Arts Event Asks Kelowna to Declare the Right to a Healthy Environment

Update: According to the David Suzuki Foundation, the Union of B.C. Municipalities passed a resolution at their 2015 conference that called on the government of British Columbia to enact a province-wide Environmental Bill of Rights.

Original Story:

The Blue Dot movement started by Canadian scientist David Suzuki in 2014 is taking root in the Okanagan through an event happening at the Kelowna Community Theatre on Saturday, September 26th.

“The Right to a Healthy Environment” will bring artists, performers, speakers and musicians together in a push to have Kelowna’s mayor and council declare that the right to a healthy environment belongs to all of the city’s residents.

According to Gabe Cipes of Blue Dot Kelowna, “In the simplest terms, such declarations recognize the right to breathe fresh air, drink clean water and have access to nature.”

Since its inception, the Blue Dot movement has motivated more than 60 municipal governments in Canada to declare environmental rights in their communities. Participants hope that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms will declare these rights, as well.

“Today, over 110 of the world’s 190 nations recognize that their citizens have a constitutional right to live in a healthy environment,” said Cipes. “Proponents believe that Canada can and should take a place among such forward-looking nations, and that we have a responsibility to our children to leave things better off than how we found them.”

The name of the Blue Dot movement refers to how the earth appears from space.

Doors will open for “The Right to a Healthy Environment” at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, and the event will start onstage at 7:30 p.m. Jeannette Armstrong will deliver a keynote address, musical acts like the popular band “Wild Son” will perform, and the local political scene may become just a little bit greener.