Dr. David Boyd: Niloufar Bayani and Authoritative Environmental Repression

Date: Thursday, April 4th 2024

Time: 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Location: Online via Zoom

Register Here

About the Event

In January 2018, Iranian environmental conservationist Niloufar Bayani, a former United Nations Environment Program project consultant, was arrested on charges of espionage by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Group for leading a wildlife project to monitor critically endangered Asiatic Cheetahs in Iran. Join Dr. David Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Environmentalism, for a moderated Q&A with UBC Scholars at Risk Engagementship students. There will be a discussion on the challenges of combating the world’s environmental crisis, including threats against conservationists. The discussion will also include the story of Niloufar Bayani’s story and the international collaborations to free her.

Those who register using the link above will receive a Zoom link closer to the date of the event.

About the Speakers

Dr. David Boyd is an Associate Professor of Law, Policy and Sustainability, IRES and an environmental lawyer and internationally renowned expert on human rights and the environment. He was appointed as the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment and has presented six reports to the UN Human Rights Council explaining that a healthy environment includes clean air, a safe climate, a healthy biosphere, sufficient access to water, sustainable food and a non-toxic unpolluted environment.

Niloufar Bayani is an Iranian environmentalist and scholar who served as the program manager of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation. She has a background as a research assistant at McGill University and is also an alumna of Columbia University.

What is Scholars at Risk?

Scholars At Risk (SAR) is an international network of institutions that promotes academic freedom by providing assistance and sanctuary for threatened scholars worldwide. The network also leads advocacy campaigns calling for the freedom of those arbitrarily imprisoned.