Transformative Practices: Rights of Nature and the Good Life

The Rights of Nature (RoN) represent an innovative approach to environmental governance by granting legal rights to natural entities. Rooted in Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK), particularly in Latin America, RoN challenge the human-nature dichotomy by emphasizing relational worldviews based on care and responsibility. These rights significantly transform legal and societal frameworks, promoting a deeper connection between humans and nature beyond sustainability principles. Resonant self- and social-relations, which acknowledge nature’s intrinsic and relational value, are crucial for fostering transformative change.

This special issue examines RoN as a transformative practice, analyzing the social factors enabling significant shifts in nature governance. It explores not only the human-nature relationships within these legal frameworks but also the self- and social-relations of involved communities and actors. By emphasizing transformative capacities, the issue provides insights into how RoN can reshape governance in specific contexts.
The research is grounded in interdisciplinary studies on transformative change, arguing that effective nature protection arises when nature is valued intrinsically, relationally, and not merely for its utility. The central research question asks: What transformative self-, social-, and nature-relations underlie successful local initiatives for establishing and applying the Rights of Nature?