You are invited to reflect upon moments when you have suddenly felt a deep sense of oneness or connection in your life. We are gathering personal stories and photos from every region of the world, and will publish selected submissions in a book, to be released internationally in 2009. Through this project, our vision is to celebrate the unity and diversity of connections that bind us together, and reaffirm our common purpose of creating a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world.

Human existence is full of moments of connection that transcend our separate realities – the barriers that divide us from each other and the Earth – and reveal a common oneness…often when we least expect it. These moments are crucial to our hope and work for a better world. This project was born out of a firm belief in both the power of stories to shape the world we live in, and the core importance of moments of deep connection to our sense of shared responsibility, care, and belonging in one Earth community. Amidst the daily onslaught of stories that further division, it is our hope to share moments of connection that bring us closer together and foster a common vision of a better world. Please share with us your voice, your images, and your inspiration!

The Question

The question we are inviting you to respond to has two parts: When have you experienced moments of unexpected connection or oneness in your life, and how has this feeling inspired and sustained your vision, hope, and action for a better world?

What are we looking for?

Stories and photos from your personal experience that speak to or convey unexpected moments of connection. This connection could be with anything that has inspired in you a feeling of oneness – with a culture, a stranger, a mountain, a community, or a passing butterfly. These may stem from experiences of the everyday or the extraordinary, from a random encounter that expanded your sense of connection to a defining revelation in your life. Ultimately, we want to hear about those moments of connection that have had a meaningful impact on your everyday life.

We are particularly looking for submissions from a great diversity of ages, cultures, religions, and walks of life. We therefore also welcome submissions that unearth the story of someone whose voice might not otherwise be heard, due to such barriers as language or technology. Please see the general guidelines for further details.

Who can submit?

Everyone. We especially encourage contributions from individuals with no previous publication experience and those who might otherwise be underrepresented, such as people from younger and older generations, women, and people living in marginalized regions or communities.

When is the deadline for submissions?

Send in your submissions by August 15th, 2008 (12 midnight GMT) for first priority consideration.

** NOTE: Deadline to be extended. Please check back soon for more information. **

How to submit?

1) Carefully read the rules and guidelines for submissions as listed below.
2) Fill out and submit the simple online form here.
3) Immediately after submitting the form, follow the guidelines for sending each submission by email to submissions@earthcharter.org. Photos may, alternatively, be sent by post.

General rules for submission:

* All submissions should reflect the theme of "experiencing oneness or connection in unexpected moments in your life.”
* Each person may submit 1 story and up to 3 photos for consideration.
* It is also possible to unearth the story of someone you know or happen to meet. This should be a first person account of your encounter with another person’s story, not an interview.
* Please complete and submit the online form before sending your submission.
* All submissions (except print photos, see below) should be sent by email to submissions@earthcharter.org. Each submission should be attached to a separate email with “photo” or “story” in the subject line to identify the type of submission. Please also include your full name in the subject line (example: “photo_Maria Sanchez”).
* Photos and stories that are intended to go together should be given the same title, but will be considered separately and should be submitted in separate emails. Photos for this purpose must be your own, or those you have a copyright to.
* Submissions must be entirely your own work, and not previously published.
* We reserve the right to edit and publish your submissions in our 2009 compilation, and in other Earth Charter International publications.

Guidelines for written submissions:

* Submissions should be in a Microsoft Word compatible document.
* 1-4 pages, single-spaced (500-2400 words) with 1-inch margins.
* Times New Roman, 12 point font.
* Please try to follow US-style spelling and grammar.
* Please include your full name, country of origin, and a title for the piece at the top of each page of your submission.
* We can only accept submissions in English. If English isn’t your first language, we still encourage you to submit (in English), and will happily edit your submission if selected.
* Submissions must be true stories based on your personal experience.

Guidelines for photos:

* Photos can be submitted either digitally or by post, in black and white or color.
* Digital photos should be at least 1819 x 2598 pixels [154 x 220mm horizontal] at 300 dpi resolution or higher.
* Digital photos should be sent in jpeg format, and should not exceed a file size of 10 MB.
* Print photos may be submitted by post to Dominic Stucker, Earth Charter International, C/O University for Peace, P.O Box 138-6100, San Jose, Costa Rica.
* Photos submitted by post should be between 4x5 and 8x10 inches in size.
* For every submission, please include in numbered order the following information in your email or letter:
1) Your full name
2) Your country of origin
3) A title for the photo
4) The date the photo was taken
5) The place the photo was taken, including town or region and country
6) A brief one or two sentence caption describing the photo
7) A paragraph explaining how the photo reflects the publication theme.

What to expect?

You will be sent an email confirmation upon receipt of your submission. All participants will be notified about the outcome of the selection process by April 2009. Bios and pictures will be solicited from selected contributors. Selected submissions will be published both online and in print form in a global compilation to be released and widely distributed in 2009. All selected participants will receive a copy of the book. The submissions may continue to be used by Earth Charter International in future publications and its campaigns for a more sustainable world.

How will submissions be selected?

Every submission will be carefully considered, and we will select those that best reflect the theme of oneness and the diversity of contributions we are seeking. A key criterion for selections will be achieving a gender, intergenerational and regional balance.

The Advisory and Editorial Team includes:

* Alide Roerink (Netherlands), National Committee for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development (NCDO)

* Anna Duhon (USA), North American Representative, Youth Leadership Team

* Camila Argolo Godinho (Brazil), Environmental Activist, and Member of the Commission of Sustainable Development Youth Caucus and Education Caucus

* Dominic Stucker (Germany/USA), International Youth Coordinator, Earth Charter International

* Dumisani Nyoni (Zimbabwe), Advisor and Board Member of TakingITGlobal

* Henriette Rasmussen (Greenland), Indigenous Representative and former Minister in the Government of Greenland

* Karim El Mantawi (Egypt), Researcher, Media, Peace and Conflict Studies, the United Nations-mandated University for Peace

* Laurie Lane-Zucker (USA), Founder & President, Triad Institute; Founder & CEO, Hotfrog.org; Co-founder and former Executive Director, The Orion Society

* Lisa Jokivirta (Canada/Finland), North America Representative, Youth Leadership Team

* Mamata Pandya (India), Programme Director, Center for Environmental Education, Ahmedabad

* Mary Evelyn Tucker (USA), Founder of the Forum on Religion and Ecology and Professor at Yale University

* Mirian Vilela (Brazil), Executive Director, Earth Charter International

* Sam Crowell (USA), Co-Director, Center for Holistic & Integrative Learning, California State University

Who are we?

The Earth Charter is a widely recognized, global consensus statement on ethics and values for a more just, sustainable, and peaceful future. The Earth Charter Initiative is the collective name for the extraordinarily diverse, global network of people, organizations, and institutions that participate in promoting the Earth Charter, and in implementing its principles in practice. The themes of oneness and connection are at the core of the Earth Charter, and integrated across all its four core values: respect and care for the community of life, ecological integrity, social and economic justice, and democracy, nonviolence and peace. You can find out more at www.earthcharter.org.

This publication is a Global Action project of the Earth Charter Youth Leadership Team, a group of 12 global representatives from the Earth Charter Youth Initiative (ECYI). It is being implemented in the spirit of Earth Charter’s broader Campaign for Intergenerational Partnership for Sustainability.