Ugochukwu Ezeh (Annenberg supported Oxford-Weidenfeld Scholar, BCL 2014-15 and Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholar, MPhil Law 2015016) attended the Ditchley Foundation Conference on Global Ambitions and Local Grievances: Understanding Political Islam which took place 19th to 21st March 2015.

Over 40 delegates delegates participated in the Conference, drawn from various countries ranging from Syria, Canada, and Egypt, to Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan amongst others.

The Conference was divided into three working groups that discussed the terms of reference under the following broad thematic categories:

• The nature and origins of Islamic militancy
• The Islamic response to violent extremism
• The response of the non-Muslim World

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Environmental governance is a challenging task. In the face of global environmental changes, including climatic changes and loss of biodiversity exacerbated by harmful anthropogenic activities, promoting sustainable responses to these changes has acquired increased significance.

In a regional context, the European Union strives to take up a leadership role globally in advancing appropriate environmental governance frameworks. It seeks to bring about change by evolving viable, feasible and acceptable environmental legislation to tackle impending climate changes, as well as encouraging other regional organizations/nation-states to take up causes similarly. Much legislation is geared towards guiding business, industry and society to inculcate eco-friendly practices in their activities.

In light of these issues, the MSc in Environmental Change and Management field trip to the nerve-centre of the European Union, Brussels, was an attempt to expose us to the frameworks and decision-making processes associated with environmental governance in the European Union. Read more…