Heidi Stucker, Earth Charter Youth Initiative Member and AmeriCorps *VISTA Volunteer, has been working with Groundwork Lawrence, located in Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA, since July 2007. She submitted the following piece about the organization’s Green Team activities on Earth Day.

Groundwork Lawrence employs youth, ages 14-18, in a yearlong program, called the Green Team, which supports their development into committed and knowledgeable stewards of their urban environment. This year’s Green Team has been engaged in city-wide clean-ups, urban gardening, water quality testing, and organizing and leading an environmental expo that covered such topics as diesel pollution, and alternatives to toxic household cleaning agents.

On Earth Day, I brought the Green Team to attend a speech at Tufts University by Van Jones, a dynamic Green Jobs activist and founder of Green For All based in Oakland, California. His words were truly inspirational. In front of an audience of approximately 400 people, the Green Team had the chance to engage Van Jones in a dialogue about maintaining hope in the face of adversity. We also wanted to know more about the role youth can play in making a difference in the world.

Click here to watch the entire video address by Van Jones. If you click on “Audience Questions” you will hear the first question posed by Wanny Muñoz, one of our articulate Green Team members!

For more on Groundwork Lawrence, click below.

Do you have a special interest in sustainability and intergenerational partnership? Would you like to have a "Buddy" mentor/mentee who works in the World Conservation Union's Commission on Education and Communication( IUCN's CEC)?

If so, then apply for the "Buddy Experiment" we have helped organize between individual youth from our networks and Members of IUCN's CEC. The Buddy Experiment is intended to show Intergenerational Partnership for Sustainability (IPS) in action. The commitment is minimal and the potential for mutual learning and fun is high!

Read the full invitation and apply here. The deadline is 13 April 2008, so act now!

In peace and intergenerational solidarity,
The IPS Coordination Team

Earth Charter Youth Initiative * Global Youth Action Network * TakingItGlobal * Peace Child International * Peace Child Peru - Embajodores del Desarrollo *
Youth Action for Change * UNEP South Asia Youth Environment Network

Learn more: Campaign for Intergenerational Partnership for Sustainability.

Thanks to Jana Kovandzic, YLT Rep from Serbia, for submitting this report and photos.

The United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY or, alternatively, "you know why") organized a study session entitled “Applicability of peacebuilding in youth work.” This study session was organized in cooperation with the Earth Charter Youth Initiative (ECYI), Peace Action Training and Research Institute of Romania (PATRIR), and Youth Action for Peace (YAP). The study session was supported by the Council of Europe (COE). The study session took place from 2-9 March 2008, at the European Youth Center of the Council of Europe in Budapest, Hungary.

Click below to read the full report and leave comments!

The following is an exerpt from the forthcoming Earth Charter International Annual Report for 2007.

The Earth Charter Youth Initiative (ECYI) grew significantly and undertook meaningful work last year. Personally, I am inspired everyday by the efforts of ECYI Members to bring about a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. Thank you for your dedication and many kindnesses.

Peace,

Dominic Stucker
International Youth Coordinator

Please click below to read more and post your comments.

In "The Way Forward" of the Earth Charter, there is a line that I have heard quoted by people who were directly involved in the drafting process - people who, I had wrongly assumed, would be married to every letter of the Charter. It reads:

"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."

This sentiment moves us away from seeing the Earth Charter as a final product, and focusses on the ongoing process that created it. Indeed, it falls primarily to the younger generation to continue this global dialogue, review the Earth Charter, and make suggestions for revision that ensure the applicability of the document to our present-day realities, while maintaining the principles at its heart.

Therefore, I encourage you to review the Earth Charter and make your own constructive suggestions for revision, below.

To start our conversation, Josef Major, an ECYI Member from Israel, writes:

I am very pleased to report that the two Candidates for the North American Youth Leadership Team vacancy, Anna Duhon and Yongjie Yon, held a cooperative, soul-searching, and productive Town Hall Meeting over the course of the past week. Thanks to all of you who posed questions to the Candidiates and followed their responses.

The closure of the Town Hall Meeting also means that all the votes are in and counted. Thanks to those who voted - your voice has been heard! The successful Candidate will join Lisa, North American Representative (3rd from left), and the Youth Leadership Team (pictured here, minus Timmy and Yuyun) in realizing their ambitious Plan of Action for 2008-2009.

Regardless of the results, I am pleased to see that Anna and Yongjie are highly committed to the Earth Charter and will surely work closely together to help expand and empower the ECYI. Congratulations to both Candidates for being such dynamic, passionate, and bold ECYI Members.

Click below to see the complete Youth Leadership Team and to welcome its newest Representative!

In peace and gratitude,

Dominic Stucker
International Youth Coordinator

This week, the ECYI is holding an online Town Hall Meeting and Election to fill the vacancy on the Youth Leadership Team (YLT) for a second North American Representative.

The two Candidates for the role are Anna Duhon of Massachusetts, USA, and Yongjie Yon of British Columbia, Canada. Both are committed to the vision of the Earth Charter and youth empowerment, and enthusiastic to take on YLT responsibilities. The elected Candidate will work closely with Lisa Jokivirta, the current YLT Rep for North America.

This Town Hall Meeting, which start today and ends on Wednesday, 20 February, is a chance for you, the Voters, to get to know Anna and Yongjie better: read their Candidate Statements and CVs, view their photos, and, most importantly, ask them questions by posting comments. Please list your name and country in all comments. Candidates will respond to your questions, or risk losing your vote!

Eligible Voters must:
* have endorsed the Earth Charter before voting;
* have completed the ECYI Membership Application
(or send it in with your vote);
* have been born in or have permanent residency in North America (Canada, Greenland, and USA); and
* have been born on or after 1 January 1978 and on or before 31 December 1991.

After you learn about the Candidates and engage in dialogue with them, cast your vote anytime before midnight Central Standard Time (CST) on Wednesday, 20 February by sending an e-mail to youthcoordinator [@] earthcharter.org. Each eligible Voter may cast one vote. Late votes will not be accepted.

Your vote e-mail must:

* include your full name, country, and date of birth;
* include the name of the Candidate who has earned your vote; and
* have "NA YLT Vote" in the subject line.

Please click below to see photos of Anna and Yongjie, read their Candidate Statements, peruse their CVs, and post comments and questions!

Good luck to both Candidates!

The e-GLO Team is very pleased to announce that the e-GLO application process is open for interested participants! Get more information and download the application here for this Earth Charter-inspired global learning opportunity! The application deadline is 1 February 2008, so don't delay!

e-GLO (Earth Charter Global Learning Opportunity) is a semester-long, online course that provides a great way to learn about promoting your youth group and community development projects through global digital media! This debut course will be offered in English to 20-30 youth aged 15-30.

We look forward to getting your application!

Peace,
The e-GLO Team

Dominic Stucker, e-GLO Program Director (Costa Rica / USA / Germany)
Mike Sheehan, e-GLO Program Manager (Canada)
Leah Wener, e-GLO Advisor (Thailand / USA)
Camila Godinho, e-GLO Advisor (Brazil)

By Alicia Jimenez and Dominic Stucker

The 4th International Conference on Environmental Education (ICEE) was held in Ahmedabad, India. From November 24th to 28th, 2007, representatives from all sectors and regions of the world gathered to share information, experiences and best practices about ongoing and planned initiatives in the field of Environmental Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

ECI activities within ICEE:

• Facilitation of the working session: “Integrating Values of Sustainability into Education: The Promise of the Earth Charter”
• Joint coordination of the working session “Youth: Trendsetters of ESD”
• Launch meeting of ECYI’s recently elected Youth Leadership Team (YLT)
• Launch of the Intergenerational Partnership initiative.

Personal day-to-day reports from YLT Representatives:

• On the Road: the YLT Meets in India, by Jana Kovandzic and Samer Eid
• YLT Rockin' Second Day in India, by Gabriela Monteiro and Lisa Jokivirta
• Youth: Agents of Change, by Aparna Susarla and Namir Nava
• Great Contributions from the YLT on Fourth Day, by Hind Ottmani and Didier Gleyzes
• Day 5, by Niu Kejia and Dominic Stucker (coming soon)

Check out this video by Gabriela Monteiro!

In August 2007, I had the pleasure of meeting and working with the ECYG Students for Sustainability in Daugavpils, Latvia. They are hosted by our Affiliate, the Institute for Sustainable Education at Daugavpils University. The purpose of my visit was to contribute to the planning of the international students’ conference "Let’s Live Together, Let’s Live Sustainably," which was held from 16-19 October 2007. The following report, written by Santa Upīte, summarizes the conference's activities and outcomes. Thanks to ECYG Students for Sustainability for their hard work! - Dominic Stucker, International Youth Coordinator

The international students’ conference ‘Let’s Live Together, Let’s Live Sustainably’ took place from the 16th till the 19th of October, 2007 in Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia. The target audience of the conference were students from all around Europe... students from Russia (Tula and St. Petersburg), Belarus, Lithuania and Latvia (Riga, Rezekne, and Daugavpils) participated in the conference.

It is with great pride that I announce that the ECYG Youth International Education Club NEWLINE has translated the Earth Charter into Belorussian! The Belorussian version of the Earth Charter can help reach the estimated 9 million speakers of the language. Congratulations and thanks to those involved!

- Dominic Stucker, International Youth Coordinator

Article on workshop submitted by Dmitry Savelau, Coordinator, ECYG YIEC NEWLINE

On August 22, 2007 the Belarussian ECYG, Youth International Education Club NEWLINE, gave a two-hour workshop on the Earth Charter Initiative involving 60 students from various Belarussian universities interested in the issues of migration and integration. The meeting was held within a “Migration and Integration in Europe” Summer School, which YIEC NEWLINE’s team was organizing for the first time in cooperation with the UNHCR in Belarus, the Center for International Studies, the Institute of German Studies and the Internet portal “New Europe.”
The Summer School aimed at providing participants with as complete as possible an overview of international, European, and national policies on migration and integration, from the perspective of the governmental and non-governmental sectors. Here, the Earth Charter workshop was integrated into the program to discuss how these policies and legislation can be monitored and influenced in order to have a more just and sustainable society.

In order for the Earth Charter to reach a truly global audience, its translation into numerous languages is essential. Congratulations to the Earth Charter Youth Group at the University of Jyväskylä for producing a professional Finnish translation of the Earth Charter! It is with great pleasure that I share with you a piece written by Lisa Jokivirta, founding coordinator of this ECYG, newly-elected representative on the Youth Leadership Team, and Intern at the Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development in Costa Rica. - Dominic Stucker

Terveisiä (translation: "Greetings") from Jyväskylä! My name is Lisa Jokivirta, and I am the founding coordinator of the Earth Charter Youth Group (ECYG) in Finland. As the first-ever ECYG in the country, our initial and most pressing task has been to translate the Earth Charter into Finnish. I would like to take this moment to describe some of the rewards and challenges of the EC translation process, and share some tips for those of you interested in producing further translations. I would also like to share with you a few personal reflections on the Earth Charter, and outline some of the future initiatives of our Group.

Before announcing the new Youth Leadership Team (YLT), I wish to convey my heart-felt thanks to the out-going Core Group Members, the fore runners to and co-designers of the YLT. Over 30 youth (pictured above) participated in the historic EC+5 Conference, held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in 2005. From among these youth, 13 volunteers stepped forward to form the Core Group. This dynamic, global team has rendered a great service to the ECYI and provided important guidance that has contributed to its development and growth. As the International Youth Coordinator, I, personally, am indebted to them for their advice and encouragement. To the Core Group of 2005-2007: hats off and thank you! Know that your continued involvement with ECYI is highly valued, whether as a Member and/or Youth Mentor.

The YLT "Town Hall Meeting" and Elections were a great success! As you know, 21 highly-qualified and diverse Candidates stepped forward to participate. The week-long dialog that followed between Candidates and Voters was stimulating, constructive, and unprecedented in terms of the volume of comments posted to the ECYI Blog. Furthermore, the efforts of Candidates' campaigning - especially in Nigeria, Rwanda, Indonesia, Serbia, and Brazil - resulted in a wave of new ECYI Members and an attendant spike in Earth Charter endorsements.

A total of exactly 100 votes were cast for YLT Candidates. Each vote was carefully reviewed to ensure that it came from an ECYI Member who had endorsed the Earth Charter and was within the eligible age range. Furthermore, votes could only be cast within one's own region of origin or residence. Only one vote was allowed per person.

Congratulations, in particular, to the Voters in the regions of "Africa and the Middle East" and "Asia and the Pacific!" These regions cast the greatest number of votes, entitling them not just to 2, but 3 YLT Representatives.

As per the YLT Guidelines, within each region the male/female couple - one from each sub-region - with the greatest combined votes was selected first as YLT Representatives. Then, in the two regions above, third Candidates were determined based on who had the greatest number of individual votes.

As you know, the new YLT will immediately be busy preparing for their trip to Ahmedabad, India in late November, where they will participate in the 4th International Conference on Environment Education. They will review the Core Group Plan of Action 2005-2007 and write the YLT Plan of Action 2007-2009. Be ready to offer your YLT Representatives input for these efforts. They will also be helping to co-facilitate a working session focused on youth and be on some of the plenary panels throughout the Conference. They will have opportunities to meet other Earth Charter representatives, as well as members of UNEP's South Asia Youth Environment Network (SAYEN), with whom we will be signing a Partnership Agreement.

So, a warm thank you to all of the Candidates and Voters who participated in this historic, democratic process for the ECYI. I hope that you have enjoyed the experience and that all of you stay actively involved in the ECYI long into the future.

Without further ado, click below to view the ECYI's new Youth Leadership Team! Congratulations to all! Please post comments below!

I am pleased to introduce to you, the ECYI and the general public, all of the Candidates for the Youth Leadership Team! There are 21 highly qualified and diverse Candidates, from 19 different countries around the world. Seven are female and 14 are male. From this group, our YLT of 11 youth will be selected based on your votes and gender and geographic balance. This opens our "Town Hall Meeting and Voting Week," which ends precisely at midnight (CET) on Sunday 23 September. The new YLT will be announced soon thereafter.

This week is a chance for you, the Voters, to get to know your regional Candidates better: read their Candidate Statements and CVs, view the Candidates' photos, and, most importantly, ask them questions - either individually or as a regional group - by posting comments at the bottom of the appropriate blog entry. Please list your name and country in all comments. Candidates will respond to your questions, or risk losing your vote!

Within each region - when possible - the male/female pair of Candidates, one from each sub-region, with the highest combined number of votes will be chosen as the regional YLT Representatives. Also, remember that the 2 regions with the highest number of overall votes (and at least 3 Candidates) will be rewarded with an additional Representative.

So Voters: learn about the Candidates, engage in dialog with them, and cast your vote anytime before midnight (CET) on Sunday 23 September by sending an e-mail to dominic [@] earthcharterinaction.org. Each eligible ECYI Member may cast one vote based on their country of origin or residence. Late votes will not be accepted. Your vote e-mail must:

* include your full name, country, and date of birth,
* include the full name of the Candidate who has earned your vote, and
* have "[Your Region] YLT Vote" in the subject line.

If you have not yet filled out the ECYI Membership Application, it MUST accompany your vote e-mail in order for it to be considered.

Please click on your region, below, to engage with your regional Candidates:

* Africa and the Middle East: 8 Candidates
* Asia and the Pacific: 5 Candidates
* Europe and Central Asia: 4 Candidates
* Latin America and the Caribbean: 3 Candidates
* North America: 1 Candidate

Let the Town Hall Meeting and Voting begin!

Dominic Stucker
International Youth Coordinator

I am very pleased to report that the feedback from the ECYI on the YLT Guidelines was overwhelmingly positive. Read the updated version of the YLT Guidelines.

Furthermore, the deadline for Voter Registration and declaring your Candidacy has been extended to this Sunday, 16 September. In order to vote, please complete and submit the ECYI Membership Application to me at dominic [@] earthcharterinaction.org. To declare your candidacy, please complete and submit the ECYI Membership Application and the YLT Candidate Statement. We need candidates from all regions of the world, both male and female.

As planned, the Election Process will culminate with a “Town Hall Meeting” and “Voting Week” on the ECYI Blog from 17-23 of September.

Those candidates who are elected to the YLT will be supported in meeting in Ahmedabad, India in November 2007, just before the 4th International Conference on Environment Education. The YLT will also participate in the Conference, co-delivering a workshop with UNEP's South Asia Youth Environment Network (SAYEN). The Center for Environment Education, an Earth Charter Affiliate, along with UNEP and UNESCO are organizing and hosting the Conference. Many people from the Earth Charter Initiative will be in attendance for YLT Representatives to meet.

I encourage you to participate in this exciting effort to reform ECYI governance!

Peace,
Dominic Stucker
International Youth Coordinator

ECYI Review
I am very pleased and excited to launch the formation of the ECYI's "Youth Leadership Team!" In close consultation with the current Core Group and ECI staff, we have written detailed Youth Leadership Team Guidelines, which we share with you, the ECYI, for review. Please send your comments or questions to dominic [@] earthcharterinaction.org by 5 September 2007.

Overview of Youth Leadership Team
The Youth Leadership Team (YLT) is intended to be a revitalized, empowered, and democratic version of the Core Group. It will consist of 10-12 Representatives - elected by ECYI Members from their respective regions - entrusted with guiding the ECYI and strengthening its regional networks. The International Youth Coordinator (IYC) and YLT will work collaboratively in promoting the ECYI and the Earth Charter. The Team – as a whole - will receive a budget of 2,500 USD per year from Earth Charter International (ECI) for regional activities. Furthermore, YLT Representatives will be partially or fully supported in attending one international YLT meeting during their 2-year term. They are also encouraged to represent the Earth Charter at relevant regional events and speaking engagements.

Election Process Timeline
28 Aug - 05 Sept → ECYI Review of YLT Guidelines
29 Aug - 12 Sept → Registration of Voters (Membership Renewal)
30 Aug - 12 Sept → Call for Regional YLT Candidates
17 Sept - 23 Sept → "Town Hall Meeting" on ECYI Blog
17 Sept - 23 Sept → Voting via E-mail
26 Sept → Introduction of new YLT

Whether as a Voter, Candidate, or supportive older Member of the ECYI, I look forward to your engagement in this historic process of ECYI governance reform. The YLT will empower the ECYI and strengthen our network. Let your voice be heard! Check your e-mail and this blog frequently for the latest updates.

Dominic Stucker
International Youth Coordinator

As you all know, a powerful earthquake of magnitude 8.0 shook southern Peru on 15 August 2007, causing loss of life, structural damage, and the urgent need for humanitarian intervention (see USGS website). I wrote to ECYI Members in Peru and heard from Carlos Ponce de Leon, the Coordinator of our ECYG, Asociacion Peruana de Escultismo, and Mabel Toribio, Director of Peace Child International Peru, to learn more about the situtation and how others might help.

Carlos sent me the pictures you see here and wrote to me about mobilizing his youth group to take action. Read his inspirational letter in Spanish or English.

Mabel described a particular project, coordinated by Un Techo Para Mi Pais Peru, which is building small wooden houses (18 m2)for those families who lost their homes during the earthquake. For each home they require 800 USD and volunteer construction help. The first group of 300 volunteers is already building the first 100 houses. Mabel hopes to join the next group of volunteers, pending adequate project funding. Should you wish to make a donation, it can be sent via Western Union to "Un Techo Para Mi Pais En Peru" or via their website, above.

This article was contributed by ECYI Member Josef Major, a passionate environmental and social justice activist in Israel. Josef is currently in correspondence with ECYI Members in Palestine, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, working to stimulate the formation of Earth Charter Youth Groups in the Middle East region. He is a graduate of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Israel. This article is also available in Arabic and Hebrew.

Advancing to a sustainable society is a movement that improves our quality of life and restores and preserves nature. City people also have a strong connection with nature. Actually, city people are a part of nature and it is natural for each person in the city or country to want to reduce his household's ecological foot print, minimizing any negative influence on nature and improving human health.

Moving to sustainability is a process of building and redesigning human systems for future generations. Moving to sustainability should be done from the top down and from the bottom up as well. This means that international and governmental resolutions should take place and are important but not complete without the choices and the actions of the general population. Therefore, we should ask "In what ways can we - as individuals - participate in a sustainable lifestyle in an urban environment?" Here are a few ideas; some are new and refreshing some are older and important. [Please contribute your own ideas at the end of this article.]

Submitted by Nina Aeckerle, European Network Coordinator and Menno Ettema, International Coordinator, UNOY, with contributions from Dominic Stucker, ECYI International Youth Coordinator

From June 8-15, 2007 the long-time ECYI partner, the United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY), brought together 29 European youth leaders from 18 countries in Shoorl, The Netherlands. The diverse participants, already active in human rights, peacebuilding, and project management, came to deepen their understanding of these fields. They also had opportunities to share their knowledge and experience and build new relationships. The seminar was organized within the frameworks of the “All Different – All Equal” campaign and the Earth Charter.

UNOY has endorsed the ethical framework of the Earth Charter as being fundamental for our work in peacebuilding. Having a special session on the Earth Charter meant that we could show participants why a framework like this is useful and helpful in their work.

Earth Charter Youth Initiative (ECYI) Core Group member, Erik Wedershoven, and the founder and director of FairGroundSessions, Niels Kodewijn, offered a presentation on the Earth Charter and the ECYI. They showed participants how to break down the Earth Charter and make its seemingly theoretical concepts applicable to every day tasks and decision-making. Giving them the holistic EC-Assess tool provided participants with a system to check on their work, making peacebuilding and conflict transformation reachable within their lives [see ECYI blog entry on CIVICUS, below, for more on EC-Assess]. The Earth Charter session flowed nicely with the overall program, demonstrating the important overlap between peacebuilding and sustainable development.

I met Elijah Kanyi, a young Kenyan man, at the CIVICUS World Assembly in Glasgow, Scotland in late May. I was so inspired by his story that I asked him to share it with us. Part I tells of his harrowing childhood in the slums outside Nairobi. His love of football and the support of kind community members helped him to overcome great obstacles and get an education.

Part II is a recent e-mail from Elijah, expressing his youth group’s desire to join the Earth Charter Youth Initiative and collaborate with young people around the world. His message is one of perseverance and hope that can inspire us all. - Dominic

Part I, Life in Mathare

My name is Elijah Kanyi, born [in 1986] in a family of nine, with 4 brothers and 4 sisters. I was raised [outside of Nairobi] in Mathare, one of the biggest slums in Africa.

My best moments in life were when my mum and dad used to live together. Hard times came when they separated… My dad was drinking alcoholic beverages and my mum disliked Dad’s behavior of being drunk all the time. After they split, I used to visit both of them because I kept their love in my heart.

Reflections by Dominic Stucker, International Youth Coordinator

The first ever CIVICUS Youth Assembly brought together 150 dynamic, energetic, and committed youth delegates from 38 countries. As the co-presenter of a workshop, I am grateful to have been invited to participate. The Youth Assembly took place in Glasgow, Scotland from the 22-23 of May and fed seamlessly into the larger 5-day World Assembly in which young delegates made up approximately 15% of the 1,000 participants.

The Scottish Youth Parliament was instrumental in organizing the Youth Assembly, in which the Earth Charter Youth Initiative (ECYI), the Global Youth Action Network (GYAN), Peace Child International, and Oxfam all featured prominently. Youth delegates participated actively in workshops ranging from gender equity and HIV/AIDS, to networking and campaigning, to climate change and ecological footprints. We also had an ebullient and ruckus night dining and dancing at Arches, a cavernous underground venue, to traditional Scottish music.

During the Youth Assembly, my colleague, Leah Wener, and I publicly launched EC-Assess, Earth Charter’s new ethics-based assessment tool for individuals, organizations, and projects. The 30 young people that attended our session responded positively and offered constructive feedback. Most participants affirmed that they would, or probably would, apply EC-Assess to their own lives and organizations, and about half indicated they would probably apply it to another organization.

Thanks for tuning in to the Earth Charter Youth Initiative (ECYI) blog. My name is Mike Sheehan. I've been an active member of the ECYI since 2005. I'm here in New York City at the annual Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-15) representing the Earth Charter along with Joel Vengo from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Check out his blog post (below) for more background on this international event that brings official delegates from the UN member states together with 'on the ground' leaders involved with non-government organizations (NGO's) and grassroots movements related to sustainable development.

I just returned from a very stimulating and inspiring Earth Charter Strategy Workshop and Council Meeting in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Oscar Motomura, one of Earth Charter International’s Council Members and his Amana-Key team did an outstanding job of facilitating and hosting the weeklong event. The abundant tropical fruits, warm hospitality, and vibrant music and dance reminded me of my days studying in Costa Rica.

Thirty Brazilian youth kicked off the week by offering Earth Charter International their strategy ideas for engaging billions of people. Camila Godinho, an Earth Charter Youth Group Coordinator and Council Member from Brazil, and I facilitated the Youth Strategy Workshop, which included presentations by Oscar Motomura and our Executive Director, Alan AtKisson. The gathered youth worked together collaboratively with great enthusiasm.

It is my great pleasure and honor to post my first entry in the ECYI blog. As you may aware, my name is Joel Vengo from Democratic Republic of Congo and I am the one of the young people who has the special privilege to represent the ECYI at the 15th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development here in United Nations Headquarters, New York from 30 April to 11 May 2007.

The CSD is the UN’s annual discussion on sustainable development issues that take place each year between governments, civil society leaders, UN agencies and others stakeholders. This year, different delegates are reviewing progress made in the following areas: Energy for Sustainable Development, Industrial Development, Air pollution/ Atmosphere and Climate Change. I am very excited about the opportunity to obtain a global perspective and represent those of us who are actively involved in this area.

Heather Turnquist is a member of the ECYI from Canada and is currently riding her bicycle from her home country to Mexico along the Pacific Coast. She seeks to embody the Earth Charter in her daily life.

I have been a philanthropist since before I could pronounce the word, starting my volunteer career at the age of eight. By the time I reached 18 however, I was burnt out and disillusioned with society in general and the government in particular. I said no to university, no to working and drinking and paying bills, and almost no to life in general, when I remembered my dreams of traveling the world. At that point however, I was too informed as to the state of the environment to be able to just hop on a plane and go.

This article was contributed from Sylvanus Murray of Sierra Leone. Sylvanus was one of the first Earth Charter Youth Group Coordinators and is a member of ECYI's International Core Group. He continues to be active through his ECYG in Sierra Leone, especially in his work reintegrating former combatants and child soldiers into society.

Sierra Leone, as a country recuperating from a decade long civil war in which most of our neighbors played a significant role, views the Earth Charter document as an appropriate instrument to create regional partnership that will enhance peaceful co-existence of the countries in West Africa.

In Sierra Leone, like most other countries in West Africa, the youths are a marginalized set of the population struggling to gain prominence not only in their localities but also at national level in such matters as decision-making. Consequently, it has been extremely difficult for governments of West African states to give ears to the calls of the young people with regards the adoption of the Earth Charter by these governments, members of parliaments and other stake holders in youth development.

As a member of the International Coordinating Committee, ECYI urges all youth and youth groups to serve and celebrate on Global Youth Service Day (GYSD)! Please read the following message from Silvia Golombek, one of the main organizers of GYSD, for more information. - Dominic

"Dear Friends of Global Youth Service Day,

GYSD, the largest celebration of youth service, will be held on April 20-22 around the world. All schools, faith-based groups, youth organizations, and agencies are encouraged to plan and highlight youth-led community service projects. Participants can use this opportunity to highlight existing projects to the media and surrounding community, or may choose to organize special projects and events to address the most pressing needs in their community.

The Earth Charter Youth Initiative (ECYI) is experiencing renewed growth and activity. We are especially grateful to the generosity of Plan Netherlands for providing the funding necessary to take the Initiative to a new strategic level.

• The ECYI website is becoming more interactive and informative
• New Earth Charter Youth Groups are being formed in many countries
• ECYI is establishing new partnerships with regional and global youth networks
• We are developing new programs including a guide to support youth in engaging in global governance, an online leadership training, and a micro-grants program to support high-impact projects

Dominic Stucker, the International Youth Coordinator and Leah Wener, World Leadership Corps Fellow, have worked closely with Michael Slaby, the former International Youth Coordinator in supporting the growth and ensuring the high quality of the ECYI. Alan AtKisson, our Executive Dirctor, Core Group members and other ECYI leaders have been consulted throughout the development process, to ensure that Earth Charter Youth engagement is fully integrated into Earth Charter International's core strategies.

Today and all days, let's celebrate women for who they are and what they do!

Women contribute to humanity and the Earth through inspiring, profound, and loving acts each and every day. Intelligent, compassionate, ambitious, beautiful, and full of hope women everywhere are leaders in their communities, homes, universities, places of worship, places of work, and governments.

In his autobiography, You Can’t be Neutral on a Moving Train (2004), peoples’ historian and activist Howard Zinn wrote:

"To be hopeful in bad times is not foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, [and] kindness... to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory."

The train, as I see it, is humanity’s dynamic trajectory, propelling all of us into the future. The sum of our everyday actions, whether we recognize it or not, determine the train’s direction. I am very pleased, therefore, to have recently met young people in Gothenburg who are taking action to direct humanity toward justice, sustainability, and peace.