Rights of Nature: Governance Innovations for Ecological Justice (1-31 May 2026)

Title of the Course: Rights of Nature: Legal Innovations for Ecological Justice

Description of the course: This MOOC introduces the Rights of Nature movement, examining the shift from viewing nature as property to recognizing its legal rights and intrinsic value.

Date Offering: 1-31 May 2026

Teacher: Asst. Prof. Jephte O. Muñez, Atty. Mario Maderazo and Asst. Prof. Karl Abelard Edberto L. Villegas

Language: English

Institution:   University of the Philippines Open University

Description:  

In the Four(4) week MOOC entitled "Rights of Nature (RoN):  Governance Innovation for Ecological Justice", the learners will examine the growing global movement towards the recognition of "Nature" having legal rights and explore implications of "Nature's" intrinsic and extrinsic value across various sectors and contexts. The course will introduce participants to key concepts, draw on philosophical approaches and critically evaluate legal and governance frameworks in specific cases. The course concludes with a capstone project, where participants will develop applications of RoN principles in developing specific outputs grounded on real-world case studies, using both individual and institutional perspectives.


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NOTE: Self-enrollment usually begins two weeks before the course starts. Check out our website homepage under "Featured Course Offerings" to see which courses are currently running or available for enrollment.

Introduction to Distance Education (1-31 March 2025)

    This short module is designed to give you a preview of what it will be like to be a learner of the UP Open University (UPOU) Massive Open Distance eLearning or MODeL courses. At the same time, it will give you basic information about UPOU and how we deliver our courses.

    We appreciate your participation in the DE Readiness Module but please note that we don't issue certificates for this module, as its primary purpose is to assess your online learning capabilities and skills. Instead, we rewarded you a badge. Thank you for your dedication to enhancing your online learning skills.


    Introduction to Distance Education

      This short module is designed to give you a preview of what it will be like to be a learner of the UP Open University (UPOU) Massive Open Distance eLearning or MODeL courses. At the same time, it will give you basic information about UPOU and how we deliver our courses.

      We appreciate your participation in the DE Readiness Module but please note that we don't issue certificates for this module, as its primary purpose is to assess your online learning capabilities and skills. Instead, we rewarded you a badge. Thank you for your dedication to enhancing your online learning skills.

      Introduction to Distance Education (for FMDS Applicants)

      This short module is designed for FMDS applicants to give you a preview of what it will be like to be a learner of the UP Open University (UPOU) courses. At the same time, it will give you basic information about UPOU and how we deliver our courses.