The Earth Charter Initiative - Values and Principles for a Sustainable Future

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Mission

The mission of the Earth Charter Initiative is to promote the transition to sustainable ways of living and a global society founded on a shared ethical framework that includes respect and care for the community of life, ecological integrity, universal human rights, respect for diversity, economic justice, democracy, and a culture of peace.

United Kingdom


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See Earth Charter UK website at www.earthcharteruk.org

England

In March 2006, at Imperial College London, Earth Charter International convened an invitational seminar with about seventy-five UK opinion leaders in sustainable development called, "The Value of Values: Global Ethics and the Future of Sustainable Development". The seminar's purpose was to introduce the Charter to this group, and to set the stage for the expansion of Earth Charter activity in the United Kingdom.
 
Participants ranged from sustainability directors of companies to heads of research institutions, from representatives of leading NGOs to local government officials, from well-known financiers to small business entrepreneurs. A strong youth contingent was also invited, reflecting the Earth Charter Initiative's prioritization on the substantive engagement of youth in sustainable development work. ECI has a complete multi-media package documenting this ground-breaking seminar, which featured internationally renowned speakers as John Elkington, Alexander Likhotal, Ruud Lubbers, Herman Mulder, Jane Nelson, and Princess Basma Bint Talal.
 
In February 2007, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and Earth Charter Commissioner, Wangari Maathai, was the guest of honor at the special seminar on the “The Earth Charter, Past and Future” at Exeter College, one of the oldest colleges at Oxford University. The seminar brought together a small number of international Earth Charter leaders with members of the newly-formed Earth Charter UK Trust. During that time the Earth Charter UK was established. Together this group took a fresh look at the Earth Charter's past and future -- partly with an international focus, and partly with an eye to the Earth Charter's future in the United Kingdom.
 
In September 2008, a diverse group of representatives of faith-based organizations in the UK came together to explore the Earth Charter. Among the key speakers were Dr. Doug Bourn, chair of the Earth Charter Council of Trustees in the UK, Rabbi Jeffrey Newman, Founder of Earth Charter UK and Michael Slaby.

Since the Earth Charter UK formation in 2007, the participants of the Earth Charter UK have worked to introduce the EC nationally, regionally and locally within the ‘sectors’ of Education, Youth, Faith Communities, Business and ‘government’ including NGO’s.

They have set up an organisational framework (a group of Trustees and Patrons) and are seeking to be granted charitable status which will provide them with a number of advantages. Founding Sponsor www.pentland.com has offered unique support.

Possibly the most important development in the UK with regard to the EC has been the endorsement by Bournemouth Borough Council and this has been followed by the endorsement also of the Bournemouth 2026 Partnership, which involves 200 local voluntary and statutory groups. During 2009, the Earth Charter UK looks forward to continuing work with the Charter in schools in the area, and the involvement of local business. All this came about through the work of a local Inter-faith group www.eco-faith.org which saw the environment and climate change as the greatest issue facing Earth and the Earth Charter as a way of thinking about such issues which could unite many people.

In this way, the process of introducing the Earth Charter in the UK shows how true is the phrase that “the individual can make a difference.” This is also true of individual organisations. Once the inspiration of the Charter, combined with its practical, specific detailed requirements, has communicated with a person or group then change and development can happen very quickly. You can find more information on the South West of England, Faith and Interfaith, Education and Business if you go here.  Please see the new case of the Avonbourn School in Dorset.

Scotland

In October 2003 Scotland’s Second Earth Charter Community Summit took place. It was organized by members of Earth Charter Scotland in conjunction with Fife Council, Benarty Regeneration Action Group, the Lochore Country Meadows Country Park Rangers, as well as Rev. Monica Michelin-Salomon from TIBAL, an interfaith organization. The main theme of the event was “Propagating the Seeds of Change”. Action for change, a local NGO, has been promoting the Earth Charter through its activities for a number of years.  In the education field Duns Primary School is using the Earth Charter to help build intercultural bridges.  More information about this here. 

The first Earth Charter Student Group was formed to UK in September 2009.



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On September 28th, 2011 Earth Charter UK presented written evidence to the Parliament regarding Rio +20.
The Earth Charter International (ECI) is conducting its first-ever International Video Contest, in collaboration with Odyssey 2050 movie project and the British Embassy in Costa Rica.  Deadline for participation is 30 November 2011.
An Earth Charter inspired and student-led conference took place in the Avonbourne School, in Bournemouth, UK. 
Interview with Peter Head, Consultant and Former Chairman of Global Planning, ARUP, on Earth Charter and sustainability. Full video from the interview available on YouTube.

Inspired by the principles of the Earth Charter, the "Global Vision, Local Action" Conference will be taking place on 8-9 September 2011 in Bournemouth UK.  The call for papers is open until 29 April.
Earth Charter youth network aims to expand in Europe and Central Asia!
International conference showcasing the results of ESDinds project, where ECI has participated. December 16-18 2010, Brighton UK.
Read the new article "The potential of the Earth Charter as a science-teaching tool" by Stephan Harding, Jason Holbrook and Jeffrey Newman for the School Science Review in the UK.

The roundtable called “Business and the Earth Charter:  Towards responsible business” was held in London on  12 October 2010.

We value.org is a website that allows any interested organization to test the indicators developed by the ESDinds project.
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