Communities affected by environmental degradation often face powerful corporate actors with far greater resources and influence. Following the screening of Yurlu Country, this event will explore how young activists, civil society organisations, and local communities can document environmental harm, seek accountability, and advocate for more responsible business practices.
Directed by Yaara Bou Melhem, Yurlu Country follows Maitland Parker, a Banyjima elder from Western Australia's Pilbara region, as he fights for justice over the devastating legacy of asbestos mining on his ancestral land. Told from the perspective of the Banyjima people, the film reveals a long-overlooked environmental disaster and the struggle for justice, recognition, and the right to reconnect with Country.
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Ioana Popp, Managing Director of the Hoffmann Centre for Global Sustainability and will feature two environmental advocates:
Jethro Christopher, Founder of Tech4Rural and 2026 Young Activists Summit Laureate, who empowers communities in Nigeria's Niger Delta to document oil spills and demand accountability through digital technologies.
Manuel Abebe, Commodities and Trade Policy Expert at Public Eye, focuses on corporate accountability, commodity trading, and the environmental and human-rights impacts of global trade. Opening remarks will be delivered by Pavan Sukhdev, Founder of GIST Impact, former President of WWF International, and a leading advocate for integrating environmental and social impacts into economic and business decision-making.
Together, the speakers will examine how communities can challenge environmental harm, what tools are available, and how stronger accountability can reduce the imbalance between major polluters and those affected by their activities.
The event will conclude with a prize draw, offering participants the chance to win two passes to the 25th FIFDH festival (5-14 March 2027) and two tickets to the 2026 Young Activists Summit (17 December 2026).
Programme
18:30-18:40 | Welcome and Opening Remarks
- Paola Gaeta, Director of Studies, Professor of International Law, Geneva Graduate Institute
- Pauline Crepy, Strategic Partnerships Manager, Young Activists Summit
- Pavan Sukhdev, Founder of GIST Impact and Former President of WWF International
18:40-20:02 | Film Screening
- Yurlu Country (82 min), directed by Yaara Bou Melhem
20:05-20:35 | Panel Discussion
- Jethro Christopher, Founder of Tech4Rural and Young Activists Summit 2026 Laureate
- Manuel Abebe, Commodities and Trade Policy Expert, Public Eye
- Moderated by Ioana Popp, Managing Director, Hoffmann Centre for Global Sustainability
20:35-20:55 | Audience Q&A
20:55-21:00 | Closing Remarks & Prize Draw
This event is organised in partnership with the International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH) and the Young Activists Summit (YAS), with the support of InTent.
