In early 1998 a process to engage different groups of Brazilian society was initiated and an Earth Charter National Committee was created to promote awareness, engagement and multi-sectoral inclusiveness on the Earth Charter consultation process. This was followed by a series of preparatory events for the Earth Charter Continental meeting of the Americas held in December 1998. Participants from all over the American Continent were present and engaged in discussions regarding the principles that should be included in the Earth Charter. The event was organized with the support of the Government of the State of Mato Grosso.

For many years The Paulo Freire Institute, Sao Paulo office, has been engaged in promoting the Earth Charter through educational initiatives. In August 1999 the Institute organized an international gathering of 150 educators to explore the possibilities of the Earth Charter from an educational perspective. Summaries of 75 essays received were used as workshop materials. In addition the Institute has held a number of training projects in which the Earth Charter has been used as an instrument and source of inspiration and motivation.

ITAIPU, the bi-national state owned hydro electric company, has used the Earth Charter as a valuable ethical framework, educational tool, and as the common thread linking the 70 or more projects that are part of the programme Cultivando Agua Buena (Cultivating Good Water), which began in 2003. For their efforts they won the Maximo Kalaw Earth Charter award in 2005.

Itaipú Binacional is the world’s largest hydroelectric dam. It has a social and environmental mission; with a special attention on the preservation of water. It runs a program called Cultivando Agua Buena (Cultivating Good Water), dedicated to the preservation of water, soil and life. It has developed sustainable environmental initiatives in 29 Paraná River municipalities influenced by the dam.

Overall there are 20 programs and 63 projects based on the socio/environmental responsibility, developed in the Royal Unity of Nature Planning which is the hydrographic basin. The projects are directed to the people in order to encourage them to change their behavior in their ways of being/feeling, living, producing and consuming.

The Cultivando Agua Buena Project involves local partners in each of its actions working on co-responsibility with excellent community participation. Overall there are 2146 associated institutions, among others universities, governmental organizations and NGOs. Cultivando Agua Buena shows us a path of hope in the collective creating of sustainable environment. Based on the ethics of care and the sustainability of the Planet, Cultivando Agua Buena follows the principles of the Earth Charter in all of its actions.

The EC has been used dynamically as a working tool with different social actors. The farmers and the inhabitants of the micro river basins that are in a process of recovery from the environmental liabilities are studying and adapting the principles of the EC and using them in their daily lives.

A formal network of teaching has been established and the professors have organized EC study workshops and three conferences with theologist Leonard Boff, with more than 3000 participants. In addition to this a new edition of the Earth Charter for children is going to be released, illustrated with regional theme and for the use of some 135 000 students in the Paraná Basin 3 area.

Workshops have been organized with regional leaders, including representatives from all social sectors, to stimulate respect and solidarity among the villages, cultures and the whole community of life.

For instance, in the implementation of the management of the watersheds and through the so called Future Workshops, the essence of the Earth Charter emerges. These steps are followed in this process:
1. Wailing Wall –the community identifies its environmental situation, acknowledges and details the problems that need to be resolved.
2. Tree of Hope –the community realizes that it has dreams for a better environment and for a better world, for a better place for themselves as well as for the future generations.
3. Way Forward –The community defines what is necessary for the sustainability of the environment, taking a responsibility for its actions.
4. Water Agreement –A celebration within the communities with a release of the Water Agreement Charter, which not only shows the results of the Future Workshop but also engages the communities with concrete actions.

In total, 86 Future Workshops have been organized in Paraná Basin 3 area so far. There have been 65 special EC workshops for the professors, with around 3000 participants. Other 7 special workshops for leaders had 210 participants. Thousands of people have received materials and information about the Earth Charter. These actions have influenced and will continue to influence more than 250000 people living in the area of Paraná Basin 3. 

At the Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiba, a group of 41 individuals established an Earth Charter Committee for the State of Mato Grosso with the purpose of reflecting and exploring possible avenues for local adoption and use of the Earth Charter. Through their effort a number of seminars and events were organized over the years such as “The Mato Grosso Earth Charter seminar”, which was celebrated in October 2000, and involved more than 500 people.

Since 2002, the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment has disseminated the Earth Charter and has been using it in some of its initiatives, particularly as a guide to implement the Agenda 21 Program, and as a reference for holding national environmental conferences. The National Environmental Conferences and the Local Agenda 21 effort are among the venues that have promoted the Earth Charter. The Ministry has encouraged participants to take into account the Earth Charter principles as a guide in this participatory process. In April 2007, Brazil's Minister of Environment, Marina Silva (who is also a legendary environmental campaigner), signed an agreement of technical cooperation with Earth Charter International and the Human Rights Defense Center of Petropolis to widely disseminate, promote and use the Earth Charter.

In 2009 a new Affiliate signed Earth Charter International.  Harmonia na Terra has shared with us a report from last yea's activities with the Earth Charter.  Please see the document in Portuguese here.

For more information see the Earth Charter website in Brazil at  http://www.cartadaterrabrasil.org/