2026 Samuel Dash Conference on Human Rights -- Futures at Stake: Climate Change, Human Rights, and Youth Advocacy

In 2025, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion recognizing what communities on the frontlines of climate change have long known: ‘The protection of the environment is a precondition for the enjoyment of human rights.’ As floods, fires, extreme heat, and rising seas actively reshape where people can safely live, work, and raise families, it has become clear that our futures are at stake. While recent advisory opinions from international legal bodies mark a significant evolution in international law, they also raise a critical question: how can these legal principles be made real for the communities already bearing the burden of climate inaction? On March 31, 2026, at the Samuel Dash Conference on Human Rights, Indigenous and youth activists will open the conversation by describing how anthropogenic climate change has already transformed their communities, and how their experiences have fueled organizing and leadership rather than resignation. The conference will then turn to the legal arena, highlighting efforts that have driven the issuance of recent landmark international advisory opinions and how they can be leveraged before national courts and legislatures for maximum impact. Finally, panelists will confront the obstacles to meaningful climate action in the United States, including corporate capture and climate disinformation, and ask how lawyers and advocates can translate recent momentum in international law into durable domestic reform through creative lawyering and advocacy.