The Earth Charter is a declaration of fundamental values and principles for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century. Created by the largest global consultation process ever associated with an international declaration, endorsed by thousands of organizations representing millions of individuals, the Earth Charter seeks to inspire in all peoples a sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well-being of the human family and the larger living world.^{[citation needed]} It is an expression of hope and a call to help create a global partnership at a critical juncture in history. The Earth Charter's inclusive ethical vision proposes that environmental protection, human rights, equitable human development, and peace are interdependent and indivisible. It provides a new framework for thinking about and addressing these issues.

History

The idea of a 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 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 (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. The initial drafting and consultation process drew on hundreds of international documents. Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ... The Brundtland Commission - formally the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), known by the name of its Chair Gro Harlem Brundtland, was convened by the United Nations in response to the 1983 General Assembly Resolution A/38/161 - Process of preparation of the Environmental Perspective to the Year 2000... Sustainable development is defined as balancing the fulfillment of human needs with the protection of the natural environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but in the indefinite future. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... The United Nations Secretary-General is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal divisions of the United Nations. ... Boutros Boutros-Ghali (Arabic: بطرس بطرس غالي Coptic: BOYTPOC BOYTPOC ΓΑΛΗ) (born November 14, 1922) is an Egyptian diplomat who was the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1992 to December 1996. ... Location of Rio de Janeiro Coordinates: , Country Brazil Region Southeast State Rio de Janeiro Government  - Mayor César Maia (Democrats) Area  - City 1,260 km²  (486. ... The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the Earth Summit (or, in Portuguese, Eco 92) was a major conference held in Rio de Janeiro from June 3 to June 14, 1992. ... The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, often shortened to Rio Declaration, was a short document produced at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), informally known as the Earth Summit. ... Maurice F. Strong, CC , OM (born April 29, 1929, in Oak Lake, Manitoba) is an industrialist and public servant who was the Secretary-General of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), better known as the Earth Summit. ... Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (Russian: ), surname more accurately romanized as Gorbachyov; (born 2 March 1931) is a Russian politician. ... Green Cross International is an environmentalist organization founded by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1993, building upon the work started by the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ...

Drafting of the Charter

The Earth Charter was created through the most open and participatory worldwide consultation process ever associated with the drafting of an international declaration.^{[citation needed]} Many thousands of people and hundreds of organizations contributed to the drafting process. The drafting of the text was overseen by the independent Earth Charter Commission, which was convened by Maurice Strong and Mikhail 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. Maurice F. Strong, CC , OM (born April 29, 1929, in Oak Lake, Manitoba) is an industrialist and public servant who was the Secretary-General of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), better known as the Earth Summit. ... Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (Russian: ), surname more accurately romanized as Gorbachyov; (born 2 March 1931) is a Russian politician. ...

The Earth Charter was completed in March 2000 and launched in a special ceremony at The Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, on 29 June 2000. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands attended the ceremony. The Charter has since then been formally endorsed by thousands of organizations representing millions of people, including the UNESCO Conference of Member States, the World Conservation Union of IUCN, national government ministries, national and international associations of universities, and hundreds of cities and towns in dozens of countries. It has also been endorsed by tens of thousands of individuals, and publicly supported by numerous heads of state. The Peace Palace (Vredespaleis in Dutch), situated in The Hague, Netherlands, is often called the seat of international law because it houses the International Court of Justice (which is the principal judicial body of the United Nations), the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Hague Academy of International Law, and the... Coordinates: , Country Netherlands Province South Holland Area (2006)  - Municipality 98. ... is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... Her Majesty, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard of Orange-Nassau (born January 31, 1938) is the Queen of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, having acceded to the throne in 1980. ... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ...

Preamble to the Earth Charter

General Principles

The Earth Charter urges environmental responsibility, peaceful coexistence, respect for life, democracy, and justice. It is organized into 16 general headings, each covering a general principle, as follows: J.L. Urban, statue of Lady Justice at court building in Olomouc, Czech Republic Justice concerns the proper ordering of things and persons within a society. ...

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.
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.
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.
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.

This article is about Earth as a planet. ... Look up diversity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Ecology is the branch of science that studies the distribution and abundance of living organisms, and the interactions between organisms and their environment. ... Biodiversity or biological diversity is a neologism and a portmanteau word, from bio and diversity. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... A boy from an East Cipinang trash dump slum in Jakarta, Indonesia shows what he found. ...

Reaction

The Earth Charter has been publicly endorsed, recognized, or supported by people and organizations across a wide range of the political spectrum, from conservative to liberal, as well as from all major religious traditions.^{[citation needed]} It has received support from business corporations, grassroots activists, universities, governments, and global non-governmental organizations.^{[citation needed]} Overall, reaction to the document can be characterized as overwhelmingly positive.

However, the Charter has also received opposition from some groups and governments. In the United States and a few other countries, members of the Religious Right have objected to the document on grounds that it is secular, espouses socialism, and contains no reference to the doctrines of Judeo-Christianity.^{[citation needed]} In addition, some conservatives cite an informal comment by Mikhail Gorbachev that the document is "a kind of Ten Commandments", 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. Some members of the American Religious Right infer from these incidents that the Charter is a proposed replacement for the Ten Commandments, and part of a conspiracy to establish a New World Government that replaces individual National Sovereignty. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Coptic Orthodox Pope · Roman Catholic Pope Archbishop of Canterbury · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The... George Jacob Holyoake (1817-1906), British writer who coined the term secularism. ... Socialism refers to a broad array of ideologies and movements which aim to improve society through collective and egalitarian action; and to a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Christianity percentage by country, purple is highest, orange is lowest Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch... This 1768 parchment (612x502 mm) by Jekuthiel Sofer emulated the 1675 Decalogue at Amsterdam Esnoga synagogue. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Johannesburgs skyline as seen from the observation deck of the Carlton Centre. ... This 1768 parchment (612x502 mm) by Jekuthiel Sofer emulated the 1675 Decalogue at Amsterdam Esnoga synagogue. ... “Sovereign” redirects here. ...

Earth Charter International, the organization responsible for promoting the Charter, notes in its literature that the Earth Charter is respectful and inclusive of all religious traditions. 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. The Charter is simply a statement of common ethical values. It recognises humanity's shared responsibility to the Earth and to each other.

Some Libertarians also express numerous critiques of the Charter, including a concern that the Charter's language calling for 'economic justice' is equivalent to espousing socialism. But the Charter's leadership has consistently stated that it does not adhere to any specific political ideology, and support for the Earth Charter has come from both traditionally "left" and "right"-leaning political leaders, in many countries. This article does not adequately cite its references. ... Socialism refers to a broad array of ideologies and movements which aim to improve society through collective and egalitarian action; and to a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community. ...

Earth Charter Initiative and Youth Initiative

The Earth Charter Initiative is the collective name for the global network of people, organizations, and institutions that participate in promoting the Earth Charter and in translating its principles into practice. The Initiative is a broad-based, voluntary effort bringing together leading international institutions, national government agencies, university associations, civil society organizations (NGOs), cities, faith groups, and many well known leaders in sustainable development, as well as many thousands of citizens. The text of the Charter is the responsibility of 24 Earth Charter Commissioners. In addition to Mikhail Gorbachev and Maurice Strong, they include Steven Rockefeller, Nobel Prizewinner Wangari Maathai, Jane Goodall, Ruud Lubbers, Oscar Motamura and other world famous figures from all five continents. The day-to-day running of the Initiative is in the hands of an International Council and there are offices in Costa Rica and Stockholm. 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. ... Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (Russian: ), surname more accurately romanized as Gorbachyov; (born 2 March 1931) is a Russian politician. ... Maurice F. Strong, CC , OM (born April 29, 1929, in Oak Lake, Manitoba) is an industrialist and public servant who was the Secretary-General of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), better known as the Earth Summit. ... Look up Nobel in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai born April 1, 1940 in Ihithe village, Tetu division, Nyeri District of Kenya is an environmental and political activist. ... Dame Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, UN Messenger of Peace, (born April 3, 1934) is an English primatologist, ethologist, and anthropologist. ... Rudolphus Franciscus Marie Lubbers or Ruud Lubbers (born May 7, 1939) was the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, from 2001 until February 20, 2005, when he resigned because of continuous press attention about an allegation of sexual harassment. ... Nickname: Location of Stockholm in northern Europe Coordinates: , Country Sweden Municipality Stockholm Municipality County Stockholm Province Södermanland and Uppland Charter 13th century Government  - Mayor Kristina Axén Olin (m) Population (March 2007)  - City 786,509  - Density 4,160/km² (10,774. ...

The Earth Charter Youth Initiative (ECYI) (http://www.earthcharterinaction.org/youth/) is a network of young activists, youth NGOs, and partners who share a common interest in sustainable development and the Earth Charter.

See also

• Earth Charter Initiative
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• University for Peace
• Earth Day
• World Ocean Day
• World Water Day
• Arbor Day

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. ... Eleanor Roosevelt with the Spanish version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ... Headquartered in Costa Rica, the United Nations-mandated University for Peace (UPEACE) was established in December 1980 as a Treaty Organization by the UN General Assembly. ... Earth Day Flag. ... World Ocean Day began on 8 June 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ... World Water Day or the World Day for Water occurs each year on March 22, as designated by United Nations General Assembly resolution. ... Arbor Day is a holiday in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant and care for trees. ...

External links

• The Earth Charter
• Official Earth Charter Site
• The Earth Charter in Action
• Official Earth Charter Youth Initiative Site
• Earth Charter in Action Blog and Book Site
• The Earth Charter (Rome 1993)
• University for Peace
• YES! Earth Charter Curricular Module