The More-Than-Human Life (MOTH) Program is an interdisciplinary initiative advancing rights and well-being for humans, nonhumans, and the web of life that sustains us all.
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Report Assessing the Implementation of the Los Cedros Ruling in Ecuador
In 2021, the Constitutional Court of Ecuador handed down a landmark ruling on the rights of nature which protected the vital Los Cedros Forest. This report documents the successes and ongoing challenges around implementation of this important ruling.
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Bridging Indigenous and Western Sciences
Indigenous and Western sciences have both made important and distinctive contributions to our collective understanding of the more-than-human world. Now, more than ever, these types of collaborations and the ideas and practices they generate are needed to tackle ecological challenges and protect human and nonhuman life.
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Nonhuman Animal Communication Technologies
The MOTH Program has sought to answer questions that arise at the technology-ecology interface in the context of nonhuman animal communication technologies (NACTs).
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Translating Science into Law
In light of the many profound advancements in scientific insights into the living world, how can the sciences, especially the biological sciences, be translated into and transform our understanding of the law to better protect life on Earth?
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Giving Back to Nature
Humans benefit greatly—materially, culturally, intellectually—from the more-than-human world, Yet, laws and governance often overlook this vital connection. The MOTH Program seeks to address this by fostering reciprocity with the natural world through collaborative actions and partnerships.
Read moreGatherings
Learn more about how the MOTH Program nurtures and connects the interdisciplinary field dedicated to protecting the more-than-human world.
Global Course on
More-Then-Human Rights
We are thrilled to announce the third installment of the Global Course on More-Than-Human Rights, which will take place in London (United Kingdom) from July 20th – July 25th, 2025 on the NYU London campus.
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Festival of Ideas
The Festival is dedicated to exploring the rich and rapidly evolving field of inquiry and action pursuing efforts to bring the more-than-human world into the ambit of moral, legal, and social concern.
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Annual Gathering on More-Than-Human Life
Every year, the MOTH Program hosts an interdisciplinary gathering which brings together leading thinkers and doers from diverse fields, from environmental and human rights law to philosophy to biological sciences to Indigenous advocacy to storytelling and communications. The gathering serves as a space to connect across disciplines, exchange ideas and strategies, and plan experimental actions.
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