The pursuit of social justice is a core objective at the heart of The University of Miami’s academic mission and a guiding value in its engagement with the local and global community. UMIA’s Social Justice Initiative aspires to create a space where faculty, students and the broader university community can explore, deepen, and strengthen the social justice dimension of their projects and build collaborative networks. This year, Ileana Porras, Senior Lecturer at UM's School of Law, has been appointed faculty lead for the Social Justice Initiative. Professor Porras' expertise lies in international law, including sustainable development and climate change.
As lead for the Social Justice Initiative, Professor Porras will focus the initiative on the topic of “the urban challenge: achieving equity and ecologically sustainable development in the context of climate change.” Sustainable development and climate change are both multi-scalar, multi-dimensional challenges that require interdisciplinary responses. The risks and harms of climate change and of ecologically unsustainable development fall disproportionately on the most vulnerable and disadvantaged sectors of the population, an increasing number of whom live in urban centers. Thus the “urban challenge” should provide a broad lens through which to explore urgent issues of social justice in the hemisphere.
