BeFriending Creation
Earth Charter declares that we are one Earth community
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 the Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life and to future generations."
These words begin the Earth Charter, described on its website as "a declaration of fundamental principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century." In The Great Turning, David Korten says, "Often referred to as a Declaration of Interdependence, the Earth Charter reflects a global consensus reached through a decade-long worldwide cross-cultural conversation about common goals and shared values that began in Rio de Janeiro in 1992."
I had the privilege of representing QEW at the meeting of the Earth Charter Community Alliance this past January. I learned that a primary way that the Earth Charter grows is through summits, with over 50 U.S. cities holding summits, in addition to those in Scotland, Africa and Belgium. Work has also gone on to encourage cities to endorse the Charter, with over 4,264 local governments endorsing the Charter. In the U.S. there have been resolutions recognizing the Charter in several major cities, including Seattle, Philadelphia and Santa Rosa and one county, Ventura. In addition, Santa Barbara, Calif., will use the Earth Charter as a framework for making food and energy production local and Corvallis, Oregon, is using the Earth Charter as a framework for sustainability planning. (Thanks to Jan Roberts, the founder and president of Earth Charter U.S. for providing this information.)
I met with the Earth Charter Community Alliance for two days of business and planning, and saw their deep belief in and passion for the Charter. I was impressed with their willingness to make conscious decisions based on the principles and values of the Earth Charter. By mid-day of the first day, the group felt so familiar to me that I had to be reminded that they were not all Quakers! They are certainly our natural allies in the work that we are doing and the vision we are seeking for the earth.
What can we do to support them?
- Go on-line and read about their work <www.earthcharter.org>.
- Carry copies of the Earth Charter with you and talk to people about it.
- Find out who the EC people are in your community. Go to their events and invite them to ours. Have a QEW booth at their summits.
- Share our work with them—we can learn a lot from one another.
Inuit heard at Circumpolar Conference
Around the world indigenous peoples are joining the international dialogue this world needs. When I hear something like the following I take a deep breath and smile with hope.
The Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC), consisting of Inuit peoples from the U.S., Canada, Russia and Greenland, is bringing a case against the U.S. to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (ICHR), a judicial arm of the Organization of American States, in an unprecedented attempt to link climate change to international human rights laws.
The Inuit delegation is led by Sheila Watt-Cloutier, international chair of the ICC until 2006, who has just been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Watt-Cloutier said: "For us in the Arctic our entire culture depends on the cold. The problem of climate change is what this is all about. ...we will be bringing in lawyers to talk about the link between climate change and human rights."
At first the ICHR rejected the ICC's case, but now has agreed to hear it, beginning March 1, 2007. The ICHR, can issue findings, recommendations and rulings. It can also refer cases to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Costa Rica, though the U.S. has always made clear it does not consider itself bound by the court's rulings.
—Mary Gilbert
Friends Meeting at Cambridge
This new pamphlet was included in the QEW annual appeal letter going out in November. It includes practical, professional guidance for those wanting more time and space for Earthcare and soul care. Extra copies may be ordered from the QEW office.
