Mona Shomali

Mona Shomali is an Iranian American artist, author and former academic who explores conflicting morals, values and perceptions of reality. She has taught courses about indigenous human rights and the Amazon at three universities in New York City. Her career began when she was a case researcher for Sarayaku vs Ecuador in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Mona has a book coming out in late September titled WATER MAMAS. The book takes place in a not too distant future where rain does not fall on the Amazon as it used to. A UN professional goes to the Amazon to get consent from different Indigenous communities to run an artificial rain program. The communities all have different perspectives, but the Makushi of Guyana reject the program because they think chemicals used in the cloud seeding will hurt their spirits. It becomes a clash of Western Science vs Indigenous spirituality when it comes to tackling climate change.

This book is largely based on Mona's time researching Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in the Inter-American court system, as well as her research and work experience in the Amazon. Mona deconstructs the limitations and harms of Western conservationism when forced on Indigenous peoples worldwide.

Mona would love an opportunity to discuss the flaws of Western science and the spiritual dimension of Indigenous ecosystem management -- and how this relates to Indigenous human rights/ the right to consent.

Mona also painted the book cover for WATER MAMAS