Earth Charter Initiative
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Earth Charter Initiative | |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Headquarters | Stockholm, Sweden & San Jose, Costa Rica |
| Website | www.earthcharter.org |
The Earth Charter Initiative is the collective name for the extraordinarily diverse, global network of people, organizations, and institutions who participate in promoting the Earth Charter, and in implementing its principles in practice. The Initiative is a broad-based, voluntary, civil society effort, but participants include leading international institutions, national government agencies, university associations, NGOs, cities, faith groups, and many well-known leaders in sustainable development.
Contents |
[edit] Mission and Goals
The mission of the Earth Charter Initiative is, "To establish a sound ethical foundation for the emerging global society and to help build a sustainable world based on respect for nature, diversity, universal human rights, economic justice and a culture of peace."
The long-term objective of the Earth Charter Initiative is the universal adoption and implementation of the Earth Charter as a statement of common values and principles for a sustainable future. The programmatic activity is organized around the achievement of four inter-related goals:
1. Expanded awareness of the Earth Charter - so that more and more people become aware of it.
2. Engaged endorsement of the Charter - so that endorsement translates into action for a sustainable world.
3. Education for a sustainable way of life - in formal as well as non-formal education settings.
4. Ethics-based assessment and governance - the use of the Charter in decision making and evaluation.
[edit] Organization
A formal network of affiliates, partners, and National Committees helps to promote the Earth Charter around the world. Many of these representatives are based in prominent national-level organizations and institutions.
The Initiative is served and coordinated by a very small staff, working in Centers located in Stockholm, Sweden, and in San José, Costa Rica. These Centers are both regional and topical: the Center in Stockholm manages overall strategy and communications. The Center in Costa Rica focuses on the Initiative's extensive work in the field of Education for Sustainable Development, in partnership with the United Nations Mandated University for Peace. Other centers are envisioned for other regions of the world.
[edit] Earth Charter Youth Initiative
The Earth Charter Youth Initiative (ECYI) is a network of youth NGOs and young activists who share a common interest in sustainable development and the Earth Charter. Severn Cullis-Suzuki from Vancouver, Canada was nominated as youth representative in the Earth Charter Commission, which oversaw the drafting process. At the age of 17, Severn participated in the Rio + 5 Summit and made sure that concerns of young people were taken seriously in the process of drafting the Earth Charter. She contributed to the inclusion of principle 12c in the final version of the Earth Charter which stresses the need to: “Honor and support the young people of our communities, enabling them to fulfill their essential role in creating sustainable societies.” The launch of the Earth Charter Youth Initiative was inspired by this ethical principle. Today there are two youth representatives on the Earth Charter International Council, and the ECYI has a presence in over 45 countries.
