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Earth Management - all Peoples together This new global dialogue will be held August 17-22, year 2002 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada The theme is
Earth Government for Earth Community- A grassroots process - NEWSLETTER Newsletter Volume 2 Issue 03, March 2001
Mailing address Earth Community Organization
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Table of Contents 11. Articles
A) Building a charter for the Earth Community Organization by Marielle Jansen
B) We the Peoples by Germain Dufour
C) A People's Participation Movement by David Keane
D) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Earth Management by Germain Dufour
E) Consumer Rights and Human Rights by Dr. Sue L.T. McGregor
F) Primordial Human Rights and Earth Management by Germain Dufour
G) Earth Charter and Earth Management by Germain Dufour
H) The Soul of the New Age by Germain Dufour
How was the Universe created? Heaven on Earth and God's Heaven! What are Souls? How were Souls created? Why has God created Souls? What can they do? Liberating Souls from matter to bring humanity to God's Heaven! How was the Soul of Humanity formed? Why was it formed? Why do People today have different religious beliefs? What can religion do today to help manage Earth? I) The Corporate Sector and Earth Management: don't let the fox guard the chicken coop
by Germain Dufour J) Water Security and Development by James Mwami
K) The Summit of the Americas, the FTAA and Earth Management by Germain Dufour
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Reservation of a space for the August 17-22, 2002, Global Dialogue, Earth Management - all Peoples together, has reached the final phase, that is the actual signing of a contract agreement with the site in Toronto. Signing of the contract was finalized on February 13, 2001. Read about the details on our website at: http://globalcommunitywebnet.com/earthcommunity/PlaceofConf.htm or read the section of this Newsletter tilted "We now have a physical site for the August 2002 Global Dialogue". The Place of the Conference and physical site will be in the downtown Toronto area at the Harbourfront Community Centre. I re-emphasize here that: A) We are not a religious organization but we will have a Discussion Roundtable related to religious beliefs with respect to Earth Management. All religions are welcome to submit a Research Paper for the discussion. One of the common grounds we found during the August 2000 World Congress was that the management of the planet should be in compliance with the Divine Will. B) We are not a political organization but we will have a Discussion Roundtable related to the development of the best political system to manage Earth. All Peoples are invited to participate by submitting a political model (a research paper) that they believe would be more suitable in helping to manage the planet. C) During the World Congress, the Earth Community Organization has invoked the Divine Will as a guiding principle for the design and development of its Earth Charter. Our project manager, Ms. Marielle Jansen, will see that the Divine Will is properly included as an integral part of the Earth Charter. ECO will not support or stand by any individual or organization that behave any differently as per the contract agreement with the Harbourfront Community Centre and as per our goals and objectives. ECO will not be held responsible for anyone who has not registered with us. The greater component of our conference will be held on the Internet just as was done during the World Congress of August 2000 and only the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and a few Discussion Roundtables will be held at the Toronto site. Because the Executive of the Earth Community Organization was not completely elected during the August 2000 conference, only the director/President position was filled, it is not possible to register legally ECO as a 'Not-for-profit charitable' organization here in Ontario, Canada. There has to be at least three elected directors signing the legal registration papers. The next election will be held during the August 2002 conference. In the mean time, Global Community WebNet Ltd., which has another name called Earth Community, will be responsible for the renting of the conference site. ECO is now asking for your participation to finalize the development of the Earth Charter (see sections 7, 8 and 9 and Articles A and B of this Newsletter). Ms. Marielle Jansen is managing the project. It is a very important phase of the process. A letter was sent to ECO members and we want you to send us back your answers, your own ten (10) statements to add to the present first draft. Please send them now. Read the summary of our work done during the August 2000 World Congress. The website has all the proposed amendments at: http://globalcommunitywebnet.com/earthcommunity/ Choose what you think are the ten(10) most important ideas or statements to add to the Earth Charter and send them to Marielle Jansen (Sociocracy@aol.com) and to Germain Dufour (gdufour@globalcommunitywebnet.com). We now have three groups working on different Earth Government models. Great ideas are being proposed! Check the models in section 4 and follow the hyperlinks to the Earth Government website http://globalcommunitywebnet.com/earthgov1/ We also want you to participate by sending your own model or recommendations. More Soul exploration work (see the Article H below and also the article in the December 2000 Newsletter) was done for the purpose of including spirituality and religious beliefs (an invitation was made to all religions in the December 2000 Newsletter) in Earth Management. Three ECO members have decided to join me in the R&D project of the democratically elected Earth Government model:
1. Ms. Marielle Jansen
Minister of Social Development 2. Dr. Sue L.T. McGregor Minister of Family and Human Development 3. James Mwami Minister of Water Resources Protection We thank them for participating in this R&D project of Earth Community. We invite others in filling one of the other 51 Ministry positions. Two Earth flag proposals were received: Send your proposal.
You are probably aware by now that ECO has started the largest and most important Human Rights movement in the History of Humanity. The Scale of Human Rights was developed during the August 2000 Global Dialogue is the basis of the movement. Such a scale was never proposed before by any other organization and is most certainly the only choice life on Earth has for survival. Keep sending abstracts/papers, recommendations, brain-storming exercises on issues, your Vision of Earth in Year 2024, and your positive actions to sustain all life on Earth. May the DIVINE WILL come into our lives and show us the way. May our higher purpose in life bring us closer to the Soul of Humanity and God. Cordially, Germain Germain Dufour President Earth Community Organization and Interim Earth Government Headquarters Ontario Canada Back to top of the page
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This Call for Papers contains all the information needed to submit a paper to be considered by Earth Community Organization. We welcome proposals for individual papers, presentations, traditional
panel discussions and workshops. We encourage non-traditional formats including
facilitated groups, photographic, poster and dramatic displays dealing
with pertinent themes. We are extending a special invitation to community
groups, community activists and others directly involved in the challenges
of community and home development. Please submit your proposals for individual
papers, panels, workshops or displays using the enclosed forms.
Paper topics include all aspects of sustainable development as defined
in ISSUES.
We are asking members of Earth Community and participants in the global dialogue to submit any of the following work: * A research paper(s) as per scientific criteria described in the Call for Papers; your paper is a publication and will appear in the Proceedings to be published shortly after the conference in August 2002. Abstracts are now published in the Preliminary Program. * Your Vision of Earth in year 2024
* Results of brain-storming exercises
on issues.
* The design of an Earth flag;
a campaign to create an Earth flag is going on right now and I call upon
and encourage students from all over the planet to participate in the design
of the Earth flag. It will be their first unified achievement. Children's
education is also part of the theme for this global dialogue. There is
a need to train the next generation in the skills of collaborating in the
future management of global change, which will be vital to survival. Students
of all levels (school, college, technical, university) are invited to participate
in Earth Community projects. They are asked to produce any creative work
of their vision of what Earth Management - all Peoples together
can accomplish ~ in the fields of zoology, biology, on history, on geography,
on social and political sciences, on agriculture, energy, earth sciences,
forestry, communications, wilderness, pollution, on the water supplies
of the world, poverty, employment, social justice, human rights, universal
values, global concepts, business and economy, availability of resources
and so on.
* Comments and recommendations on ideas
proposed so far and on research papers to be submitted; we want to hear
your opinion and views.
* Positive and constructive actions
in sustaining Earth. These are actions learned from the previous Global
Dialogue or new ones. Participants from all sectors of life will describe
and explain actions that they have performed in their own homes, communities,
business places or in any other places on the planet.
* Articles for publishing in future
Newsletters and making them available on the Internet. Newsletters will
be posted on Earth Community website (to be made available soon). Make
sure you specify that it is an article for the Newsletters and not a research
paper.
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So far three government models have been proposed and they are shown at: http://globalcommunitywebnet.com/earthgov1/ Between now and August 2002 we will have created the Interim Earth Government for Earth Community. The Interim Earth Government for Earth Community is the model of government developed to create the democratic structure of the government and to put in place the voting system it requires. The immediate goals of the Interim Earth Government are to define and develop each Ministry as explained in the President's Message section. Government model #1 The first government model is a method developed by professor Gerard Endenburg of Maastricht University, the Netherlands. It can overcome the flaw of the inherent "dictatorship of the majority" of a democracy, which can even be the narrowest majority of just 50.001%, by making use of the Sociocratic Method of Decision Making. Read about it at: http://globalcommunitywebnet.com/earthgov1/GMmodel1.htm
by
Marielle Jansen Australia e-mail: sociocracy@aol.com Government model #2 In this model called The Global League of the ethical control, the League should have at it's disposal representative posts in each of the countries and each post should carry out several functions such as cultural, ethnical, Ecological and political orientation, charity and so forth. Such a political aspect of each post will turn both structurally and in organisation terms into an International Party of the Religious, Cultural and Ecological Reformation. Read about it at: http://globalcommunitywebnet.com/earthgov1/GMmodel2.htm
by Alexander Wegosky President of the Association of Ecological Revivify Russia ers@tarusa.ru Government model #3 This model is a specific Earth Government model called the democratically elected Earth Government. There are 51 ministries in this model. Other minister and officer positions may be created. A complete description of this model is shown on the Earth Government website: http://globalcommunitywebnet.com/earthgov1/ Ministers who have volunteered so far are:
1. Ms. Marielle Jansen
Minister of Social Development Social engineer Sociocratic Centre of Australia Australia Sociocracy@aol.com 2. Dr. Sue L.T. McGregor Minister of Family and Human Development sue.mcgregor@msvu.ca 3. James Mwami, Water Engineer Minister of Water Resources Protection Uganda LuweroProject@maf.org BusogaProject@maf.org 4. Germain Dufour President Physicist Guelph, Ontario, Canada gdufour@globalcommunitywebnet.com Requirements to apply for a Minister's position were listed in the December 2000 Newsletter. One of the requirements was to write a short essay about why you want to be a Minister. You may read each essay in the December 2000 Newsletter. Back to top of the page
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The Earth Community Organization (ECO) and the August 2002 Global Gialogue on Earth Management - All Peoples together are all about little people with no money taking a stand, ready to do what they can with what is available to help change the force of the tide of self-interest, materialism, and waste. We are not interested in upsetting governments or creating revolutions. Just humble people quietly working to find sound solutions to local and global problems and helping humanity. It is a constant struggle with money to put up the websites, publishing Proceedings and Newsletters, and organizing the conferences. We, ourselves, have given everything we have to promote Earth Community, its universal values and other innovating work. There are no sponsors except our personal savings through a small business, the Global Community WebNet Ltd. until such a time when the Earth Community Organization will be able to be on its own. But that is how it appears it has to be. A group of people so committed to changing behaviour patterns and attitudes that they accept sacrifice and uncertainty as just part of the winning game. Comme ca! If you know what you have to say is right, and you feel it ought to have the respect of others, press on, for when you say "I WILL do this," ways and means become apparent to you. Just believe in your message, keep on, step by step, one at a time, and you certainly will achieve your goal! For now we have an urgent need for funds to keep Earth Community alive and serving you well. If you wish to sponsor the August 2002 conference or make a donation please do so now. Send your donation to:
Earth Community Guelph, Ontario Canada We have to raise $20,000 dollars to keep our activities going just passed the August 2002 conference. Whoever can afford it please be generous. Back to top of the page
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The Editor of this Newsletter is now accepting articles for publication in our next Newsletter. The Newsletter is a way to communicate "workable sound solutions" to problems arising in the Earth Community. Let us share our problems and workable sound solutions. Sharing information is vital to survival. We have received many books and articles from readers and members around the world but the authors did not give us specific permission to print part of their work in the Newsletter, and therefore we cannot do so. It is imperative that, if you give us permission to re-print, all or in part, you include all copyright verification of permission to quote. We do not have a copyright research expert to do this work. Back to top of the page
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This is a proposal developed and managed by Ms. Marielle Jansen for the basic process of drawing up an ECO Charter: Phase one: 1. Send out an email letter to the ECO members asking them to state the 10 most important items as they see it. (set a deadline of say: 2 months) 2. Sort out the order of these most favoured items by the number of times mentioned. 3. Send out the list thus obtained and ask the members to indicate their own order of importance (since there will be items emerging on an equal level). Obtain consent from the members who participated in this process on the right order. Phase two: 4. Prepare the wording of the Charter in English, French and (where we have the translating capacity: as many other languages as possible). 5. Draw up the document 6. Publish the document for the ECO members (in a newsletter) and make final adjustments according to remarks received (say, within a month), if necessary. Phase three: 7. Prepare publication on the ECO website 8. Publish document on the website 9. Collect reactions from the public (for future reference and improvement). Back to top of the page
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Dear ECO members, Since the founding days of the Earth Community Organization (ECO), there have been discussions about a specific charter for our organization. In the records of the Round Tables of August 2000 you will find details of (a number of) these discussions. Special thanks are in place for Mirian Vilela for her contributions and efforts. For the time being it was decided to adopt the Eartch Charter for our organization following the inclusion of amendments proposed during the World Congress to suit our special needs. For instance, the universal values, global concepts, the scale of human rights, and the spirit of collectiveness, peoples grassroots participation and global community of our organization. The ECO's amendments were summarized on our website at http://globalcommunitywebnet.com/earthcommunity/GlobalConcepts.htm and at http://globalcommunitywebnet.com/earthcommunity/ScaleOfHumanRights.htm As much as we appreciate the Earth Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the time has come to draw up a document to reflect the specific vision, mission and aim of our organization. Although such a document should not be cast in concrete and must be open for changes and amendments according to insights that we do not yet have today, we must make a real effort to produce a document that is acceptable to all the members of the ECO. We must make sure that through our charter we create a guideline to live by and a document to reflect our aspirations for a democratic grassroots process. It is a matter of course that we structure our communications process accordingly. This is why you are all invited to state the ten most important points you wish to be stated in the ECO Charter. These can be points that have already been stated in the Earth Charter, Declaration of Human Rights or other Charters you may know of, but you may also send in new points that have not been mentioned anywhere before. In the time frame of the next two months your entries will be compiled and placed in the order of the items most frequently mentioned. A concept charter will then be drawn up in accordance with these items, which will be presented to you for consent. Depending on the reactions and / or requests for changes and adjustments, new concept charters will appear. The final version, however, should be ready for official presentation to "the world" at the time of the ECO congress in August 2002. We hope that you will all take part in this important task. For more information please check our March 2001 Newsletter. Choose what you consider to be the ten(10) most important ideas or statements that need to be included in the ECO Charter and send them to Marielle Jansen (Sociocracy@aol.com) and to Germain Dufour (gdufour@globalcommunitywebnet.com). Please keep your wording as concise as possible, as the charter should not become a burden for others to read, but rather a pleasure. Remember that the ECO distinguishes itself from other grassroots democracy organizations through the recognition of the Divine Will. May this Divine Will be our guide when we define the rules of rights and responsibilities for the Earth Community Organization. Marielle Jansen
http://globalcommunitywebnet.com/earthcommunity
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World Congress on Managing and Measuring Sustainable Development Global Community Action 1 Proceedings August 1-22, 2000 We accept the Earth Charter as drafted by the Earth Charter Commission. When the The Global Community organization becomes better structured members will be asked to vote for its inclusion as our Earth Charter. For now there is more work to do. The Earth Charter was part of the Discussion Roundtables of the World Congress and as such new amendments were proposed. For instances, the universal values promoted by The Global Community are to be included in the Charter along with the proposal of new human rights: fresh water and clean air are human rights. We respectfully ask Ms. Mirian Vilela, Earth Charter Project Manager for The Earth Council, to review and amend the draft. All information you need to do so is on our websites. We want to see the spirit of our organization included (in writing) in the draft. For instance The Global Community means the Earth Community. Members may wish to change the name but all basic global community principles, concepts, and values will still be kept the same and must be included in the Charter. This World Congress has showed us that there is a close interdependence between the human health, the conduct of the people, the quality of their environment, the type of their professional occupation, the motives and objectives of their lives, the relationships with other people and with the natural elements. The Earth Charter must be drafted to spell out this spirit of collectiveness and global community, and it must be specifically made for our organization, The Global Community (or the Earth Community) organization, and none others. INTRODUCTION TO THE EARTH CHARTER INITIATIVE For over a decade diverse groups throughout the world have endeavored to create an Earth Charter. Hundreds of groups and thousands of individuals have been involved in the process. Representatives from government and nongovernmental organizations worked to secure adoption of an Earth Charter during the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. However, the time was not right. A new Earth Charter initiative was launched by the Earth Council and Green Cross International in 1994. An Earth Charter Commission was formed in 1997 to oversee the project and the drafting of the Charter. The Secretariat for the Commission is at the Earth Council in Costa Rica. In March, 1997, at the conclusion of the Rio+5 Forum in Rio de Janeiro, the Earth Charter Commission issued the Benchmark Draft Earth Charter. The Commission also called for ongoing international consultations on the text of the document. Between 1997 and 1999 over forty national Earth Charter committees were formed, and numerous Earth Charter conferences were held. Comments and recommendations from all regions of the world were forwarded to the Earth Council and the Drafting Committee. Guided by these contributions to the consultation process, the text of the Charter has been extensively revised. In April, 1999, the Earth Charter Commission issued Benchmark Draft II. The consultation process continued throughout 1999 in order to provide individuals and groups with a further opportunity to make contributions to the drafting process. As a result of the worldwide consultation process, the Earth Charter Commission issued a final version of the Earth Charter after their meeting on March 12 – 14, 2000 at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The Earth Charter Commission plans to review responses to the document in two or four years and consider possible amendments. Objectives of the International Earth Charter Campaign • to promote a worldwide dialogue on shared values and global ethics; • to draft an Earth Charter that sets forth a succinct and inspiring vision of fundamental ethical principles for sustainable development; • to circulate the Earth Charter throughout the world as a people's treaty, promoting awareness, commitment, and implementation of Earth Charter values; • to seek endorsement of the Earth Charter by the United Nations General Assembly by the year 2002. A Declaration of Interdependence and Principles for Sustainable Development As indicated by the Preamble, the Earth Charter is a declaration of interdependence and responsibility and an urgent call to build a global partnership for sustainable development. The principles of the Earth Charter are closely interrelated. Together they provide a conception of sustainable development and set forth fundamental guidelines for achieving it. These principles are drawn from international law, science, philosophy, religion, recent UN Summit meetings, and the international Earth Charter conversation on global ethics. The goal of sustainable development is full human development and ecological protection. The Earth Charter recognizes that humanity's environmental, economic, social, cultural, ethical, and spiritual problems and aspirations are interconnected. It affirms the need for holistic thinking and collaborative, integrated problem solving. Sustainable development requires such an approach. It is about freedom, justice, participation, and peace as well as environmental protection and economic well-being. The Design of the Earth Charter Some groups would prefer a short Earth Charter that is a prayer or poem or a declaration with five to ten principles only. Others strongly favor a more substantial document that is more like an intergovernmental declaration. In an effort to address these different concerns, the Drafting Committee has created a layered document with a Preamble, sixteen main principles, various supporting principles, and a conclusion. The principles are divided into four parts. The supporting principles offer clarification and elaboration of the ideas in the main principles. The supporting principles provide an overview of the many issues that have been raised by various groups in the course of the international consultation process. Those who favor a very short Earth Charter would like to see the supporting principles significantly reduced in number or eliminated. Others feel passionately that the supporting principles are an essential part of the Charter because they make explicit the practical meaning of the main principles with reference to critical issues. The supporting principles are especially important to groups that feel marginalized and excluded from decision making processes. A further thorough analysis of the structure of the Charter and of the place and function of the supporting principles is underway. A Commentary on the principles is being prepared. Three Ways to Present the Earth Charter Vision • Use the four General Principles only as a short version. • Use the two-page Abbreviated Version with the full Preamble, the sixteen main principles only, and a conclusion. • Use the full document with the Preamble, the main principles together with the supporting principles, and the conclusion. The Earth Charter Website Explore the Earth Charter website for more information. www.earthcharter.org THE EARTH CHARTER 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 Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations. Earth, Our Home Humanity is part of a vast evolving universe. Earth, our home, is alive with a unique community of life. The forces of nature make existence a demanding and uncertain adventure, but Earth has provided the conditions essential to life's evolution. The resilience of the community of life and the well-being of humanity depend upon preserving a healthy biosphere with all its ecological systems, a rich variety of plants and animals, fertile soils, pure waters, and clean air. The global environment with its finite resources is a common concern of all peoples. The protection of Earth's vitality, diversity, and beauty is a sacred trust. The Global Situation The dominant patterns of production and consumption are causing environmental devastation, the depletion of resources, and a massive extinction of species. Communities are being undermined. The benefits of development are not shared equitably and the gap between rich and poor is widening. Injustice, poverty, ignorance, and violent conflict are widespread and the cause of great suffering. An unprecedented rise in human population has overburdened ecological and social systems. The foundations of global security are threatened. These trends are perilous—but not inevitable. The Challenges Ahead The choice is ours: form a global partnership to care for Earth and one another or risk the destruction of ourselves and the diversity of life. Fundamental changes are needed in our values, institutions, and ways of living. We must realize that when basic needs have been met, human development is primarily about being more, not having more. We have the knowledge and technology to provide for all and to reduce our impacts on the environment. The emergence of a global civil society is creating new opportunities to build a democratic and humane world. Our environmental, economic, political, social, and spiritual challenges are interconnected, and together we can forge inclusive solutions. Universal Responsibility To realize these aspirations, we must decide to live with a sense of universal responsibility, identifying ourselves with the whole Earth community as well as our local communities. We are at once citizens of different nations and of one world in which the local and global are linked. Everyone shares responsibility for the present and future well-being of the human family and the larger living world. The spirit of human solidarity and kinship with all life is strengthened when we live with reverence for the mystery of being, gratitude for the gift of life, and humility regarding the human place in nature. We urgently need a shared vision of basic values to provide an ethical foundation for the emerging world community. Therefore, together in hope we affirm the following interdependent principles for a sustainable way of life as a common standard by which the conduct of all individuals, organizations, businesses, governments, and transnational institutions is to be guided and assessed. PRINCIPLES I. RESPECT AND CARE FOR THE COMMUNITY OF LIFE 1. Respect Earth and life in all its diversity. a. Recognize that all beings are interdependent and every form of life has value regardless of its worth to human beings. b. Affirm faith in the inherent dignity of all human beings and in the intellectual, artistic, ethical, and spiritual potential of humanity. 2. Care for the community of life with understanding, compassion, and love. a. Accept that with the right to own, manage, and use natural resources comes the duty to prevent environmental harm and to protect the rights of people. b. Affirm that with increased freedom, knowledge, and power comes increased responsibility to promote the common good. 3. Build democratic societies that are just, participatory, sustainable, and peaceful. a. Ensure that communities at all levels guarantee human rights and fundamental freedoms and provide everyone an opportunity to realize his or her full potential. b. Promote social and economic justice, enabling all to achieve a secure and meaningful livelihood that is ecologically responsible. 4. Secure Earth's bounty and beauty for present and future generations. a. Recognize that the freedom of action of each generation is qualified by the needs of future generations. b. Transmit to future generations values, traditions, and institutions that support the long-term flourishing of Earth's human and ecological communities. In order to fulfill these four broad commitments, it is necessary to: II. ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY 5. Protect and restore the integrity of Earth's ecological systems, with special concern for biological diversity and the natural processes that sustain life. a. Adopt at all levels sustainable development plans and regulations that make environmental conservation and rehabilitation integral to all development initiatives. b. Establish and safeguard viable nature and biosphere reserves, including wild lands and marine areas, to protect Earth's life support systems, maintain biodiversity, and preserve our natural heritage. c. Promote the recovery of endangered species and ecosystems. d. Control and eradicate non-native or genetically modified organisms harmful to native species and the environment, and prevent introduction of such harmful organisms. e. Manage the use of renewable resources such as water, soil, forest products, and marine life in ways that do not exceed rates of regeneration and that protect the health of ecosystems. f. Manage the extraction and use of non-renewable resources such as minerals and fossil fuels in ways that minimize depletion and cause no serious environmental damage. 6. Prevent harm as the best method of environmental protection and, when knowledge is limited, apply a precautionary approach. a. Take action to avoid the possibility of serious or irreversible environmental harm even when scientific knowledge is incomplete or inconclusive. b. Place the burden of proof on those who argue that a proposed activity will not cause significant harm, and make the responsible parties liable for environmental harm. c. Ensure that decision making addresses the cumulative, long-term, indirect, long distance, and global consequences of human activities. d. Prevent pollution of any part of the environment and allow no build-up of radioactive, toxic, or other hazardous substances. e. Avoid military activities damaging to the environment. 7. Adopt patterns of production, consumption, and reproduction that safeguard Earth's regenerative capacities, human rights, and community well-being. a. Reduce, reuse, and recycle the materials used in production and consumption systems, and ensure that residual waste can be assimilated by ecological systems. b. Act with restraint and efficiency when using energy, and rely increasingly on renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. c. Promote the development, adoption, and equitable transfer of environmentally sound technologies. d. Internalize the full environmental and social costs of goods and services in the selling price, and enable consumers to identify products that meet the highest social and environmental standards. e. Ensure universal access to health care that fosters reproductive health and responsible reproduction. f. Adopt lifestyles that emphasize the quality of life and material sufficiency in a finite world. 8. Advance the study of ecological sustainability and promote the open exchange and wide application of the knowledge acquired. a. Support international scientific and technical cooperation on sustainability, with special attention to the needs of developing nations. b. Recognize and preserve the traditional knowledge and spiritual wisdom in all cultures that contribute to environmental protection and human well-being. c. Ensure that information of vital importance to human health and environmental protection, including genetic information, remains available in the public domain. III. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE 9. 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. 10. 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. 11. 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. 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. 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. IV. DEMOCRACY, NONVIOLENCE, AND PEACE 13. Strengthen democratic institutions at all levels, and provide transparency and accountability in governance, inclusive participation in decision making, and access to justice. a. Uphold the right of everyone to receive clear and timely information on environmental matters and all development plans and activities which are likely to affect them or in which they have an interest. b. Support local, regional and global civil society, and promote the meaningful participation of all interested individuals and organizations in decision making. c. Protect the rights to freedom of opinion, expression, peaceful assembly, association, and dissent. d. Institute effective and efficient access to administrative and independent judicial procedures, including remedies and redress for environmental harm and the threat of such harm. e. Eliminate corruption in all public and private institutions. f. Strengthen local communities, enabling them to care for their environments, and assign environmental responsibilities to the levels of government where they can be carried out most effectively. 14. Integrate into formal education and life-long learning the knowledge, values, and skills needed for a sustainable way of life. a. Provide all, especially children and youth, with educational opportunities that empower them to contribute actively to sustainable development. b. Promote the contribution of the arts and humanities as well as the sciences in sustainability education. c. Enhance the role of the mass media in raising awareness of ecological and social challenges. d. Recognize the importance of moral and spiritual education for sustainable living. 15. Treat all living beings with respect and consideration. a. Prevent cruelty to animals kept in human societies and protect them from suffering. b. Protect wild animals from methods of hunting, trapping, and fishing that cause extreme, prolonged, or avoidable suffering. c. Avoid or eliminate to the full extent possible the taking or destruction of non-targeted species. 16. Promote a culture of tolerance, nonviolence, and peace. a. Encourage and support mutual understanding, solidarity, and cooperation among all peoples and within and among nations. b. Implement comprehensive strategies to prevent violent conflict and use collaborative problem solving to manage and resolve environmental conflicts and other disputes. c. Demilitarize national security systems to the level of a non-provocative defense posture, and convert military resources to peaceful purposes, including ecological restoration. d. Eliminate nuclear, biological, and toxic weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. e. Ensure that the use of orbital and outer space supports environmental protection and peace. f. Recognize that peace is the wholeness created by right relationships with oneself, other persons, other cultures, other life, Earth, and the larger whole of which all are a part. THE WAY FORWARD As never before in history, common destiny beckons us to seek a new beginning. Such renewal is the promise of these Earth Charter principles. To fulfill this promise, we must commit ourselves to adopt and promote the values and objectives of the Charter. This requires a change of mind and heart. It requires a new sense of global interdependence and universal responsibility. We must imaginatively develop and apply the vision of a sustainable way of life locally, nationally, regionally, and globally. Our cultural diversity is a precious heritage and different cultures will find their own distinctive ways to realize the vision. We must deepen and expand the global dialogue that generated the Earth Charter, for we have much to learn from the ongoing collaborative search for truth and wisdom. Life often involves tensions between important values. This can mean difficult choices. However, we must find ways to harmonize diversity with unity, the exercise of freedom with the common good, short-term objectives with long-term goals. Every individual, family, organization, and community has a vital role to play. The arts, sciences, religions, educational institutions, media, businesses, nongovernmental organizations, and governments are all called to offer creative leadership. The partnership of government, civil society, and business is essential for effective governance. In order to build a sustainable global community, the nations of the world must renew their commitment to the United Nations, fulfill their obligations under existing international agreements, and support the implementation of Earth Charter principles with an international legally binding instrument on environment and development. Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace, and the joyful celebration of life. Back to top of the page
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Harbourfront Community Centre
Canada M5V 3G3 email: hcclrm@web.net Tuesday, February 13, 2001 Earth Community Guelph, Ontario Attention: Mr. Germain Dufour Dear Mr. Dufour: This letter is confirmation for the below noted times and dates as per your request for the Medium Assembly to hold your "2002 Earth Community Conference" at the Harbourfront Community Centre. Dates: August 17, 18, 19, 20 & 21, 2002 (Beginning Saturday, August 17 till Wednesday, August 21, 2002) Room: Medium Assembly (maximum capacity of 80 people - Comfortable seating at 65) Times: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Herewithin is the copy of your invoice for the space with regard to the above mentioned conference in August of 2002. Please also note the signee hereby agrees that he/she is responsible for returning the room in the same condition that it was received in. Failure to due so will result in the loss of the deposit plus any additional replacement costs. All minors under the age of 16 years must be supervised by a parent and or appointed guardian. The Harbourfront Community Centre/City of Toronto shall not be made liable for this agreement if the status of this Centre changes i.e. No longer in operation or an "Act of Nature" closes us down. The Centre shall not be made available to any individual or organization that advocates or practices any form of discrimination that violates human rights. Program, user & rental groups shall not be formed to serve commercial, political or religious interest. Under no circumstances are they to be involved in proselytizing or partisan political activity. A five hundred ($500.00) performance bond will be required by the Harbourfront Community Centre to reserve this space. This performance bond may be retained, in full or in part, if the conditions of the agreement/contract letter are not fully observed. The user has also agreed that there be no alcohol to be brought or served on these premises. If you require any additional information please do not hesitate to contact me at the Centre at (416) 392-1509. Candace Rowe Facility & Special Event Fundraising Manager Harbourfront Community Centre INVOICE
Tuesday, February 13, 2001 To: Earth Community Attention: Mr. Germain Dufour From: Harbourfront Community Centre Re: Space Usage for International Conference in 2002 Invoice for Deposit - now due Deposit: $500.00 (Refundable if all conditions are met) Invoice for Space Rental - due April 17th, 2002 Room: $3000.00 (Medium Assembly: $75 per/hr. x 8 hrs. x 5 dates) Staffing: $258.00 ($21.50 per/person x 2 People x 3 hrs. x 2 days) Total: $3,758.00 Total Amount Due: $3,758.00 Back to top of the page
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by Marielle Jansen Minister of Social Development Australia Sociocracy@aol.com
Writing about charter building is not an easy matter. How could any person claim to have the wisdom to know what is right
(and / or wrong) as a guideline and focal point for aspiration? Writing about charter building for the ECO is even more difficult,
because this organization has invoked the Divine Will as a guiding principle. When we think of the Earth’s different religions and
the wars that are still wreaking havoc in the wake of religious debate, how could anyone claim to have the authority and wisdom to
write about the Divine Will?
Therefore, let me state clearly that I claim neither authority nor wisdom. I am just answering the call I can hear in my heart, telling me to deal with this matter in the best possible way. It is a call that I would like to repeat to all those who read this and who are concerned with the wellbeing of our planet and its inhabitants. It could be put into the following words: "Let us take part in a peaceful debate about what it is that our Creator wants us to do and wants us to be". If there are differences of opinion, let us start by looking for common ground. The first and most important piece of common ground, which has already been defined for ECO members, is compliance with the Divine Will. Problems cannot be solved from the level where they occur. If someone is drowning at sea, the water cannot save him. He needs a boat, a helicopter, a lifeguard or a piece of dry land to save his life. Likewise, when we are drowning in ecological problems, we cannot solve these problems by using ecological methods. When we are drowning in words, we cannot use words to solve our problem. We must find a higher principle to save us. It is a most paradoxical thing now to write and use words, knowing that in fact these words amount to nothing if they do not at the same time cause the reader to lift his spirit to a level above that of every day activities. How to imagine the colours of the rainbow when you are blind? How to imagine the perfume of a rose when you have no sense of smell? How to get to higher spiritual ground from the level of our day to day affairs? For it is an ascent onto higher spiritual ground that we ought to make if we are going to be anywhere near successful in the building of a charter for the ECO organization. The charters that have been written until today, including the Earth Charter, are the products of (groups of) individuals who have successfully raised their spirits above their day to day lives. These people have done their fellow humans an enormous service. They have created an opportunity for others to reflect on human nature and the organization of human relations. Nobody has promised them any reward. They did their work because of the compelling voice of their own souls. They did their work to the best of their abilities, climbing the spiritual mountaintop from where they looked at the world and saw its problems and promises. Yet, when we look at the results of all the combined efforts of the charters that have come into being we cannot say perfection has been reached. To think that our ECO organization would be able to produce a perfect document is an illusion. All we can do is combine our best efforts and reach for the best possible result. In a group that is studying the process of charter building (OmniCo in Brisbane, Australia), the conclusion was drawn that integrity of the writers is of prime importance. The vision of the writers depends on their integrity. Then, from the mountaintop where the vision is perceived, the painstaking journey (back) into the hustle and bustle of day to day life must be made. There the perceived vision, in the form of a charter, a law, a manifesto, must be presented to the people, who are more often than not unaware of the service that is rendered. If we look at one of the oldest charters in the world, the Ten Commandments, we see Moses coming down from the mountain top, where he raised his spirit to such a level that he was able to communicate directly with "The One about Whom nothing can be said". And when, on his way back, he found his people there, worshipping a golden calf, he was so overcome by anger and frustration that he smashed the stone tablets on which this charter was written. (Exodus, chapter 32, verse 19) All those who have given their best efforts to translate their inner voice into writing of charters, humanitarian laws and manifestos, must have gone through the "Moses experience". Let us hope that they will be patient and remember the "New Commandment" that the Christ Jesus has given us, when He said: "A new commandment I give unto you: That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another". (John, chapter 13, verses 34-35). This is in line with Matthew chapter 18, verses 21 and 22: where Peter asks Jesus: "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?" Jesus answered: "I say not unto thee: Until seven times, but until seventy times seven". It is because I have been brought up in the Western European Christian tradition, that I am familiar with the Biblical scriptures. Other Sacred Texts, however, which I am less familiar with, such as the Veda's, Bhagavad Gita, Koran, Dhammapada, all seem to direct us to the same fundamental Truth: the unity of mankind. The most important call for unity among men that I know of is given in John, chapter 17, dedicated entirely to one of Jesus'prayers. Jesus is asking: "That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." (verse 21). These are (some of) the texts that have inspired me to join the ECO and also to look for the golden thread of unity in the midst of all the discord and strife we find in the world around us. Yet, we should not worry about having to study a large number of texts to discover a guiding principle in our lives. In 2 Corinthians 3: 2,3 we find Paul's reassuring message that the Spirit of the Living God is not (just) written in ink, but "in fleshy tables of the heart". This same message was already written in the Old Testament, e.g. in Psalm 40, verse 8 where David writes: "I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart". Jeremiah in chapter 31: 33 recorded the words of the Lord: "I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts". Another source of inspiration for me is the sociocratic method of decision making. This method is clearly designed for the "production" of unity, to alleviate conflict and to make sure that people of different creed and conviction can live together in harmony. (See Government Model 1 on the ECO web site.) I proposed the sociocratic "nine step plan" to our president, Germain Dufour, for the process of building an ECO charter. He agreed that in this way, a "living document" would be created, which will enable the ECO to reaffirm our charter periodically, and adapt it, if necessary, according to new needs and insights that may arise in the course of time. The 9 steps of the basic process are given below. Each one of these steps can again be divided into 9 steps for a sub-process, as the need for more detail arises. I hope and trust this provides the ECO with an adequate tool for this historic (first ever) "grassroots approach" towards charter building. The nine steps for the basic process of building an ECO charter Phase one: (Input phase)
1. Send out an email letter to the ECO members asking them to state the 10 most important items as they see it. (set a deadline of say: 2 months) 2. Sort out the order of these most favoured items by the number of times mentioned. 3. Send out the list thus obtained and ask the members to indicate their own order of importance (since there will be items emerging on an equal level). Obtain consent from the members who participated in this process on the right order. Phase two: (transformation phase)
4. Prepare the wording of the Charter in English, French and (where we have the translating capacity: as many other languages as possible). 5. Draw up the document 6. Publish the document for the ECO members (in a newsletter) and make final adjustments according to remarks received (say, within a month), if necessary. Phase three: (output phase)
7. Prepare publication on the ECO web site 8. Publish document on the web site 9. Collect reactions from members and the public (for future reference and improvement). Back to top of the page
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by Germain Dufour Over the past decades, Earth Community has initialized the People's Participation Grassroots Movement in wanting what is rightfully ours to manage: Earth. 'We the Peoples' of the Earth are now set with one goal, one direction, that is to protect and manage Earth for our generation and for all of the others to come. We are the hopes of humanity. We are now developing the foundation of Earth Government, the highest aspirations of humanity, a Vision of the most powerful reform in the History of Humanity. People from all over the planet are developing models for Earth Government, the greatest of all hopes. Human consciousness has evolved and will seek no rest until Earth Government has come to life. Societies seek to form a democratically elected Earth Government, one representative per million people. Over six thousands representatives will be managing Earth. The Middle Age feudal Kingdom has evolved to become a planetary government where representatives are making decisions on behalf of their communities. In the Vision of Earth in Year 2024 governing now requires participation from every person on Earth. National governments have turn over to their citizens the responsibility and accountability of local and global problems. Finding sound solutions to problems and making decisions is no longer accomplished behind closed doors but is now a process requiring everyone's participation. National governments and Earth Government have made democracy a living and a spiritual process for the good of all of humanity. Participation is now a necessity. Participation, global concepts, universal values and the Scale of Human Rights are being taught at the school level. Earth Community has focused societies aspirations toward a unique goal: humanity survival now and in the future along with all life on Earth. Back to top of the page
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by David Keane, January 2001 Developing National Civil Representation Whereas the international Millennium Forum in New York and also the People's Assembly in Western Samoa, provided the ideal focal points to initiate the universal ideal of people's participation in government, that lofty ideal will only be transformed into reality as we begin to transform government upon the national level. For it is the representatives of nations who decide matters in the General Assembly of the United Nations, and it is national governments who presently impose their authority upon provincial administrations. Human consciousness collectively, presently identifies with lesser groupings such as nations, religions, or ethnic groupings. Such separative identifications provide the seeds for enormous conflict and suffering in today's world. The nation-state evolved from the Middle Ages feudal kingdom whose primary role of government was military defence and warfare. Though today, once every few years we choose our authority figures through elections, the feudal relationship of community submission to an impersonal authority patronisingly making decisions behind closed doors, remains essentially the same. It is possible however for a new type of participatory democracy to emerge, that will transform nationalism into a living, vital and spiritual entity that contributes to the general good of the community of nations and not as a means of self-glorification. For such a transformation to happen, it will be vital that people gain the right to participate directly in the processes of government, and particularly in those decisions that affect their lives. Central to this national transformation, must be the lifting up of the role of a National Civil Forum, similar in its organisation and structure to the Millennium Forum, but, while working in harmony with the international Millennium Forum, focusses its thought upon essentially national problems. The Role of a National Civil Forum The global economy and the nations in particular are passing through a crisis of survival that will in time demand total transformation of structures of government and the introduction of truly democratic processes. This transformation can only be initiated if first the people share a new vision, and then progressively start to implement that vision and build true ethical foundations for right government through consensus processes. For this to happen the people need a focal point within national government. In other words, the people need representation through a National Civil Forum. True vision, as it will be nurtured within a People's Participation Movement and a National Civil Forum, must embrace futuristic planning, consideration for the needs of the next few generations, reverence for nature and the ecology, and sustainability. The National Civil Forum will see its essential role not as legislators, but through active review, debate and making of recommendations. It will form strong links with International Civil Society, and lift up the truth of the oneness of humanity. It will develop a Code of Openness of Economic Information, and will establish the ethical framework for a new economics, based upon the principles of goodwill and of sharing. It will develop considered recommendations in such diverse areas as investment, productivity, trade, taxation, unemployment, a green GDP, government-commercial negotiations and budget honesty. It will then become a focal centre for debate about the true ethical issues behind economic decision making in areas such as tax reform, credit control, trade, foreign investment, financial management and bank regulation. It will integrate the functions of international responsibility and cooperation, national government and provincial administration in a manner that devolves power where appropriate, yet also looks towards the good of the whole. Most importantly, it will nurture and develop the right of the people themselves to participate directly in those decisions that affect their own lives. One effective way it will do this, is through its administration, on both national and provincial levels, of a Department for Creative Networking and People's Participation. The common people these days, with computer technology, Email, Internet and a host of interactive technologies, have for the first time in history the capacity to participate directly in the processes of government. The Department of Creative Networking and People's Participation will be managed by the National Civil Forum, and will have numerous professional highly trained coordinators whose role it will be to actively engage people in creative networking and becoming involved in participating in the decisions that affect their own lives. A People's Participation Movement We have witnessed how political parties and associations have in the past been formed around and founded upon wonderful ideals and political goals, but in the process of trying to implement these goals, the parties have themselves become tainted or corrupted or compromised. How can a movement to lift up the ideal of a National Civil Forum become immune from such perverse influences? The founding principles upon which a People's Participation Movement must be founded, must not be (as in the past) built upon ideals and goals of political righteousness no matter how noble, but rather upon the ideals and goals of right relationship with grass roots, with the people themselves. The People's Participation Movement must in effect become the voice of the people. This it cannot do through crystallised structures, and the People's Participation Movement itself will need to change and evolve according to the changing and growing aspirations of the people. A People's Participation Movement must build its own vision and goals around ideals that are inclusive, harmonious and harmless, and must then be willing to share this vision firstly with the people themselves. (This is in contrast to a political party whose primary goal is to change government). The focus is ever upon maintaining creative contact and right relations with the people themselves. Creative grass-roots contact may be cultivated through organising dynamic interaction with the people through the arts; not through one-way artistic productions, but through interactive arts which enable the people themselves to participate and express their deeper aspirations and thus contribute to the creative interchange. Another way to foster grass-roots support is for representatives of the People's Participation Movement to simply walk among those community members seeking alternative lifestyles and choices. The People's Participation Movement representatives then gently nurture within the community discussion about how positive actions upon local levels have their correspondences upon national and international levels, and how true freedom implies creative expression and participation in all spheres of decision making impacting upon their lives. The most vital channel for grass-roots contact is through outreach to youth. People's Participation Movement representatives reach out to the youth so to stimulate discussion on the future that the youth are destined to inherit, and to those choices the youth themselves must make. They may choose to accept the consequences of submissiveness to false and corrupting authority relationships, or alternatively, they may choose a vibrant alternative wherein the people and the youth in particular, learn to harmlessly and harmoniously yet effectively participate on those decisions that affect their own lives. Through these grass-roots contacts, through interactive arts, through walking among people who are seeking alternatives, and through actively discussing future options with the young, the people themselves will begin to awaken to vibrant alternatives based upon right values and right human relations. Some of those thus contacted will seek deeper involvement in the transformative processes for government and for society, and these should be invited to become involved in the People's Participation Movement, where their views will help reshape the Movement's vision and goals. In this way, the People's Participation Movement will gradually start to embrace the voice and will of the people, and so it will become progressively more able to represent the people through political and government discussions. It is only as the common people gain direct and meaningful participation in those decisions that affect their lives, that governments themselves will progressively become more and more responsive to the voice and to the will of the people. David Keane is author of the book, Civil Representation in Australian Government, which is available on Internet at: http://www.nw.com.au/~keane/civilrep/ This book seeks to develop a vision for right government on national levels, suitable for the 21st century, and involving direct participation by the people. Such visions need pathways for implementation upon the practical level. And so the book explores strategies for how this vision could be implemented in the Australian context. Back to top of the page
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by Germain Dufour Earth Community has come to realize that peoples live in a world of increasing interdependence and that our faith is intrinsically related to the preservation of the global life-support systems and to the survival of all forms of life. Earth Community is calling upon scientists, tehnologists, technicians, engineers and all other professionals to create positive actions in their own fields about using knowledge from all fields of science in a responsible manner to find sound solutions to human needs and to fulfill aspirations without misusing this knowledge. 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. 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. 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 must regain public trust, state ethical responsibilties and become a voice to present and future generations. During the August 2002 global dialogue, there will be a discussion roundtable on the ethical issues related to science, technology and engineering, their practices and ideologies. The public is invited to debate the issue. 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. 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 Human 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 Human Rights. For instances: cloning of human beings, and prohibiting the making of the human body and its products as a source of financial gain. Back to top of the page
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As Minister of Family and Human Development, I am concerned with all aspects of family and individual well-being, security and quality of life and the factors that affect their ability to fulfil their basic functions as a social institution: socialization; procreation; consumption and production; social control; love, nurturance and moral; and, maintenance of the household and daily lives. This article will focus on their UN recognized rights within their consumption role and how these rights impact the human rights of global citizens. The material for this article is taken from an earlier paper I presented at the 1999, 19th International Consumer Studies and Home Economics Research Conference in Belfast, Ireland (at http://www.consultmcgregor.com). This article is based on the premise that people are part of a global, human family which engages in a consuming role in a capitalist society. Since capitalism cannot survive without continuous consumption, consumption has been deified in our consumer society. If we accept that we live in a human family, we have to be concerned with the human relationships that emerge during family functions, especially the function of production and consumption. The basic argument of this discussion is that people need to change their approach so that they put people, relationships and sustainability first, and profits, wealth, growth and progress second or, at the least, strike a better balance between the two polarities. When this change happens, the goals of social equity and ecological soundness will become integral with economic efficiency (Sylvan, 1997) and consumers will see themselves in relation to other people and the environment. Campbell (1987) observes that "it is not consumption in general which poses special problems of explanation, so much as that particular pattern [of consumption] which is characteristic of modern industrial [consumer] societies" (p.39). The movement against excessive consumerism or negative consumption has been labelled "anti-consumerism" (Collis et al., 1994). This movement is gravely concerned with the sustainability of current levels and patterns of consumption. They are concerned with the environmental, economic, political, labour, personal, societal and spiritual impact of excessive, run-away consumption. They define consumerism as a social and economic creed that encourages people to aspire to consume more that their share of the world's resources, regardless of the consequences. In a consumer society, one can never have enough and this mind set is not sustainable; as a caveat, not all consumption is bad; the goal is balanced, sustainable consumption. Lafferty (1994) suggests that sustainable consumption encompasses sustainable management of resources, considerations for the natural environment and societal processes of change, the promotion of human dignity and human rights, quality of life and the perspective of interdependence referring to the interplay between people and environments and the relationships between economies, nationally and internationally. Links Between Consumer Rights and Human Rights
When people think of human rights they often turn to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (adopted in 1948)
(www.un.org/rights). When they think of consumer rights, they turn to the United Nation's Guidelines for Consumer Protection,
adopted in 1985 (http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/cpp13a.htm) or CI's eight Consumer Rights (www.consumersinternational.org).
Space does not allow for a profile of the development of each of these documents but relevant sources are cited for those
who want to follow up on their history and future. Instead, this discussion will focus on the current intent and content of
these three codes, setting the stage for ensuing discussion of the links between consumer rights and human rights. Back to top of the page
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by Germain Dufour A healthy environment is essential to long term prosperity and well-being, and citizens in Earth Community demand a high level of ecological protection. Primordial human rights are those human rights that individuals have by virtue of their very existence as human beings: to live, eat, drink fresh water, breath clean air, and have shelter. These rights are separate categories than ecological rights, the right of the greatest number of people, economic rights, social rights, cultural rights and religious rights. Ecological and primordial human rights are the only rights that have existed unchanged throughout the evolutionary origin of our species. Any major change would have threatened our very existence. All other human rights listed here are rights created by human beings and can be changed depending of new circumstances; they are not stagnant but are rather flexible and adaptive, and they can evolve. Ecological and primordial human rights of this generation and of future generations are therefore much more important than any other human rights existing now and in the future. This is the reason for drawing the Scale of Human Rights as shown here: * Ecological rights
In this way the Scale of Human Rights gives us a 'sense of direction' for future planning and managing of the Earth. Earth management is now well defined and becomes a goal to achieve. We no longer waste energy and resources in things that are absolutely unimportant. The Scale of Human Rights are guiding principles now and for future generations. The Scale of Human Rights is to be included in the Earth Charter to that effect. Back to top of the page
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by Germain Dufour The Earth Charter for ECO will eventually have legal binding effect as soon as members have accepted it by vote. The Earth Charter will also have a legal binding effect when societies of the world and national governments decide to elect representatives for Earth Government. The Charter can be annexed to any Treaty signed between Earth Government and National Governments. After voting for the acceptance of the Earth Charter as our guiding principles for dealing with daily activities, a democratically elected Earth Government model, or any other type of Earth government model, will launch a strong political message regarding the founding values of Earth Community towards citizens of the world. The Statute of the Earth Court of Justice will become a part of the Earth Charter. Earth management will be done more efficiently as soon as representatives to Earth Government have been elected and the Earth Charter has been approved. Back to top of the page
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by Germain Dufour
How was the Universe created? Heaven on Earth and God's Heaven! What are Souls? How were Souls created? Why has God created Souls? What can they do? Liberating Souls from matter to bring humanity to God's Heaven! How was the Soul of Humanity formed? Why was it formed? Why do People today have different religious beliefs? What can religion do today to help manage Earth? Religious beliefs with respect to Earth Management are
issues to be discussed in a Discussion Roundtable during the global dialogue
to be held August 2002. In many ways religious beliefs affect Earth Management, and we want to discuss their importance.
We started this discussion during the World Congress, and we will
continue it in August 2002. During the World Congress the Earth
Community Organization has extended the idea of sustainability
to be a moral and ethical state as well as an economic and environmental
state. We may find that religious beliefs have always been beneficial. I dont know! We invite everyone and every organization
to participate openly without fear. We have asked everyone throughout
the World Congress to scrutinize all of our values. No exception!
You were asked to create new thoughts that will sustain Earth, humanity and all life. This process will help humanity to think clearly and globally.
Your research papers, brainstorming exercises, Vision statements, discussions,
comments and recommendations will be well appreciated and reviewed. They
will give us a sense of direction and purpose. The end product will also
include universal values to connect us together as we all belong to Earth
Community.
From the experience in your life... well!...
I have already described my own life experience in an article of the December 2000 Newsletter.
Today I will clarify and expand on some of the ideas described in the article. I will only describe my own religious beliefs and how they may
help managing Earth.They go along with the movement for Peace in the world. They are the thoughts for the New Age. These are my own
personal thoughts and are not to be confused with any other religious beliefs that may seem similar in essence.
How could religious beliefs be of importance to sustain Earth, humanity, all life, our environment on the planet? Because God is so powerful, and because we are so human
and so weak, we try to make demands on God. I have done so many times myself.
God let us live and die, and it is up to us to have a relationship with
Him. God let us be free. We are free to make choices between
an infinite number of possibilities at each instant throughout our lives.
That is why we could never repeat exactly the same life all over again
even given the same original circumstances. We are free to decide between
right and wrong. We are free to grow spiritually and live better lives
with our Souls and God. God does not tell us what to do or what not to
do, nor does our Soul. Except when Souls want to leave the matter of the Universe forever to enter God's Heaven,
then God will show us the way, for instance following the Ten Commandmends and believe that Christ died for sins once for all...to bring humanity to God.
Otherwise, we are truly free! Once a Soul has merged and evolved enough, it will want to enter God's Heaven. Then it must follow God's pathway to God's Heaven.
The Soul will have been purged or purified before entering God's Heaven. Because of the danger of life extinction on Earth, the
Soul of Humanity will be helping us for some time. This makes a lot
of sense! If you were a Soul would you prefer to serve God in a dust particle
found in the empty space between the oldest galaxies? You would still be
with God! But the next particle might be a million light years away. Pitch
dark! You could not even see or sense the light of the nearest galaxy.
You could not see anything because you would have to be in a lifeform
to do so. Not a very good place to be conscious of God. As a Soul
you would still be with the other Souls but you would not taste life in
the physical Universe. Just a particle! Or would you prefer to be on Earth
or on any other planet where there is life. As a Soul you would probably
prefer to serve God within a human being or within some other advanced
lifeform in the Universe. There is a lot to be conscious of in any
lifeform on Earth. There is so much more to be conscious of in a human
body. Can you believe that every lifeform has a Soul just like ours? Well,
with some differences (all Souls are different; all Souls have lived different
experiences). God is conscious of all lifeforms. For instance, a bird!
God is very happy when He is conscious of flying in our physical Universe.
God loves human beings more because we can talk back to God (so He has
a friend to talk to), and we are conscious of God Himself (so we have a
friend as well). This does not mean we are like God. No way! God does not
look like us, and we dont look like God. Not ever! God is an infinite
Being covering all of the Universe and beyond. By Universe we mean the billion of galaxies,
space and time, formed after the primeval explosion, and beyond. Life has evolved on Earth, and there we are, the 'top of the line species' (you could challenge this theory as
we could have come from another star system). Being the 'top of the line
species' on Earth has put a burden on us. We have the responsibility of
managing Earth. The Earth ecosystem is so fragile that we have to manage
it together wisely. Souls and God want to help us to manage Earth. Why would the Soul of Humanity want to help us? A very simple answer! Throughout our human history we have left behind too many dead bodies, and too much destruction. Everytime a lifeform dies because of us, a Soul lost a physical form to serve God. The Soul has to find another place to serve God. If you were a Soul, would you want to serve God in a dust particle found in the empty space between the oldest galaxies of the Universe? If you were a Soul, would you want to help humanity through the hard times ahead so you could live longer, taste life in a human body and have a relationship within the physical body you are in on Earth? I believe I know your answer. Life is a much better place to be to serve God. And the human body is 'the top of the line species' on Earth. Earth is Heaven for God... because God becomes so happy of being conscious of such diversity of lifeforms on Earth and of so many different ways to be alive in our physical Universe. We could all learn to appreciate Heaven on Earth. If Souls and God can, why cant'we? Every time our Souls are successful with us, that is when we go through life without destroying life around us, no conflicts and wars, and then our Souls are allowed to get closer to God. If a person does anything consciously to damage or destroy the life-support system of the Earth, the ecosystem, and if that person creates or is involved directly or indirectly with conflicts or wars, the Soul of that person is facing the Soul of Humanity. Right now! That Soul is facing the Soul of Humanity right now where all Souls are. God creates particles in places in the Universe, and there is a need for a Soul to serve God in all of those new particles. There is also a need to replace the Souls living in particles between the oldest galaxies and have them come to Earth to taste life. These Souls have been in those particles for more than fifteen billion years and yes, they will be pleased to replace these old Souls on Earth who have gotten too fat for their bellies (a figure of speech) and would rather not bother about the Earth ecosystem and the survival of life on Earth. All Souls within the mineral and plant domains on Earth will also be asked to move up to a higher level, that of the lifeforms. This process has already started a short while ago. In less than a generation a very large number of Souls will be leaving Earth forever and new Souls eager to learn about life in all forms will be replacing them. These new Souls will learn to manage with the living. The merging of all Souls to form the Soul of Humanity may affect significantly this entire process. To manage Earth is very important because Earth is all that we have, and Earth is a spiritual entity that wants respect. Earth is our most precious and the one and only place we can live. Earth is more than just a home - it is Heaven. God Himself is having a good time on Earth because of the diversity of lifeforms, its incredible beauty, and its magnificent 'top of the line species', us, who can adore and serve Him in so many different ways. God was touched deeply by humble people from all religions on Earth. We cannot allow ourselves to let governments and other organizations take away our responsibility for managing Earth. It would be like giving the key of Heaven, our Heaven, to people who would be looking after their own self-interests and not bother with what is truly important. Over the past thousands of years, our species has gone through all sorts of loops and dead ends but we are who we are today: hopeful, imaginative, creative, demanding, powerful, diversified, changing, evolving, intelligent, resourceful, and a kilometre length of skills, qualifications and strengths. We have what it takes to manage Earth wisely and keep it healthy. Somehow we never do enough or we don't do things well enough! What is missing? Respect for Earth is missing. We think of Earth as a pile of dirt to be used anyway we wish. We don't care because we have been told that God will have us in His Heaven after our death. Someone said to me: "So who cares about Earth? I am going to Heaven after I die..." . Guess what someone else said to that person..."from now on, after you die, you will be facing the "Soul of Humanity," and we have just the kind of dirt or dust particle you deserve". What is happening right now is very serious and very real! Purging and renewing of the Souls! On a smaller scale, something similar happened when Jesus (I apologize for using a religious leader from a specific religion) conducted 'The Cleansing of the Temple'. Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those engaged in selling and buying there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And he said to them, 'It is written : "My house shall be a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of thieves." And the Soul of Humanity says today to them: "I am the Soul of Humanity and of all that exists on Earth. My Temple is Earth! Not only are you thieves but you are murderers and killers. I know you all personally as your Souls are a part of me. They are my eyes. You cannot hide and you cannot run. I will not whip you out of my Temple as Jesus did. I have no need for that! You are destroying yourself. The only problem is that you are also responsible for the death of innocent and humble people. Life on Earth and the rest of humanity are threatened with extinction. This is insane! You have polluted air,water and land and you are still creating conflicts and wars. Most often the innocent and the humble people are hurt or killed. I want you to put down your guns, all of you. You will recycle all your weapons, war heads and any war equipment and products. You will stop destroying the ecosystem of the Earth right now. You will be a part of the grassroots process of the Earth Community Organization. You will help to form the Earth Government. Earth shall be a place of prayer and shall become a Heaven for Souls as it is for God. If we, Souls and God, can see life as the most precious thing ever created, and we see Earth as Heaven, why cant'you? After your physical forms are dead, your Souls will separate from me and leave Earth forever.The purging and renewing of the Souls on Earth will last a millennium." If you manufacture bombs, weapons of all types, war ships, war planes, or any other types of war equipment or products, directly or indirectly, and if you provide the services of war, you voted for a leader who claimed war(or conflicts) as a way or a solution to a problem or concern, and/or if you are a soldier, a war maker or doer, then your Soul is facing the Soul of Humanity right now. And good-bye Charlie! And good riddance! Have a good particle in empty space between the oldest galaxies of the Universe and you may keep it for another fifteen billion years! You will serve God right there after you die! You will never see the light again! Earth wants Peace in the world and Earth shall have it. Because of a geographical or political border, or because of some cultural or religious differences, you could not live and learn to be in Peace with the community next to you, your neighbors. If you are an innocent, and you die because of a war or
a conflict, and you did not participate in the above, your Soul will be
back on Earth to taste life again within the 'top of the line species',
ours, within Earth Community and, as a Soul,
you will be allowed to move up to a higher level closer to God. And God
will be so much happier to be conscious of you because you will be closer
to Him/Her. All the other Souls (those who live a life for Peace and are helping
Earth) will also be back on Earth and live a life closer to God (John 3:36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting
life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him").
All of you good Souls are my friends, and there is great joy and happiness in having you in Heaven on Earth. Your Soul and Spirit will also
be given a chance to leave the matter of the Universe forever and enter God's Heaven. Earth was hurt! All Souls on Earth have unified, and they
are now called the Soul of Humanity. Souls can evolve and
can do a lot to heal humanity. They will resolve problems, concerns and
issues peacefully. They will reinstate the respect for Earth and work together
to keep Earth healthy, productive and hospitable for all people and living
things. They have joined forces to bring forth a sustainable global society
embracing universal values related to human rights, economic and social
justice, respect of nature, peace, responsibility to one another, and the
protection and management of the Earth. Everyone shares responsibility
for the present and future well-being of life within Earth Community.
When there is a need to find a solution to a problem or a concern, a sound
solution would be to choose a measure or conduct an action, if possible,
which causes reversible damage as opposed to a measure or an action causing
an irreversible loss. Back to top of the page
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by Germain Dufour The Earth Community Organization (ECO) found a way of dealing with globalization: global ethics. In the past, corporations ruled without checks and balances. For now on global ethics will be a basic minimum to do business, and there will be checks and balances. Our judgement will be based on global ethics. Global ethics must always be grounded in realities. But realities are changing constantly and are different in different places. We live in a world that makes progress toward democracy. Ethics and morality exist only when human beings can act freely. In our free society, rights are tied to responsibilities. Corporations are committed to improvement in business performance and want to be seen as 'good corporate citizens' on a local and a global scale. Corporations have social responsibilities as they are an integral part of society. Global ethics recalls that those realities, on which others build upon, have to be protected first. ECO has found that universal values and human rights as described above were the foundation of global ethics. ECO has now at hand the method and framework to conduct societal checks and balances
of a global sustainable development. A more balanced world economy
will result of annual checks and balances. Corporations will take their
social responsibilities and become involved in designing, monitoring, and
implementing these checks and balances. Several corporations have already
done so. Results will be taken into account in the evaluation of
sustainable development. Corporations are required to expand their responsibilities
to include human rights, the environment, community and family aspects,
safe working conditions, fair wages and sustainable consumption aspects. Back to top of the page
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by James Mwami
Minister of Water Resources Protection Uganda LuweroProject@maf.org BusogaProject@maf.org In Uganda, like many other countries there exist different levels of development as you move from one region to another. The way of life also differ quite significantly. This led to all sorts of allegations leading to this, ranging from political influence to varying abilities (other people are assumed to be more hard working than others). But if one took a closer analysis, one of the leading factors which may have led to this, is water security, The regions which lag behind most of the other are those ones with annual rainfall totals in range of 600-800mm. In Uganda we have areas which have areas with annual rainfall total up to the range of 1500-1800mm. The dry areas have in most cases resorted to a nomadic way of life, therefore with not permanent homes and the idea of developing their places of land and their environment not being there at all on their agenda. The problem has even been magnified further by the same people attacking the neighbouring districts in search for water and is some case end up carrying out cattle rustling. Cases of revenge from the neighbouring districts are also common and in such a state of affairs it is only destruction, which will prevail. Government attempt to reverse this trend has shown signs of success. In the South Western Uganda, the Bahima (a semi-nomadic tribe) have been assisted to settle down and live a sedentary life, by use of a mult-sectoral approach, which has provision of water (for both domestic and live-stock use) as a central focus. After about 5 years of implementation of this project, a significant progress in the people’s lives and their environment in general. About 1000 household have been assisted under this project. About one quarter of the households now have either permanent or semi-permanent houses. They are now very receptive to new ideas and are very anxious to develop just like other parts of the world. With enough water, they have even started acquiring improved breeds of cattle and have less incidences of cattle diseases because less interaction of their animals. Back to top of the page
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by Germain Dufour The Summit of the Americas is a meeting of the 34 National Governments of every country in North, Central, South America and the Caribbean (except Cuba). The meeting will be held April 20-22, 2001, in Quebec City. There will be discussion to extend the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) throughout the Americas to form the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) by 2005. The FTAA will follow the World Trade Organization (WTO) guidelines for settling disputes. The Organization of American States (OAS) manages implementation of this process. Member countries are encouraged to change their economic infrastructures to be in line with the free trade policies of the FTAA. Many member countries have already prioritised economic growth over social aspects and human rights. The FTAA has been shown to be: A) heavily supportive of privatization of health care and education B) in favor of complete trade liberalisation C) using unsustainable and exploitative production contributing to global deforestation, air pollution, climat change, desertification and loss of topsoil D) guaranteeing less control over: * the management of natural resources * environmental and safety standards E) giving more control to profit driven multinational corporations and investors leading to environmental degradation and human right abuses especially of women The Earth Community Organization (ECO) is aware of what the 34 National Governments are trying to achieve
and decided to help them designing an agreement between themselves in line with the Earth Charter of our organization. Several articles
in this Newsletter were written especially to help you find sound solutions. * Primordial human rights * The ecological and primordial human rights of future generations * The right that the greatest number of people has by virtue of its number (50% plus one) and after voting democratically representatives to Earth Government * Economic rights (business and consumer rights, and their responsibilities and accountabilities) and social rights (civil and political rights) * Cultural rights and religious rights ECO found it evident that the ecological base is the essential prerequisite for the effectiveness and exercise of all rights recognized for human beings. The stewardship of the ecological base has to be given priority before the fulfilment of various economic and social wishes. Demands resulting from the socio-economic system of a particular country have to find their limits in the protection of the global ecosystem. Vital interests of future generations have to be considered as having priority before less vital interests of the present generation. Supply chains have to be designed in a way, that the goods can enter after usage or consumption into natural or industrial recycling processes. If serious damages to persons, animals, plants and the ecosystem cannot be excluded, an action or pattern of behaviour should be refrained from. A measure for supplying goods or services should choose a path which entails the least possible impact on the ecological and social system concerned. This way functioning proven systems will not be disturbed, and unnecessary risks will not be taken. Supply strategies consuming less resources should have preference before those enhancing more resource consumption. ECO has also extended the idea of sustainability to be a moral and ethical state, as well as an economic and environmental state, wherein sustainable consumption patterns respect the universal values of peace, security, justice and equity within the human relationships that exist in Earth Community. When there is a need to find a solution to a problem or a concern, a sound solution would be to choose a measure or conduct an action, if possible, which causes reversible damage as oppose to a measure or an action causing an irreversible loss. The existing and future uses of water are constantly challenged; balancing supply and demand is made even harder by the amounts of pollution found in the air, land and waters. A large part of our body is made of water, and we cannot live without water; therefore water is a primordial human right by our very nature. In order to avoid conflicts and wars over drinking (fresh)water, fresh water has been categorized as a primordial human rights. Industrial pollution plays a major role in the deterioration of nature but this time the level of pollution is above the carrying capacity of the ecosystem. Pollution also affects significantly human health and all lifeforms on Earth. Every person needs Oxygen to live so clean air is certainly also a primordial human right by our very nature. Morally right actions or policies are those that result
in the greatest number of people. ECO asks
how meaningful is the right of the greatest number of people if they agree
to the challenge or damage the ecological base of the Earth. The greatest
number of people cannot and will not be allowed to supersede the rights
of the ecological base of Earth.
ECO asks how
meaningful is the right to life or to participation in political life if
poverty, gender inequality, destitution and epidemics prevent individuals
from enjoying freedom of movement, freedom to vote, to marry and so on?
ECO has found evident that economic
and social rights are the essential prerequisite for the effectiveness
and exercise of all other rights (other than ecological rights) recognized
for human beings. This was the reason for organizing the World Congress:
to find the best ways to sustain us all. The developing countries are having
a harder time than others to achieve the exercise of these rights on a
lasting basis, with the problems of economic globalization presenting new
challenges. We must therefore beware of enforcing economic rights alone
to the detriment of individual civil rights and the rights of all individuals
to decide their own fate and the future of their country, their political
rights.
ECO is concerned
with the sustainability of current levels and patterns of consumption and
with the economic, political, personal, environmental, availability of
resources, societal and spiritual impact of excessive, run-away consumption.
The goal of the World Congress was to find a balanced, sustainable
global consumption. About 20% of Earth’s people account for 80% of the
world's total consumption. Globalization of the world economic system
is proceeding at a very rapid pace, and is generally promoted as being
welfare-improving. Globalization is a process of 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 : * Socially responsible and sustainable
to future generations
Consumers' rights impinge on the rights of other humans
living in Earth 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.
ECO found a
way of dealing with globalization: global ethics. In the past, corporations
rule without checks and balances. For now on global ethics will be a basic
minimum to do business, and there will be checks and balances. Our judgement
will be based on global ethics. Global ethics must always be grounded in
realities. But realities are changing constantly and are different in different
places. We live in a world that makes progress toward democracy. Ethics
and morality exist only when human beings can act freely. In our free society,
rights are tied to responsibilities. Corporations are committed to improvement
in business performance and want to be seen as 'good corporate citizens'
on a local and a global scale. Corporations have social responsibilities
as they are an integral part of society. Global ethics recalls that those
realities, on which others build upon, have to be protected first. ECO found that universal values and human rights
as described above were the foundation of global ethics. ECO has now
at hand the method and framework to conduct societal checks and balances
of a global sustainable development. A more balanced world economy
will result of annual checks and balances. Corporations will take their
social responsibilities and become involved in designing, monitoring, and
implementing these checks and balances. Several corporations have already
done so. Results will be taken into account in the evaluation of
sustainable development. Corporations are required to expand their responsibilities
to include human rights, the environment, community and family aspects,
safe working conditions, fair wages and sustainable consumption aspects. Global consumption is a very important aspect of globalization. Consumers should be concerned with the impact of their decisions on the environment but also on the lives, human 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. 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 Earth
Community is a goal for all of us and one of our universal values.
ECO found that
an adequate level of health care is a universal value as well as
a human right. We expect adequate health services to be accessible, affordable,
compassionate and socially acceptable. We believe that every individual
of a society is co-responsible for helping in implementing and managing
health programmes along with the government and the public institutions.
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