BIO Pooven Moodley

Pooven Moodley is a South African human rights and environmental lawyer, sacred activist, and bridge-builder between worlds. Rooted in early anti-apartheid activism, his life’s work is a prayer for justice, healing, and collective liberation. Pooven works with indigenous communities, land and water defenders, and spiritual leaders across continents to protect what he calls the “territories of life.”

His leadership has helped stop exploitative projects, like the massive nuclear energy deal between South Africa and Russia, and uplift grassroots solutions rooted in ancient wisdom and Earth-based practices. He has served as Executive Director of Natural Justice and held key roles in global organizations such as Oxfam and ActionAid.

A Council member of the ICCA Consortium and co-founder of the Earthrise Collective, Pooven sees the sacred in all struggles for life, land, and dignity. His work honors the deep knowledge of indigenous peoples and champions the sacred relationship between humanity and the Earth. Through ceremony, solidarity, and systems change, he calls us to reimagine a world of balance, where all beings thrive.

His path is one of justice as spiritual service, helping humanity remember who we are and how to walk gently — and powerfully — on this planet.