Jojo Mehta
on Making the International Ecocide Law a Reality
“Murder has been a crime since time immemorial. And people still murder people. But can you imagine how many murders would take place if murder wasn’t a crime?”
Why is it still acceptable, though, to remorselessly kill Nature, the source of all life?
In the human rights sphere, it is clear that mass murder and torture are serious crimes, but there is no equivalent in the environmental space. We are still incapable of seeing Nature as a target in itself but rather as an unavoidable collateral.
Jojo Mehta is the human embodiment of the reality check we all need, putting "ecocide" on everyone’s lips!
Etymologically, “ecocide” comes from Greek and Latin, meaning “to kill one’s home.” A term first used in 1970 and broadly understood as mass damage and destruction of nature, a root cause of the ecological emergency, it remained active in legal and political circles in discussions of potentially looking at environmental crime, but not in the public narrative.
A brave human, Polly Higgins, barrister and legal pioneer, resurrected the concept and dedicated the last years of her life to putting large environmental harm into the atrocity bracket of international crimes. She wanted to create a legal duty of care for the Earth and began by looking at giving nature rights. With a natural ability to inspire, Jojo joined her friend in this bold mission and co-founded Stop Ecocide International, initially to raise funds for the diplomatic work of moving this forward at the International Criminal Court:
“Our advocacy is to put ecocide alongside genocide and war crimes and crimes against humanity.” When we’re looking at an international crime, we’re looking at individual responsibility and being able to point a finger effectively, Jojo reflects, “so you would be holding accountable a specific head, a person." Because if you’re the CEO or the highest point of decision-making and you’re aware the choice you make could lead to severe damage or death, "then you’re going to be thinking: ‘Hang on a minute, my freedom could be on the line here!” - and you start taking it seriously!”
She has overseen the remarkable growth of the movement while coordinating legal developments, diplomatic traction and public narrative. As the Chair of the charitable Stop Ecocide Foundation and convener of the Independent Expert Panel for the Legal Definition of Ecocide, Jojo sees this law as a Swiss army knife, a tool that is so useful and applicable in different sectors, but often not understood at first glance.
Read Jojo Mehta’s answers for Inspirators, care for our beautiful common home, be curious about her movement and remember these words: “Ecocide law is like an acupunctural intervention: very precise, strategic, clear, doable, achievable, and it has huge potential to change behaviours!”
Thank you, Jojo, for being the Ecocide Stopper!
#INSPIRATORS QUESTIONNAIRE
Name: Jojo Mehta
Company / Institution: Stop Ecocide International
Title: Co-Founder & Executive Director
Website: https://www.stopecocide.earth/
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jojo-mehta/
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Country you currently live in: United Kindgom
Your definition of Regeneration: Any practice that works in harmony and reciprocity with nature, including people. Always with the guiding principle of ‘first do no harm’.
Main business challenge you face: Lack of understanding. Ecocide Law is like a Swiss army knife. It is a tool that is so useful and applicable in different sectors for different reasons, but often this is not understood at first glance. We are constantly enlightening people!
Main driver that keeps you going: Partly natural optimism! I don’t believe you can create something unless you believe it is possible to do so. Connection with nature, getting in the garden with my bare feet every day. Seeing people's eyes light up when we explain ecocide law.
The trait you are most proud of in yourself: Communicational resourcefulness.
The trait you most value in others: Integrity, kindness, and the ability to get things done.
Passions & little things that bring you joy: Good conversation. Feeling the seasons turn in my garden. Regeneration at the micro-level (darning socks and jumpers!)
The Inspirators who determined you to take the regenerative path:
Polly Higgins, co-founder of SEI. Polly passed away in 2019.
My mother, Jehanne Mehta, a songwriter deeply inspired by the earth and nature.
The Cotswold landscape I grew up in!
A starting point for companies or professionals that are beginning the regeneration journey: Ask yourself the question: "When I’m gone, what will my children thank me for?" Make sure you can answer it.
Most used and abused clichés in sustainability that bother you:
The term ‘sustainable’ - if a relationship is merely ‘sustainable’, what does that say about it? Regeneration is about thriving.
An honest piece of advice for young people who lose hope: Taking action lifts us out of despair. Look for practical solutions you can believe in - Ecocide Law is a good start. Anyone alive today is in a unique position, in that our actions actively shape the future of our species. That’s an enormous privilege and an opportunity.
Books that had a great impact on you / Must-Reads for any regenerative professional:
Mary Oliver’s poetry
Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough
The Overstory by Richard Powers
Dare to Be Great by Polly Higgins
#futureugen: Lessons from a Small Country by Jane Davidson
Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy is super for some light relief!
Movies / Documentaries you would watch all over again:
Manufacturing Consent - Noam Chomsky (still relevant today)
Princess Bride - William Goldman
Casino Royale - the Daniel Craig version
Documentaries can feel somewhat like a busman's holiday. I tend to read articles rather than watch documentaries - I take in the information faster! Movies are entertainment for me.
Websites / Podcasts you visit frequently: Ma Earth's "The regeneration will be funded" series is a good one and beautifully produced. However, I don’t have much time to listen to podcasts.
Music that makes you (and your heart) sing: I love fusion styles, elements of world, reggae, jazz, cabaret, choral (check out Choirs for Ecocide Law, it’s amazing!)
Places you travelled to that left a mark on you: Rome for the lightness and the water. Helsinki for the design. The Cotswolds for the greenery and being held in the rolling hills. Tokyo for the food.
Global Regenerative Voices you recommend us to follow:
Anyone who treats challenge as an adventure. There are so many good voices out there.
Trends in Regeneration we should keep an eye on:
Legal developments, including ecocide law. There is huge momentum on this right now. Putting the outer parameters in place on what is acceptable steers all decision-making, which cannot help but support regenerative practices.
Considering nature in all contexts is something that is growing, and vitally so. A growing awareness of connectivity and holistic models of living, growing and doing business. Place-based initiatives rather than grand schemes.
Events we should attend / Best places for networking (online or offline): NETWORKing is a skill rather than location-dependent. It is about connection, and connection is about people. Curiosity, empathy, discovering what someone is passionate about. That’s where the points of connection happen, and they can happen anywhere.
Impactful and relevant Sustainable Development or Regeneration courses or certifications: Anything that Schumacher College does will be useful and interesting. Anything using the principles of permaculture (both agricultural and in broader contexts). You will always learn the most from those you are interested in - so anything run by passionate, practical people.
Reasons to feel optimistic about our future in 2030:
An international Ecocide Law may well be in place by then. This will level the playing field, and mean that avoiding severe harms to nature will already be becoming the norm.
Reasons to feel pessimistic about our future in 2030: Pessimists claim to be realists, but we create reality. After Mother Nature, human intent is the most powerful force on the planet. In this context, pessimistic predictions are not particularly helpful. Instead, we should ask ourselves ‘What is our intent, and how committed are we to it?’ The actions that flow from asking that question are what will influence reality in 2030.
Regenerative Leadership qualities much needed today: Curiosity, resourcefulness, humour, vision, groundedness, clear intent, connection, integrity.
The Inspirators you are endorsing for a future edition are:
Miche Fabre-Lewin
Matthew Scriven
The quote that inspires you:
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." (Margaret Mead)
Your own quote that will inspire us:
