Overview

Dr. Sfeir-Younis’s work on the Rights of Mother Earth challenges the fundamental Western legal and philosophical framework that treats nature as property to be owned, exploited, and destroyed. His 2006 “Healing the World: Making Peace with the Environment” and 2007 call for “A New Ecomorality” establish that Earth is not a collection of resources but a living being deserving legal rights, moral consideration, and reverence. His statement “La Tierra no es una cosa, es un ser vivo” (Earth is not a thing, it is a living being) encapsulates this radical shift.

Through his engagement with indigenous cosmologies—particularly in his work with “Nativos de America”—he has championed legal frameworks recognizing nature’s intrinsic rights independent of human utility. His analysis of Pope Francis’s Laudato Si encyclical and his development of “eco-ethics” demonstrate how spiritual traditions across cultures converge on understanding Earth as sacred, not merely material. His massive social media campaign (178,000+ supporters) demanding he be named Chile’s Environment Minister shows public hunger for leaders who prioritize planetary wellbeing over corporate profits.

His teaching that “we are not better than Nature, than Earth”—combined with practical initiatives like Trees 4 Peace and International Forest Day celebrations—bridges philosophy and action. His 2020 explicit articulation of “The Rights of Mother Earth” and ongoing work on spiritual foundations of ecological civilization advance legal and ethical frameworks where rivers, forests, mountains, and ecosystems have standing to sue, to be protected, to exist for their own sake.

Key Publications & Teachings

• Healing The World: Making Peace With The Environment (2006) – Foundational text: relationship with Earth as peace-making, not resource extraction
• A New Ecomorality (2007) – Articulating ethical frameworks recognizing Earth’s moral standing
• Los Ignacianos y El Medioambiente: Expandiendo La Consciencia Colectiva (2014) – Ignatian spirituality and environment: Expanding collective consciousness
• Alfredo Sfeir y la encíclica que incomoda / Análisis y reflexión de la Encíclica “Laudato Si” (2015) – Analysis of Pope Francis’s environmental encyclical—why it makes corporations uncomfortable
• Una Oración para Cultivar la Nueva Eco-Ética (2015) – A prayer for cultivating new eco-ethics
• ¿Representa la ‘Sostenibilidad’ una Base Sólida de ‘Justicia Intergeneracional’? (2019) – Does ‘sustainability’ represent solid basis for ‘intergenerational justice’?
• La Tierra no es una cosa, es un ser vivo (2019) – Earth is not a thing, it is a living being—fundamental ontological shift
• Planet Intelligence (2019) – Recognizing Earth’s inherent intelligence and consciousness
• La Naturaleza: El verdadero camino (2020) – Nature: The true path—not obstacle to overcome but guide to follow
• The Rights Of Mother Earth (2020) – Explicit articulation of legal and moral rights frameworks for nature
• To Heal the Planet, Sow a Seed of Peace / Trees 4 Peace (2021) – Practical tree-planting initiative linking ecology and peace
• No somos mejores que la Naturaleza, que la Tierra (2022) – We are not better than Nature, than Earth—rejecting human supremacy
• The Spiritual Foundations of an Ecological Civilization and The Rights to Nature (2023) – Comprehensive integration of spiritual and legal frameworks
• Las Dimensiones Espirituales del Cambio Climático (ongoing) – Spiritual dimensions of climate change

Continue your journey through Dr. Sfeir-Younis’s work