Ecological Responsibility Bill Workshop
On 6 May 2026 the Wild Law Institute held a workshop with the intention to imagine together an ecological society and future where our community of life can flourish.
What would a society look like if it were designed to enable the flourishing of the whole Earth community, rather than human interests alone? This question brought together legal scholars, ecologists, Indigenous knowledge holders, artists and advocates for a workshop exploring the vision behind the draft Ecological Responsibility Bill. Rather than reforming a system built on ecological destruction, participants were invited to imagine a fundamentally different way of living—one grounded in reciprocity, responsibility and belonging.
A central insight emerged throughout the day: ecological governance is not about granting rights to nature, but recognising the inherent rights and relationships that exist independently of human law. The workshop explored how law, culture and governance might evolve to reflect this reality, drawing on Earth jurisprudence, Ubuntu and Indigenous knowledge systems to imagine a society that understands humans as members of, rather than masters of, the wider community of life.
The workshop helped expand what we believe is possible. The Ecological Responsibility Bill serves as a catalyst for collective imagination, inviting us to rethink the stories, institutions and relationships that shape our future. Meaningful transformation begins by daring to imagine a different world, and then taking the first steps towards bringing it into being.
Read a report on the workshop here
