Summer school to look at climate justice in an unravelling world
The Thomas D’Arcy McGee Summer School returns to Carlingford with an urgent focus: how climate justice, democracy, and human rights are being undermined by authoritarianism, corporate influence, and political inertia.
Now in its fourteenth year, the Summer School coincides with the bicentenary of McGee’s birth. A Young Irelander, Irish-Canadian statesman, and Father of Canadian Confederation, McGee’s enduring belief in dialogue, pluralism, and democracy remains central to this unique gathering.
Organisers of the Summer School warn of a rapid erosion of multilateralism and a dangerous retreat from hard-won global agreements.
“We face an existential crisis not just of climate, but of trust, truth, and governance,” organisers said.
“This Summer School will challenge unsubstantiated opinion and disinformation with hard evidence and lived experience.”
These issues resonate locally following revelations that US politicians and the UK Ambassador to Washington, Lord Peter Mandelson, have been lobbying to accelerate approval for a controversial gold mining project in the Sperrin Mountains.
They expressed American investor frustration and called for a “timely decision”, raising alarm about external corporate pressure on Northern Ireland’s planning process at the expense of the local environment and community.
Fidelma O’Kane of Save Our Sperrins will join activists from a range of environmental campaigners in what promises to be an energetic community panel.
This year’s Summer School will explore urgent local and global issues, and look towards visible leadership, effective governance, and collective action for sustainable development.
“Ecosystems are not objects, as they have been treated until now; they have their own life, and human beings are a part of them. Without them, we cannot live”, says Professor Teresa Vicente-Giménez from University of Murcia who will join the Summer School.
Astrid Puentes Riaño, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment, who will also be speaking, believes that this moment demands more than action - it demands rethinking our place on earth. “The earth does not need to be saved by us. Our role is to learn how to live on this planet without destroying it. … The right to a healthy environment is not idealistic, it’s foundational and true protection begins … with fairness,” she said.
“In this Summer School, we will ask how can we act to safeguard a world order premised on respect for the environment and the human race,” said the organisers.