-Pacific because the idea is that this will allow us to get together… To bring people who are thinking that this separation [between humans and nature] doesn’t make sense, and that we need to change our legal structures to include the rights of nature,” Greene said.
Participants shared experiences and campaigns from their home countries, reflecting on their local Rights of Nature efforts’ roots, milestones, and challenges. The gathering reaffirmed the critical need for regional and global dialogues and collaboration through in-depth conversations and a collective understanding of each country’s situation.
Capping the meeting is the approval of a statement signed by all participants, declaring shared commitments to uphold the inherent rights of Mother Earth and honor the principles, practices, and values of the Rights of Nature movement. “We sincerely pledge that we will collaborate and work together with institutions, communities, and individuals committed to the Rights of Nature, building on the success stories that the members have achieved so far in formal and informal regimes as appropriate,” the statement affirmed.
The event’s last day is an encounter with Mother Earth as participants trekked through the 2.8 kilometers of rock formations along the Tinipak River, to the Dumagat’s sacred place and a cave, where the Dumagat ancestors find refuge during disasters. These sites will be submerged when the Kaliwa Dam project proceeds.
A sharing with the indigenous Women Leaders from KGat (Kababaihang Dumagat ng Sierra Madre) elicited strong emotions among the Dumagat women and inspired a passionate response from the participants: “You need equipment to fight, and that equipment is information. Have courage and don’t feel hopeless on this.”
The assembly marked a pivotal step toward building a powerful, interconnected Rights of Nature movement across the Asia-Pacific region—united in the vision of a future where the Earth’s rights are fully recognized, respected, and protected. As the gathering drew to a close, Ms. Yoly Esguerra, Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc. (PMPI) National Coordinator and a pioneering advocate of rights of nature in the country, left participants with a rousing call to action: “Let’s transform society. Rights of Nature is a call to a radical transformation. Let’s make a revolution—but one carried out with joy, even as we take on the hard but vital work that lies ahead.”
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