Section 3

delay reproduction until later in life
Delaying reproduction is important in influencing population growth rates. Over a period of 60 years, if people delay reproduction until they are 30 years old, you would have only two generations, while if you do not delay reproduction you would have three generations (one generation every 20 years).

spread your children farther apart

to have fewer children overall

government commitment to decreasing population growth
Create policies that help decreasing the number of children being born. Policies such as income tax deductions for dependent children and maternity and paternity leaves are essentially pronatalist and should be eliminated.

programs that are locally designed and that include information on family planning and access to contraceptives

educational programs that emphasize the connection between family planning and social good

The vast disparities in reproductive health worldwide and the greater vulnerability of the poor to reproductive risk point to several steps all governments can take, with the support of other sectors, to improve the health of women and their families:

• Give women more life choices. The low social and economic status of women and girls sets the stage for poor reproductive health
  
• Invest in reproductive health care
  
• Encourage delays in the onset of sexual activity and first births
  
• Help couples prevent and manage unwanted childbearing
  
• Ensure universal access to maternal health care
  
• Support new reproductive health technologies
  
• Increase efforts to address the HIV pandemic
  
• Involve communities in evaluating and implementing programs
  
• Develop partnerships with the private sector, policymakers and aid donors to broaden support for reproductive health


• Measure Progress

More and more young people on every continent want to start bearing children later in life and to have smaller families than at any time in history. Likewise, in greater proportions than ever, women and girls in particular want to go to school and to college, and they want to find fulfilling and well-paid employment. Helping people in every country obtain the information and services they need to put these ambitions into effect is all that can be done, and all that needs to be done, to bring world population growth to a stable landing in the new century.

Section 4

(a)     the right of every person to be heard, before any individual measure which would affect him or her adversely is taken;
(b)     the right of every person to have access to his or her file, while respecting the legitimate interests of confidentiality and of professional and business secrecy;
(c)     the obligation of the administration to give reasons for its decisions.

1.     Everyone who has been charged shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law.
2.     Respect for the rights of the defence of anyone who has been charged shall be guaranteed.

1.     No one shall be held guilty of any criminal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a criminal offence under national law or international law at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than that which was applicable at the time the criminal offence was committed. If, subsequent to the Global Judiciary of a criminal offence, the law provides for a lighter penalty, that penalty shall be applicable.
2.     This statement shall not prejudice the trial and punishment of any person for any act or omission which, at the time when it was committed, was criminal according to the general principles recognised by the community of nations.
3.     The severity of penalties must not be disproportionate to the criminal offence.

a)     Prohibition against the death penalty.
b)     Freedom for change of residence to anywhere on Earth conditioned by provisions for temporary sanctuaries in events of large numbers of refugees, stateless persons, or mass migrations.
c)     Full access to information and to the accumulated knowledge of the human race.
d)     Free and adequate public education available to everyone, extending to the pre-university level; Equal opportunities for elementary and higher education for all persons; equal opportunity for continued education for all persons throughout life; the right of any person or parent to choose a private educational institution at any time.
e)     Free and adequate public health services and medical care available to everyone throughout life under conditions of free choice.
f)     Equal opportunity for useful employment for everyone, with wages or remuneration sufficient to assure human dignity.
g)     Freedom for investigation, research and reporting.
h)     Freedom to travel without passport or visas or other forms of registration used to limit travel between, among or within nations.
i)     Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
j)     Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
k)     The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
l)     Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
m)     The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
n)     Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
o)     In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.

*     Global Citizens are willing and able to participate fully in the decision making process on issues that most affect them.
*     Global Citizens should have full access to information on global affairs, and the conduct of global business should be open and transparent, with a well-developed global-wide communication system.
*     Global Parliament should always recognize that it is accountable to Global Citizens.
*     Direct democracy will encourage global citizen input into global policy, and enable Global Citizens to participate more actively in global affairs.
*     Direct democracy will raise the level of public awareness and encourage debate of key global issues.
*     Global Parliament can exercise the leadership necessary to become a model of effective “direct democracy” for all global communities.
*     A direct democracy global law gives Global Citizens and Global Parliament an effective and orderly way of addressing contentious issues.
*     A direct democracy global law strengthens the hand of Global Parliament by providing additional credibility in dealing with senior governments and non-elected bodies.
*     A direct democracy bylaw shows that Global Parliament has faith in its Global Citizens. Thus, Global Parliament in turn earns increased respect from Global Citizens.
*     Direct democracy does not mean government by referendum. Almost all Global Parliament decisions would continue to be made as they are now with the usual consultative processes. Few issues would be important and contentious enough to prompt referenda.

*     Initiative
*     Referendum including binding referenda
*     Recall

*     the preservation of ethnicity;
*     equitable treatment, including gender equity;
*     security;
*     protection against corruption and the military;
*     earn a fair living, have shelter and provide for their own welfare and that of their family;
*     peace and stability;
*     universal value systems;
*     participation in governance at all levels;
*     access the Earth Court of Justice for redress of gross injustices; and
*     equal access to information

Section 5

    A democratically planned global economy is needed to eradicate poverty in the world:

   A) Eradicate poverty as an ethical, social, and environmental imperative

a.     Guarantee the right to potable water, clean air, food security, uncontaminated soil, shelter, and safe sanitation, allocating the national and international resources required.
b.     Empower every human being with the education and resources to secure a sustainable livelihood, and provide social security and safety nets for those who are unable to support themselves.
c.     Recognize the ignored, protect the vulnerable, serve those who suffer, and enable them to develop their capacities and to pursue their aspirations.

B)     Ensure that economic activities and institutions at all levels promote human development in an equitable and sustainable manner

a.     Promote the equitable distribution of wealth within nations and among nations.
b.     Enhance the intellectual, financial, technical, and social resources of developing nations, and relieve them of onerous international debt.
c.     Ensure that all trade supports sustainable resource use, environmental protection, and progressive labor standards.
d.     Require multinational corporations and international financial organizations to act transparently in the public good, and hold them accountable for the consequences of their activities.

C)     Affirm gender equality and equity as prerequisites to sustainable development and ensure universal access to education, health care, and economic opportunity

a.     Secure the human rights of women and girls and end all violence against them.
b.     Promote the active participation of women in all aspects of economic, political, civil, social, and cultural life as full and equal partners, decision makers, leaders, and beneficiaries.
c.     Strengthen families and ensure the safety and loving nurture of all family members.

D)     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

a.     Eliminate discrimination in all its forms, such as that based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, language, and national, ethnic or social origin.
b.     Affirm the right of indigenous peoples to their spirituality, knowledge, lands and resources and to their related practice of sustainable livelihoods.
c.     Honor and support the young people of our communities, enabling them to fulfill their essential role in creating sustainable societies.
d.     Protect and restore outstanding places of cultural and spiritual significance.

Global Community proposes to corporations that they take responsibility on behalf of society and people, and that they should pay more attention to human and Earth rights, working conditions and getting ride of corruption in the world of business and trade. Global Community has developed a criteria, the Certified Corporate Global Community Citizenship, for businesses and ask everyone to turn it into practice. Governments should encourage enterprises to use the criteria both by legal and moral means. At first, the criteria should be adopted in key areas such as procurement, facilities management, investment management, and human resources. Corporations want to be seen as good corporate leaders and have a stronger form of accountability. Business and trade will prosper after stronger common bonds and values have been established. Adopting the criteria will have a beneficial impact on future returns, and share price performance. Complying with the Criteria will help businesses to be part of the solution to the challenges of globalisation. In this way, the private sector in partnership with the civil society can help realize a vision: allowing a global equitable and peaceful development and a more stable and inclusive global economy.

There is a need to have a sense of direction or proper guidance for projects and programs. On reviewing a development projects, the Global Community investigate the development proposal. Some of the questions to be asked include:

Is the project one which affects, or is affected by the natural environments?
Is the projects one which has the potential to affect land, water, air?
Does the project affect commerce, employment, industry, lifestyles, etc.?
Is the project one which affects existing public facilities, public services, utilities, institutions?
Is the project one which affects the local tax base, property values, minority group, special interest groups, traffic?
Is the project one which affects the community character and stability?
Is there an anticipated organized opposition to the proposal?
Does the project significantly affect historic and conservation lands?
Will the project have impacts which have the potential to degrade the quality of the environment?
Will the environmental effects of the project cause substantial adverse effects on human beings?
Are the development and the existing habitats compatible? If "YES", what conservation methods will be necessary to protect the habitats?
if the developer described conservation methods that will be used to protect sensitive habitats, are they likely to be successful?
Are the claims of the developer with respect to these conservation methods realistic?
If the development and habitats are not compatible, what communities will be at risk from:

1. physical destruction;
2. changes in groundwater level;
3. change in quality of standing or flowing water, Oxygen content, salinity, turbidity, flow rate and temperature;
4. chemical pollution change in sitting;
5. air pollution; dust depositing;
6. changes in nutrient status of habitats;

In each of the above cases, what is the local, regional and national status of any habitats at risk?
What dependent communities will be at risk?

The Global Community Assessment Centre (GCAC) guides businesses on how to better integrate the Criteria issues in business. In the context of a healthy world sustainable development, companies shall perform better and increase shareholder value by properly managing risks, anticipating regulatory action or accessing new markets. Tangible results of adopting the Criteria include a better company reflected in its reputation and quality of brands.

Complying with the Criteria is a tremendous asset to business owners, self-regulatory organizations, investors, brokers, regulators, stock exchanges, accountants, analysts, financial advisers, asset managers, and consultants. It will contribute to strengthen investment markets.


    To make a business even better
As a business you may:

a)     be a corporate Knight
b)     be a socially responsible investor
c)     have taken the challenge of a more integrated approach to corporate responsibility by placing environmental and community-based objectives and measures onto the decision-making table alongside with the strategic business planning and operational factors that impact your bottom-line results
d)    provide not only competitive return to your shareholders but you also operate your business in light of environmental and social contributions, and you have understood the interdependence between financial performance, environmental performance and commitment to the community
e)     have taken a full life-cycle approach to integrate and balance environmental and economic decisions for major projects
f)     have an active Environmental, Health and Safety Committee and integrated codes of conduct, policies, standards and operating procedures to reflect your corporate responsibility management
g)     have scored high on categories such as:

*     environmental performance
*     product safety
*     business practices
*     help small business in the least developed countries
*     commitment to the community
*     abolition of child labour
*     eliminate discrimination in respect of employment and occupation
*     employee relations and diversity
*     effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining
*     corporate governance
*     share performance
*     global corporate responsibility
*     against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery
*     health, safety and security
*     provided help to combat diseases such as AIDS
*     uphold the freedom of association
*     audits and inspections
*     emergency preparedness
*     corporate global ethical values
*     ensured decent working conditions
*     implemented no-bribe policies
*     standards of honesty, integrity and ethical behaviour
*     elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour
*     in line with the Scale of Global Rights and the Global Constitution

h)     support a balance and responsible approach that promotes action on the issue of climate change as well as all other issues related to the global life-support systems:

*     global warming
*     Ozone layer
*     wastes of all kind including nuclear and release of radiation
*     climate change
*     species of the fauna and flora becoming extinct
*     losses of forest cover and of biological diversity
*     the capacity for photosynthesis
*     the water cycle
*     food production systems
*     genetic resources
*     chemicals produced for human use and not found in nature and, eventually, reaching the environment with impacts on Earth's waters, soils, air, and ecology

Now is time to reach a higher level of protection to life on Earth. We all need this for the survival of our species. Global Community can help you integrate and balance global life-support systems protection, global community participation, and economic decisions into your operations and products.

Global Community wants to help you be an active corporate member of the Global Community, the human family, the Earth Community.

Apply to us to be a global corporate citizen of the Global Community. Apply to obtain the Certified Corporate Global Community Citizenship

A Certified Corporate Global Community Citizenship is a unique way to show the world that your ways of doing business are best for the Global Community.

You can obtain the citizenship after accepting the Criteria of the Global Community Citizenship and following an assessment of your business. The process shown here is now standardized to all applicants. Global Community then asked to operate your business as per the values of the citizenship.
    Scientists, tehnologists, technicians, engineers and all professionals to find sound solutions to human needs
The Global Community has come to realize that peoples live in a world of increasing interdependence and our faith is intrinsically related to the preservation of the global life-support systems for the survival of humanity and all forms of life. Global Community is calling upon scientists, tehnologists, technicians, engineers and all professionals to:

a) create positive actions in their own fields to use the knowledge of science in a responsible manner, and
b) find sound solutions to human needs and to fulfill aspirations without misusing human knowledge.

    Science has a responsibility for the well-being of humanity.
Science gives a person a set of rules, a way of thinking, a philosophy to look at the physical universe, to observe and analyze it, and to discover its making, its functioning, and its structure. The scientific method is very reassuring to oneself. It gives us the basic reasoning we need in order to make informed and sound policy and management decisions.

Science has a responsibility for the well-being of humanity. Science is found everywhere in our societies. Because of science, new technologies and techniques were developed and used in the market place. The products of science take important places in all aspects of our lives and actually save lives every second. They make our lives manageable in a million difeerent ways. Science has also played a destructive role in our history and is continuing to do so today. Science, technology and engineering are directly or indirectly responsible for threats to our environment, for wasteful uses of the Earth's resources and for wars and conflicts in the world.
    Science, technology and engineering are major forces of socio-economic change.
Science, technology and engineering are major forces of socio-economic change. They cause humanity and its social and natural environment to evolve rapidly and, therefore, they carry serious responsibility and accountability. They are no longer regarded as benefactors of humanity. Ethical integrity has declined. In several parts of the world people have become suspicious and are questioning abuses of various kinds. Many scientists and other professionals have shown little regard to ethical problems arising from their work and must become responsible and accountable just like everyone else. There are no exception. We are all asked in helping humanity and all life on Earth from complete extinction. It is a common goal.
    Public funding should be directed towards very specific research projects related to the life-support system of the planet
Researchers and other professionals receive public funding for finding solutions to problems in society. Public funding should be directed towards very specific research projects related to the life-support system of the planet and to a more sustainable biosphere.
    Science, technology and engineering to state ethical responsibilties and become a voice to present and future generations
Science, technology and engineering must regain public trust, state ethical responsibilties and become a voice to present and future generations. Continuous discussions are needed on the ethical issues related to science, technology and engineering, their practices and ideologies.

The public should be informed about research projects and their wider implications. All parties involved should collaborate with the public. Strong legal and moral safeguards must be implemented to discourage unethical practice and the wrongly use of science, technology and engineering for the development and manufacturing of mass destruction weapons, and for experiments which do not respect the dignity of human persons and animals.

    Prohibiting all acts, research projects, technology development, which do not conform to the ideas of humanity.
Just as for human rights, the respect of the dignity of the human person is at the root of the ethics of science, technology and engineering. The Scale of Global Rights is aimed at prohibiting all acts, research projects, technology development, which do not conform to the ideas of humanity.

There are many aspects of science, technology and engineering that must be discussed with respect to the Scale of Global Rights. For instances: cloning of human beings, and prohibiting the making of the human body and its products as a source of financial gain.

    A set of rules to balance consumption, consumer rights and responsibilities
Globalization is a process interaction which involves growing economic interdependence of countries worldwide with implications and impacts on social, cultural, political, environmental and familial aspects and rights. With the globalization of the economy comes now the task for defining the obligations that go with the rights. This phenomenon is also present in the arena of international finance. In this area, however, the presumed virtues of globalization are far from being materialised. Until now, no orderly or stable financial system has been implemented. Furthermore, the current financial system does not succeed in channelling sufficient funds to finance crucial world problems such as adequate social development in poor countries. We have assigned ourselves the task of defining a set of rules to balance consumption, consumer rights and responsibilities :

a)     Socially responsible and sustainable to future generations
b)     In line with the universal values defined in this Constitution

    Democracy is not to be enforced by anyone and to anyone or to any global community
The political system of an individual country does not have to be a democracy. Political rights of a country belong to that country alone. Democracy is not to be enforced by anyone and to anyone or to any global community. Every Member Nation of Global Community can and should choose the political system of their choice with the understanding of the importance of such a right on the Scale of Human and Earth Rights. On the other hand, representatives to Global Community must be elected democratically in every part of the world. An individual country may have any political system at home but the government of that country will have to ensure (and allow verification by Global Community ) that representatives to Global Community have been elected democratically. This way, every person in the world can claim the birth right of electing a democratic government to manage Earth: the rights to vote and elect representatives to form Global Community .
    The role of families has impacts on sustainable consumption and development
Global consumption is a very important aspect of a community's needs. Consumers should be concerned with the impact of their decisions on the environment but also on the lives, human and Earth rights and well-being of other people. Since one of the key functions of families as a social institution is to engage in production (selling their labour in return for wages) and consumption (using those wages to buy goods and services), then the role of families has impacts on sustainable consumption and development. This certainly limits the rights of a family and of a community.
    Universal quality of life values which lead to 'human betterment' or the improvement of the human condition
Just as corporations have social responsibilities and so do consumers in societies. Consumers are socialized to improve the quality of their lives. Quality of life is a multi-dimensional, complex and very subjective concept. For instance, someone who has changed their consumption habits to better ensure that their choices will make a better quality of life for themselves, the environment and future generations, may be seen by others as having a lower or inferior quality of life since they have removed themselves from the materialistic mainstream characteristic of our consumer society. Someone may feel that an absence of violence and abuse in their life leads to a higher quality of living even though they have fewer tangible resources, money, or shelter; peace of mind and freedom from abuse has increased the quality of their daily life relative to what it was like before. There are universal quality of life values which lead to 'human betterment' or the improvement of the human condition. In addition to the value of species survival (human and other living organisms), they include: adequate resources, justice and equality, freedom, and peace or balance of power. A better quality of life for all people of the Global Community is a goal for all of us.
    Trade laws to facilitate cross border transactions
Consumers' rights impinge on the rights of other humans living in the Global Community. The right to choice is the consumer right that refers to the right to have a range and variety of goods and services at competitive, fair prices and variable, satisfactory quality. In order to assure choice in the developed country markets, governments have implemented trade laws to facilitate cross border transactions and transnational corporations (TNCs) have set up business off shore so they can lessen the cost of the production process. The goods that are available in the developed country markets are provided by slave labour, child labour, sweatshops or in countries that allow the TNCs to forego adhering to pollution or ecological concerns and human rights in pursuit of profit. Labour rights are abused in efforts to earn more profits. This leads to abhorrent working conditions, job insecurity and low living standards (all human rights). Consumers in developed countries have been socialized to want more and more things to consume but have not been socialized to appreciate the impact of their consumption choices on the human rights of other people; that is, they are not being responsible for their decisions.
    Social justice is a universal value
As universal values, equality, justice and freedoms are concerned with our ability to decide, to choose values and to participate in the making of laws, and they are dependent on the recognition of other people. These values forbid any form of discrimination on the grounds of race, nationality, sex, religion, age or mother tongue. By accepting both values of freedom and equality we can achieve justice. One can be answerable for one's actions in a 'just' way only if judgements are given in the framework of democratically established laws and courts. Social justice is another universal value to which Global Community aspires and accepts as a universal value. Social justice consists in sharing wealth with a view to greater equality and the equal recognition of each individual's merits. All persons within a given society deserve equal access to goods and services that fulfill basic human needs.

    Social rights (civil and political rights)

    Social justice
The debt of developing countries was really a global tax developed countries had to pay to developing countries The Earth Court of Justice is required to rule that the debt of the poor nations or 'developing nations' to the rich nations was in actuality a form of global tax and therefore the poor or 'developing' nations dont have to pay it back. In fact poor nations should expect way more money as tax by the rich nations and not as loans. The state of the world today is the result of a specific set of interlocking institutions: the IMF, the World Bank and the WTO. These institutions are designed to generate massive wealth for the few and poverty for the rest. The same people who make the decisions in government and corporation make the profit. They create a tight concentration of power. Together they are a form of anti-government whose only goal is profit. The IMF, through Structural Adjustment Programs, now directly runs the economies of over 70 countries. That means that about 1000 economists and bureaucrats control the economic policies for 1.4 billion people in these countries. That is a form of anti-government. The people that profit most from the global economy are white people. The people who are most oppressed by the global economy are people of colour. Racism and sexism have become the norm. The entire planet is in a state of low intensity civil war.The ruling elite profit off of the exploitation of the rest of the world. Global Community was looking for a method of raising global taxes, of redistributing incomes to the poorest communities, of providing debt-free technical assistance to non-industrial and developing countries to help them out of poverty and to meet environmental and social standards, but there it was all along right on our eyes. The Earth Court of Justice will be asked to decide on the debt be changed into an actual tax to be paid by the rich nations to the poor nations, and to decide on the amount of tax to be paid. Developing nations will then be able to start rebuilding their communities as per the Scale of Global Rights and the Global Constitution. They will not have to satisfy the economic needs and wishes of the rich nations. The Earth Court of Justice will also be asked to rule illegal the activities of the IMF, the World Bank and the WTO unless they become a part of a greater whole such as the Earth Ministry of Financial Institutions, a part of Global Community . These institutions will be controlled by the greater whole.

    Socially responsible use of science and technology
Global Community shall explore ways of encouraging a more socially responsible use of science and technology in a number of fields, including information technology, biotechnology and genetic engineering. It also explores corporate responsibility, often generated in relation to social and environmental issues.
    Civil and social rights and freedoms

a)     Assure to each child the right to the full realization of his or her potential.
b)     Social Security for everyone to relieve the hazards of unemployment, sickness, old age, family circumstances, disability, catastrophies of nature, and technological change, and to allow retirement with sufficient lifetime income for living under condi tions of human dignity during older age.
c)     Equal opportunity for leisure time for everyone; better distribution of the work load of society so that every person may have equitable leisure time opportunities.
d)     Equal opportunity for everyone to enjoy the benefits of scientific and technological discoveries and developments.
e)     Freedom of choice in work, occupation, employment or profession.
f)     Right of privacy of person, family and association; prohibition against surveillance as a means of political control.
g)     Right to family planning and free public assistance to achieve family planning objectives.
h)     Right of habeous corpus; no ex-post-facto laws; no double jeopardy; right to refuse self-incrimination or the incrimination of another.
i)     Freedom of assembly, association, organization, petition and peaceful demonstration.
j)     Freedom to vote without duress, and freedom for political organization and campaigning without censorship or recrimination.
k)     Freedom to profess and promote political beliefs or no political beliefs.

    Democratic rights, and equality rights
a)     Everyone has the right to a nationality;
b)     Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others;
c)     No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property;
d)     Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association;
e)     No one may be compelled to belong to an association;
f)     Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives;
g)     Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country;
h)     Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality;
i)     Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment;
j)     Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work;
k)     Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and  supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection;
l)     Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests;
m)     Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay; and n)     Everyone is entitled to a social and international order.

Section 6

    Section  6.    Cultural and religious rights

    Cultural and religious differences can promote human and Earth rights.

Traditional customs and standards could burden the sustainability of all life on Earth. They could burden Earth society or any society forever, and holds individuals in a straitjacket. We cannot accept that. No one can! There are choices to be made and you must make them. Cultures can develop and can go on developing. Even religious beliefs may evolve. We are living now and we are able to create these changes. Cultural and religious differences cannot be a reason or an excuse or a pretext for not respecting human and Earth rights including and most importantly the ecological rights. Quite the contrary, all kinds of cultures may promote human and Earth rights. They are different in their achievements, but they are equal in dignity where they are expressions of freedom. At any time or in any given place, men, women and children use their culture to invent new ways of making human and Earth rights a living reality. Diversity enriches us if it respects the dignity of each individual, and if it takes account of human and Earth rights as a whole.

A sustainable world can be built with the help of a very powerful entity: the human spirit. Community participation generates the energy needed to sustain the planet and all life. Religious and environmental communities have formed a powerful alliance for sustainability.

Intrinsic human cooperation at the core of creative cultural evolution promises to give rise to a new epoch for humanity defined by societal sustainability and lasting world peace. The biological basis for human cooperation and symbiotical relationships both validate and underlie evolutionary panaltruism in and beyond the twenty-first century. Twenty-first century education centered on human empathy and compassion and a terror-free global community by the year 2010 garners important impetus from The Golden Rule principle.

The Golden Rule principle, also called the Ethic of Reciprocity by theologians, says: "Dont do to others what you wouldn't want done to you." Or treat others the way you would want to be treated. The Golden Rule has a moral aspect found in each religion or faith. It could be used as a global ethic. There are analogues for the golden rule in 13 faiths. These 13 analogue statements are passages found in the scriptures or writings that promote this ethos. Every faith is unanimous of saying that every individual should be treated with the same respect and dignity we all seek for ourselves. As a first step in bringing together religious leaders all around the world, the Global Community is presenting here 13 statements that unify us all in one Golden Rule.

A new symbiotical relationship between religion and the protection of the global life-support systems has begun to take place all over the world. Religious rituals now support the conservation efforts and play a central role in governing sustainable use of the natural environment.

Major faiths are issuing declarations, advocating for new national policies, and creating educational activities in support of a sustainable global community. The Global Community is establishing a symbiotical relationship between spirituality and science, between our heart and mind, and God, between religion and the environment.

The human family is finding its role in the universe, a higher purpose and a meaning. We now can celebrate life.

A sustainable world can be built with the help of a very powerful entity: the human spirit. Community participation generates the energy needed to sustain the planet and all life. Religious and environmental communities have formed a powerful alliance for sustainability. Our next objective will be to find statements from all religions that promote the respect, stewardship, protection, ethical and moral responsibility to life and of the environment, the Earth global life-support systems, and statements that promote a responsible Earth management. We are also asking for specific statements on environmental conservation such as those expressed by the Islamic religion.

Societal sustainability in addressing international terrorism and the creation of a democratically planned global economy marshals previously untapped human cooperation, energy, and resources. Investigating, understanding, and eradicating the root causes of international terrorism entails objective analyses of all social dichotomies ranging in realm from religious dogmas, to political ideologies, to economic systems.

Native Spirituality
We are as much alive as we keep the Earth alive.
Chief Dan George

Sikhism
I am a stranger to no one; and no one is a stranger to me. Indeed, I am a friend to all.
Guru Granth Sahib, pg. 1299

Christianity
In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.
Jesus, Matthews 7:12

BaHa'I Faith
Lay not on any soul a load that you would not wish to be laid upon you, and desire not for anyone the things you would not desire for yourself.
Baha'ullah, Gleanings

Judaism
What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour. This is the whole Torah; all the rest is commentary.
Hillel, Talmud, Shabbat 31a

Buddhism
Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.
Udana-Varga 5.18

Islam
Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself.
The Prophet Muhammad, Hadith

Taoism
Regard your neighbour's gain as your own gain, and your neighbour's loss as your own loss.
T'ai Shang Kan Ying P'ien, 213-218

Hinduism
This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you.
Mahabharata 5:1517

Confucianism
One word which sums up the basis of all good conduct...loving kindness. Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.
Confucius, Analeets, 15.23

Jainism
One should treat all creatures in the world as one would like to be treated.
Mahavira,Sutrakritanga

Unitarianism
We affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
Unitarian principle

Zoroastrianism
Do not do unto others whatever is injurious to yourself.
Shayast-na-Shayast, 13.29

    Encouragement for cultural diversity
    Freedom for peaceful self-determination for minorities, refugees and dissenters
    Freedom to profess, practice and promote religious or religious beliefs or no religion or religious belief
    Fundamental freedoms, and language rights

(1)    Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
(2)    Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
(3)    Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

    Right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community
Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
    Freedom of thought and conscience
Freedom of thought and conscience, speech, press, writing, communication, expression, publication, broadcasting, telecasting, and cinema, except as an overt part of or incitement to violence, armed riot or insurrection.
    A crime against the natural world is a sin
To commit a crime against the natural world is a sin. It is a sin for humans to:

a)     cause species to become extinct and to destroy the biological diversity of God's creation
b)     degrade the integrity of Earth by causing changes in its climate, by stripping the Earth of its natural forests, or destroying its wetlands
c)     injure other humans with disease
d)     contaminate the Earth's waters, its land, its air, and its life, with poisonous substances

We have become un-Creators. Earth is in jeopardy at our hands.
    The special responsibility that falls to all Global Community citizens
The imperative first step is to repent of our sins, in the presence of God and one another. This repentance of our social and ecological sins will acknowledge the special responsibility that falls to those of us who are citizens of the world.
    God's sacred Earth is the moral assignment of our time
Global Community firmly believes that addressing the degradation of God's sacred Earth is the moral assignment of our time comparable to the Civil Rights struggles of the 1960s, the worldwide movement to achieve equality for women, or ongoing efforts to control weapons of mass destruction in a post-Hiroshima world.
    Ecological Affirmations of Faith

a)     We stand with awe and gratitude as members of God's bountiful and good creation. We rejoice in the splendor and mystery of countless species, our common creaturehood, and the interdependence of all that God makes. We believe that the Earth is home for all and that it has been created intrinsically good.
b)     We lament that the human species is shattering the splendid gifts of this web of life, ignoring our responsibility for the well being of all life, while destroying species and their habitats at a rate never before known in human history.
c)     We believe that the Holy Spirit, who animates all of creation, breathes in us and can empower us to participate in working toward the flourishing of Earth's community of life. We believe that the people of God are called to forge ways of being human that enable socially just and ecologically sustainable communities to flourish for generations to come.
d)     We lament that we have rejected this vocation, and have distorted our God-given abilities and knowledge in order to ransack and often destroy ecosystems and human communities rather than to protect, strengthen, and nourish them.
e)     We believe that, in boundless love that hungers for justice, God acts to restore and redeem all creation (including human beings). God incarnate affirms all creation, which becomes a sacred window to eternity. In the cross and resurrection we know that God is drawn into life's most brutal and broken places and there brings forth healing and liberating power. That saving action restores right relationships among all members of the whole creation.
f)     We confess that instead of living and proclaiming this salvation through our very lives and worship, we have abused and exploited the Earth and people on the margins of power and privilege, altering climates, extinguishing species, and jeopardizing Earth's capacity to sustain life as we know and love it.
g)     We believe that the created world is sacred-a revelation of God's power and gracious presence filling all things. This sacred quality of creation demands moderation and sharing, urgent antidotes for our excess in consumption and waste, reminding us that economic justice is an essential condition of ecological integrity.
h)     We cling to God's trustworthy promise to restore, renew, and fulfill all that God creates. We long for and work toward the day when churches, will respond to the groaning of creation and to God's passionate desire to renew the face of the Earth.
i)     We look forward to the day when the lamentations and groans of creation will be over, justice with peace will reign, humankind will nurture not betray the Earth, and all of creation will sing for joy.

    Eco-justice
The Global Community is compelled to seek eco-justice, the integration of social justice and ecological integrity.

a)     The quest for eco-justice also implies the development of a set of human environmental rights, since one of the essential conditions of human well being is ecological integrity. These moral entitlements include protection of soils, air, and water from diverse pollutants; the preservation of biodiversity; and governmental actions ensuring the fair and frugal use of creation's riches.
b)     Sustainability -- living within the bounds of planetary capacities indefinitely, in fairness to both present and future generations of life. God's covenant is with humanity and all other living creatures for all future generations. The concern for sustainability forces us to be responsible for the truly long-term impacts of our lifestyles and policies.
c)     Bioresponsibility-- extending the covenant of justice to include all other life forms as beloved creatures of God and as expressions of God's presence, wisdom, power, and glory. We do not determine nor declare creation's value, and other creatures should not be treated merely as instruments for our needs and wants. Other species have their own integrity. They deserve a fair share of Earth's bounty- a share that allows a biodiversity of life to thrive along with human communities.
d)     Humility--recognizing, as an antidote to arrogance, the limits of human knowledge, technological ingenuity, and moral character. We are not the masters of creation. Knowing human capacities for error and evil, humility keeps our own species in check for the good of the whole of Earth as God's creation.
e)     Generosity--sharing Earth's riches to promote and defend the common good in recognition of God's purposes for the whole creation and God's gift of abundant life. Humans are not collections of isolated individuals, but rather communities of socially and ecologically interdependent beings. A measure of a good society is not whether it privileges those who already have much, but rather whether it privileges the most vulnerable members of creation. Essentially, these tasks require good government at all levels, from local to regional to national to Global Community .
f)     Frugality -- restraining economic production and consumption for the sake of eco-justice. Living lives filled with God's Spirit liberates us from the illusion of finding wholeness in the accumulation of material things and brings us to the reality of God's just purposes. Frugality connotes moderation, sufficiency, and temperance. Many call it simplicity. It demands the careful conservation of Earth's riches, comprehensive recycling, minimal harm to other species, material efficiency and the elimination of waste, and product durability. Frugality is the corrective to a cardinal vice of the age: prodigality - excessively taking from and wasting God's creation. On a finite planet, frugality is an expression of love and an instrument for justice and sustainability: it enables all life to thrive together by sparing and sharing global goods.
g)     Solidarity -- acknowledging that we are increasingly bound together as a global community in which we bear responsibility for one another's well being. The social and environmental problems of the age must be addressed with cooperative action at all levels-local, regional, national and Global Community . Solidarity is a commitment to the global common good through international cooperation.
h)     Compassion -- sharing the joys and sufferings of all Earth's members and making them our own. The Global Community sees the vulnerable and excluded. From compassion flows inclusive caring and careful service to meet the needs of others.