LUMEN Video Pills – A New Series of Interviews with International Guests

The first video pill of the new series produced as part of the LUMEN project – Law of natUre and huMan Ecosystem approach – is now online. This video collection is designed to share stories, people, and places involved in the project through short, accessible audiovisual content. It aims to make complex research topics available to a wider audience and foster public engagement on legal and ecological transformation.

The debut episode features a conversation with Ecuadorian jurist and Prof. Avila Santamaría, former judge of the Constitutional Court of Ecuador and a leading voice in the field of nature’s rights. Interviewed on November 21st at the Department of Political and Social Sciences of the University of Bologna by Amilcare D’Andrea and Valentina Capuozzo (postdoctoral researchers at UNIBO), Prof. Santamaría reflects on constitutional justice, biocultural rights, Buen Vivir, and climate action.

During the dialogue, he discusses the expanding role of constitutional courts in environmental protection, the political meaning of the consulta popular, the tension between extractivist models and sustainability, and the potential for ecocentric governance grounded in the rights of nature. The conversation also explores the challenges faced during the Correa administration in Ecuador, particularly in relation to food sovereignty, ecological transition, and democratic participation.

This thought-provoking testimony offers valuable insights into how law, nature, politics, and culture can converge to shape more just and ecologically resilient futures.