Felix Von Geyer speaks for rights

The Concordia chapter of journalists for human rights hosted its second Speak4Rights event this Tuesday. It featured Felix von Geyer, a Concordia professor and sustainable development journalist. Luciana Gravotta reports.

Felix von Geyer attracted an audience of around 50 people that packed the small upstairs room of the Bishop street Burritoville.

With a Socratic flair, Von Geyer’s talk encouraged the audience not just to listen but to think.

He questioned the outcome of human dominance over the environment.

“It seems to me that on an environmental basis we’re actually managing to master the planet, master our destiny, and somehow screw it all up.”

And he poked fun at politician’s framing of the global warming crisis.

"When Stephen Harper says carbon is a tool for life, the key to life, why don’t you put him in a room with 10% carbon dioxide and see what happens.”

Mostly, von Geyer talked about how frail the concept of human rights is without a sense of duty to enforce it.

He says duty creates a link between environmental responsibility and human rights. A sense of duty towards the environment will bleed over to human rights. The dominant perspective needs to change. People, like the environment, are not a utility.

The event’s casual forum concept encouraged participants to stay after the Q&A to continue the conversation. Von Geyer stayed until the very end, beer in hand.

The next Speak4Rights event will be held November 22^nd.

For CJLO news, I’m Luciana Gravotta