Download presentation
Presentation is loading. Please wait.
1
Introducing The Earth Charter Values and Principles for a Just, Sustainable, and Peaceful Global Society in the 21st Century There is nothing else in global civil society with the demonstrated power of the Earth Charter to unite people from across divisions of culture, religion, and politics ... background, sector, and profession ... and inspire them to work together for a world that is more just, more sustainable, and more peaceful.
2
The Earth Charter Represents a Global Consensus on Shared Values and Ethics for Building a More Just, Sustainable, and Peaceful World Core sustainability values Shared ethical principles = Widely endorsed and inspiring call to action I. Respect for nature II. Universal human rights III. Economic justice IV. A culture of peace 1. Respect Earth and life in all its diversity. 2. Care for the community of life ... 3. Build democratic societies ... 4. Secure Earth's bounty and beauty ... 5. Protect and restore ... Earth's ecological systems ... 6. Prevent harm ... apply a precautionary approach 7. Adopt [sustainable] patterns of production, consumption, and reproduction ... 8. Advance the study of ecological sustainability ... 9. Eradicate poverty ... 10. Ensure that economic activities ... promote human development ... 11. Affirm gender equality ... ensure universal access 12. Uphold the right of all ... to a natural and social environment 13. Strengthen democratic institutions ... 14. Integrate [sustainability] into formal education and life-long learning ... 15. Treat all living beings with respect and consideration 16. Promote a culture of ... peace
3
Key Themes of the Earth Charter
Respect Equitable Economic Development Universal Responsbility Participation Interdependency Human Rights Environmental Protection Respect for Nature Sustainable Living Peace and Non-Violence Community of Life Common but Differentiated Responsability Common Good Democracy Transnational Responsibility Gender Equality Eradication of poverty 3
4
A Brief History of the Earth Charter Initiative
Origins - The Brundtland Commission calls for “a new charter or universal declaration” on environment and development to “guide state and inter-state behavior.” UN Earth Charter process is stopped at Earth Summit; Rio Declaration adopted instead (1992) Phase 1 - Development and Global Consultation Maurice Strong and Mikhail Gorbachev relaunch Earth Charter as a civil society initiative; drafting and consultation process begins (1994); Earth Charter Commission created (1997); 5,000 people contribute comments Phase 2 - Launch and Establishment Final text approved and launched, and endorsement campaign begins (2000); Earth Charter promoted strongly at WSSD in Johannesburg, but not formally adopted (2002); local and grassroots action grows, important international endorsements continue (such as IUCN, 2004) 2006 - Phase 3 - Expansion with Action Orientation Strategic review conducted (2005); decision taken to expand the Initiative, with new international centers and programs, and intent to greatly increase awareness, impact, and active commitment to sustainable development
5
A Brief History of the Earth Charter Initiative
Origins - The Brundtland Commission calls for “a new charter or universal declaration” on environment and development to “guide state and inter-state behavior.” UN Earth Charter process is stopped at Earth Summit; Rio Declaration adopted instead (1992) Phase 1 - Development and Global Consultation Maurice Strong and Mikhail Gorbachev relaunch Earth Charter as a civil society initiative; drafting and consultation process begins (1994); Earth Charter Commission created (1996); 5,000 people contribute comments Phase 2 - Launch and Establishment Final text approved and launched, and endorsement campaign begins (2000); Earth Charter promoted strongly at WSSD in Johannesburg, but not formally adopted (2002); local and grassroots action grows, important international endorsements continue (such as IUCN, 2004) 2006 - Phase 3 - Expansion with Action Orientation Strategic review conducted (2005); decision taken to expand the Initiative, with new international centers and programs, and intent to greatly increase awareness, impact, and active commitment to sustainable development
6
A Brief History of the Earth Charter Initiative
Origins - The Brundtland Commission calls for “a new charter or universal declaration” on environment and development to “guide state and inter-state behavior.” UN Earth Charter process is stopped at Earth Summit; Rio Declaration adopted instead (1992) Phase 1 - Development and Global Consultation Maurice Strong and Mikhail Gorbachev relaunch Earth Charter as a civil society initiative; drafting and consultation process begins (1994); Earth Charter Commission created (1997); 5,000 people contribute comments Phase 2 - Launch and Establishment Final text approved and launched, and endorsement campaign begins (2000); Earth Charter promoted strongly at WSSD in Johannesburg, but not formally adopted (2002); local and grassroots action grows, important international endorsements continue (such as IUCN, 2004) 2006 - Phase 3 - Expansion with Action Orientation Strategic review conducted (2005); decision taken to expand the Initiative, with new international centers and programs, and intent to greatly increase awareness, impact, and active commitment to sustainable development
7
A Brief History of the Earth Charter Initiative
Origins - The Brundtland Commission calls for “a new charter or universal declaration” on environment and development to “guide state and inter-state behavior.” UN Earth Charter process is stopped at Earth Summit; Rio Declaration adopted instead (1992) Phase 1 - Development and Global Consultation Maurice Strong and Mikhail Gorbachev re-launch Earth Charter as a civil society initiative; drafting and consultation process begins (1994); Earth Charter Commission created (1997); 5,000 people contribute comments Phase 2 - Launch and Establishment Final text approved and launched, and endorsement campaign begins (2000); Earth Charter promoted strongly at WSSD in Johannesburg, but not formally adopted (2002); local and grassroots action grows, important international endorsements continue (such as IUCN, 2004) 2006 - Phase 3 - Expansion with Action Orientation Strategic review conducted (2005); decision taken to expand the Initiative, with new international centers and programs, and intent to greatly increase awareness, impact, and active commitment to sustainable development
8
Earth Charter as global ethics
Earth Charter is consensus on integrated vision on shared moral values, basic ethical principles and practical guidelines Expresses common core of attitudes that can unite people in the midst of all their diversity Recognizing that our environmental, economic, social, political, and spiritual challenges are interdependent The Earth Charter provides a new integrated framework for thinking about and addressing these issues The result is a fresh broad conception of what constitutes a sustainable society and sustainable development Earth Charter drives for a global partnership of all peoples and nations to ensure for present and future generations the well-being of humanity and the larger community of life
9
EC provides a framework, a tool for testing our moral thinking
The principle of universal responsibility, stated in paragraph five of the Preamble of the Earth Charter, is of fundamental importance in meeting the critical challenges of the twenty-first century Can govern the conduct of people, organizations and nations in their relations with each other and the Earth It challenges people to think about ethical values and to expand their ethical consciousness A moral ideal – of how people could ideally live with one another and in relation to the natural world EC provides a framework, a tool for testing our moral thinking
10
It is important to recognize that the Earth Charter contains general ethical principles as distinct from rules Rules tell one exactly what to do in a specific situation General principles tell us what to think about when we are deciding what to do We also live in a complex world and there will be at times conflict between different ethical principles There is frequently a tension between individual freedom and securing justice for all There can be tension between the needs of present generations and the needs of future generations Also between the short-term interests of people and the long-term health of ecosystems
11
We believe it is the discomfort many people have with the current state of the world and their search for an alternative vision of development that ensures a better future for all. Many want to change the way we relate to each other and to the larger living world. Individuals and groups with different concerns see the Earth Charter as a meaningful instrument that speaks to their concerns and helps connect to a larger collaborative good It may also have to do with the fact that an ethic is a publicly shared set of values and norms – this may or may not mean that it is precisely stated in some set of words like a declaration or charter, but the fact that something is embedded in the form of a public statement which can be endorsed or accepted gives it a certain social reality and thus, if it is signed up to by many thinkers throughout the world, a certain claim to being a global ethic in this sense
12
Why Earth Charter? It is global in that it is actually accepted by large number of people from all over the globe a public document available for endorsement by individuals who do so in the knowledge that they endorse something endorsed by hundreds of thousands of others The values of the Earth Charter are not merely shared in the sense that they are the same for different people; they are shared in the stronger sense of people belonging to a community of shared values It is global in that it was formed as a result of a wide process of global consultation
13
Many of the key principles are capable of different interpretations
The Earth Charter should not be read as a final moral truth but as a tool for promoting international cooperation and solidarity for changes which need to be made in the way we collectively behave Endorsing it or treating it as one's global ethic is not signing up to everything in it nor should it be treated by others as so doing. Rather it’s an ethical perspective from which one is prepared to think, deliberate and engage in dialogue Many of the key principles are capable of different interpretations it should not be seen as the final unambiguous set of moral truths but a best approximation which humans can use and co-operate in using to forge common understandings and develop common goals
14
What Earth Charter can offer
A global citizen who is in search of reasonable global ethic can find it in the Earth Charter a concrete expression of a global ethic which otherwise might seem too abstract and undefined Through the Earth Charter can be also found a genuine and real community of like-minded people across the world united in its inspirational power It is not just an idea in the mind of the global citizen but actually shared by agents from all over the world The Earth Charter provides one approach for educating and motivating people and governments to act with the necessary sense of universal responsibility stresses both the inner motivational resources of individuals and the external social structures and institutions
15
The UNESCO General Conference of member states endorsed the Earth Charter in 2003 as “an important ethical framework for sustainable development” and as “an educational tool.” UNESCO has chosen to emphasize the importance of teaching and learning about the values and life styles that communities must embrace, if they are to make the transition to sustainable development. In this regard, UNESCO is recommending the Earth Charter as a valuable ethical guide and teaching tool. The Earth Charter is already being used widely in schools, colleges, and universities
16
The Earth Charter Initiative is a global network of people, organizations, and institutions who participate in promoting the Earth Charter, and in implementing its principles in practice in different areas, including ... Education for Sustainable Development Youth Action & Empowerment Global Governance Business Engagement in Global Ethics Religion & Sustainability The Media
17
Earth Charter Initiative
Argentina Belize Bolivia Brazil Chile Costa Rica Cuba Curacao Dominican Republic Honduras Mexico Peru Trinidad And Tobago Canada United States Armenia Austria Belarus Denmark Finland France Germany Greenland Hungary Italy Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Latvia Netherlands Norway Portugal Romania Russian Federation Serbia Spain Sweden Switzerland Tajikistan United Kingdom Uzbekistan Benin Burkina Faso Cameroon Congo Democratic Republic of Congo Egypt Ethiopia Gambia Ghana Israel Jordan Kenya Liberia Mali Mauritius Niger Nigeria Rwanda Sierra Leone South Africa Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe Australia Bangladesh China India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Nepal New Zealand / Aoteroa Pakistan Singapore South Korea Sri Lanka Thailand The Philippines
18
The Earth Charter youth network
Inspiring Young People to Take Action to Create a More Just, Peaceful and Sustainable World 18
19
The Earth Charter youth network
Is active in over 70 countries and at the global level, with diverse individual activists, Youth Groups and Partners 60 Earth Charter Youth Groups (ECYGs) in 35 countries use the Earth Charter in various action programs to promote Earth Charter principles 19
20
Earth Charter Youth/Student Groups (ECYGs)
ECYGs work in their local communities Youth groups include a great diversity of young women and men from various ethnic, religious, and socio-economic groups Some are existing groups that have decided to become ECYGs due to inspiration of the Earth Charter
21
What does an ECYG do? ECYG activities vary from region to region.
Many groups aim to: Raise awareness Take action Build local capacity Help their community Attend conferences
22
What can you do?
23
Be part of the Earth Charter Community!
Make the Earth Charter values part of your daily life Promote the Earth Charter vision Endorse the Charter Volunteer your time for Earth Charter International Join the Earth Charter Youth Initiative Use Earth Charter Tools Take action to realize Earth Charter values in your community, organization, and personal life
24
“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.” — Preamble The Earth Charter 2000
Similar presentations
