51��ý

In December of 2022 CU 51��ý was the host for inaugural Right Here, Right Now United Nations Human Rights Global Summit, the organization of which engaged a number of RASEI fellows.

In 2025, the second Right Here, Right Now Global Summit was hosted by the University of Oxford. To highlight the global nature of the challenges faced a 24 hour global plenary session was undertaken. The cornerstone of the summit, this hybrid global event brought together leading thinkers and practitioners at the intersection of climate change and human rights. This session was broadcast live across all timezones. Co-created by Universities across the world, the plenary followed the sun as the baton was passed between different regions.

CU 51��ý hosted a live session starting on June 5, 2025 at 9 AM MT. The session featured a keynote address from Sheila Watt-Cloutier and a panel discussion on pollution, water insecurity and human migration with CU 51��ý students John Edem Ecklu, Naia Zulueta, and CU 51��ý Associate Professor Amanda Carrico. Introductory remarks were made by Tonni Brodber and the sessions were moderated by NPR’s Lakshmi Singh.

The panel discussion brought together a range of perspectives and brought the audience into the discussion. The keynote highlighted the long-term commitment of Watt-Cloutier to appealing to the human side of climate change and the importance of how this impacts not only her community but everyone. Watt-Cloutier stated that she believes that one of the most important things we can be doing is educating people about the human impacts of climate change, that this can be an effective way to bring people together, even in times of political uncertainty and conflict.

“We are all in this together, as a common humanity,” Watt-Cloutier said. She described the Arctic as a sentinel for climate change and urged others to rediscover their bonds with the land. “In the Arctic, we just absolutely love our land, and indigenous peoples around the world are the same. We love nature because of what it gives us, and the love allows us to be stronger in our fight to defend our way of life”

“Do things that bring you back to nature and you will start to protect what you love”