Only 42 years old, Julian Aguon is an Indigenous human rights lawyer and writer from Guam. He is founder of the firm Blue Ocean Law, which as this article indicates “hopes to establish legal consequences for nations that have driven climate change and illuminate what obligations those countries owe to people harmed.”
Now Aguon is arguing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) “on behalf of Pacific island nations thousands of miles away that hope to hold accountable the countries most responsible for climate change.”
Aguon goes on to say “The peoples of Melanesia live exceptionally close to the Earth, and thus feel the vandalism visited upon it acutely,” he said. “Moreover, theirs represents living, breathing, alternative imaginations — imaginations other than the one that has brought this planet to the brink of ecological collapse. Thus, ensuring they are able to live and thrive in their ancestral spaces is of the utmost importance, and not only for themselves, but for all of humanity.”
“The court is being asked to provide an advisory opinion to clarify the legal obligations of countries under existing international law. Aguon describes it as a request for an objective yardstick by which to measure those countries’ actions, which could open the door to a new era of climate reparations.”
If you’re looking for someone to emulate as we work to ensure our planet remains habitable - not just for us but for all the other creatures we share it with - you would do well to look to people like Aguon and other climate justice champions, often young people whose communities are already feeling the impact of climate change.