Earth Charter
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The Earth Charter is an international declaration of fundamental values and principles considered useful by its supporters for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century. Created by a global consultation process, and endorsed by organizations representing millions of people, the Charter "seeks to inspire in all peoples a sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well-being of the human family, the greater community of life, and future generations."[1] It calls upon humanity to help create a global partnership at a critical juncture in history. The Earth Charter's ethical vision proposes that environmental protection, human rights, equitable human development, and peace are interdependent and indivisible. The Charter attempts to provide a new framework for thinking about and addressing these issues. The Earth Charter Initiative organization exists to promote the Charter.
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[edit] History
The idea of the Earth Charter originated in 1987, when the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development called for a new charter to guide the transition to sustainable development. In 1992, the need for a charter was urged by then-Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali at the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, but the time for such a declaration was not believed to be right. The Rio Declaration became the statement of the achievable consensus at that time. In 1994, Maurice Strong (Chairman of the Earth Summit) and Mikhail Gorbachev, working through organizations they each founded (the Earth Council and Green Cross International respectively), restarted the Earth Charter as a civil society initiative, with the help of the government of the Netherlands.[2]
Strong, no longer in charge of any organization related to the charter, still gives advice and support.[2]
[edit] Drafting
The drafting of the text was done during a six-year worldwide consultation process (1994-2000), overseen by the independent Earth Charter Commission, which was convened by Strong and Gorbachev with the purpose of developing a global consensus on values and principles for a sustainable future. The Commission continues to serve as the steward of the Earth Charter text.
The final text of the Earth Charter was approved at a meeting of the Earth Charter Commission at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris in March 2000. The official launch was on 29 June 2000 in a ceremony at The Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands attended the ceremony.
[edit] Contents
The approximately 2,400 word document[3] is divided into sections, beginning with a preamble, sixteen main principles, sixty-one supporting principles, and a conclusion entitled “The Way Forward”.
[edit] Preamble
| “ | We stand at a critical moment in Earth's history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise. To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny. We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations.[4] | ” |
[edit] Principles
The four pillars and sixteen principles of the Earth Charter are:[4]
I. Respect and Care for the Community of Life
- 1. Respect Earth and life in all its diversity.
- 2. Care for the community of life with understanding, compassion and love.
- 3. Build democratic societies that are just, participatory, sustainable and peaceful.
- 4. Secure Earth's bounty and beauty for present and future generations.
II. Ecological Integrity
- 5. Protect and restore the integrity of Earth's ecological systems, with special concern for biological diversity and the natural processes that sustain life.
- 6. Prevent harm as the best method of environmental protection and, when knowledge is limited, apply a precautionary approach.
- 7. Adopt patterns of production, consumption and reproduction that safeguard Earth's regenerative capacities, human rights and community well-being.
- 8. Advance the study of ecological sustainability and promote the open exchange and wide application of the knowledge acquired.
III. Social and Economic Justice
- 9. Eradicate poverty as an ethical, social and environmental imperative.
- 10. Ensure that economic activities and institutions at all levels promote human development in an equitable and sustainable manner.
- 11. Affirm gender equality and equity as prerequisites to sustainable development and ensure universal access to education, health care and economic opportunity.
- 12. Uphold the right of all, without discrimination, to a natural and social environment supportive of human dignity, bodily health and spiritual well-being, with special attention to the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities.
IV. Democracy, Nonviolence, and Peace
- 13. Strengthen democratic institutions at all levels, and provide transparency and accountability in governance, inclusive participation in decision-making, and access to justice.
- 14. Integrate into formal education and lifelong learning the knowledge, values and skills needed for a sustainable way of life.
- 15. Treat all living beings with respect and consideration.
- 16. Promote a culture of tolerance, nonviolence and peace.
[edit] Reaction
The Charter has been formally endorsed by organizations representing millions of people, including the UNESCO,[5], over 250 universities around the world,[6] the World Conservation Union of IUCN, the Indian National Capitol Territory of Delhi,[7] the 2001 U.S. Conference of Mayors,[8] and dozens of youth organizations.[9]
Various groups from a variety of religions support the Earth Charter. The Leadership Conference of Women Religious, a Catholic organization in the United States approved the measure in 2004.[10] The Diocese of Newark (New Jersey, USA), an Episcopalian Christian organinization, recently endorsed the Earth Charter.[11] The UUAC representing over 1000 Unitarian congregations in the United States supports the measure.[12] The official body of the Baha'i Faith religion reacted by saying "While not officially endorsing the Earth Charter, the Baha'i International Community considers the effort toward drafting it and activities in support of its essential objectives to be highly commendable, and it will continue to participate in related activities, such as conferences, forums and the like."[13] The World Pantheist Movement, which supports a naturalistic view of religion, endorses the plan.[14]
Engineers Without Borders, an international association whose mission is to help its member groups assist poor communities in their respective countries and around the world, also endorses the Earth Charter.[15] The Green Party of Botswana supports the plan.[16] The African Conservation Federation describes the World Charter movement as a "partner".[17]
Mayor Hsu of Tainan, a city of 750,000 in Taiwan, endorsed the charter in 2007.[18] The cities of Corvalis (Oregon, USA), Berkeley (California, USA), Pickering (Canada) and 21 towns in Vermont (USA) have endorsed the measure.[19][20][21] Nine other towns in Vermont rejected measures endorsing the Earth Charter.[22]
Efforts have been made to pass the Earth Charter through the United Nations,[citation needed] but the UN has not endorsed it.
The Charter has received opposition from several groups. For example, in the United States, members of religious groups, such as the Religious Right have objected to the document on the grounds that it is secular, and espouses socialism. In addition, some conservatives cite an informal comment by Mikhail Gorbachev that the document is "a kind of Ten Commandments" (which was a complete missinterpretation of what he said),[clarification needed] and point to the fact that at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, a copy of the document was placed symbolically in an "Ark of Hope" -- an independent project by the American artist Sally Linder.
Earth Charter International, the organization responsible for promoting the Charter, argues in its literature that the Earth Charter is respectful and inclusive of all religious traditions. They state that the Charter itself makes no statements to support these claims of intent to supplant any of the world's religions or to create a world government. In their opinion, the Charter is simply a statement of common ethical values towards sustainability, that recognises humanity's shared responsibility to the Earth and to each other.
[edit] See also
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- University for Peace
- Earth Day
- World Ocean Day
- World Water Day
[edit] References
- ^ "What is the Earth Charter?", earthcharterinaction.org, retrieved 3-7-09
- ^ a b "The History of the Earth Charter", mauricestrong.net, February, 2008. Retrieved June 9, 2009.
- ^ "The Earth Charter as a Global Ethic", Nigel Dower, University of Aberdeen, p.4, 2004 (available at www.earthcharterinaction.org/resources/files/Dower%20EC%20as%20a%20Global%20Ethic.doc)
- ^ a b "The Earth Charter", earthcharterinaction.org, October 4, 2000. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
- ^ United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, "Records of the General Conference", 32nd Session, Vol. 1, p.35
- ^ "Universities that have endorsed the Earth Charter", www.earthcharterinaction.org, updated March 26, 2009
- ^ "One million saplings to be planted by 2010",The Hindu, Apr 21, 2007
- ^ "ADOPTED RESOLUTIONS: ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT ENDORSEMENT OF EARTH CHARTER", 69th Annual Conference of U.S. Mayors, June 22-26, 2001
- ^ "Youth Organizations that have endorsed the Earth Charter", www.earthcharterinaction.org, updated March 26, 2009
- ^ "2004 Resolutions" (press release), Leadership Conference of Women Religious, August 24, 2004
- ^ Diocese of Newark, "135th Annual Convention Resolutions", p. 7,January 31, 2009
- ^ "Endorse the Earth Charter, 2002 Action of Immediate Witness", Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
- ^ "Baha'is participate in interreligious dialogue on faith and ecology", Baha'i World News Service, September 6, 2001
- ^ pantheism.net, World Pantheist Movement website, (see link at site to endorse petition). Retrieved February 25, 2009.
- ^ one page organization summary, Engineers Without Borders-- International, 2009
- ^ greenpartyofbotswanna.com. Retrieved February 25, 2009.
- ^ Partnerships , African Conservation Federation. Retrieved February 25, 2009.
- ^ "Mayor Hsu endorsed the Earth Charter with 15 Miss Globalcities",Tainan City Government news bulltetin, January 19, 2007
- ^ "Council passes Earth Charter", Rebecca Barrett, Corvalis Gazette-Times, April 17, 2006
- ^ "Resolution 61,007-NS", Berkeley City Council, March 27, 2001
- ^ "Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes", City of Pickering, Canada, July 22, 2002
- ^ "Earth Charter Supported in Middlebury Meeting", middleburycampus.com, March 13, 2002
[edit] External links
- Text of the Earth Charter
- Earth Charter Initiative official website
- The website of Maurice Strong
- American chapter of the Earth Charter Initiative
- YES! Earth Charter Curricular Module teaching materials for classrooms.
