| The
Earth Charter is a declaration of international values
and principles thought to be necessary for building
a just, sustainable, and peaceful future.
Created by the largest global consultation process
ever associated with an international declaration,
endorsed by thousands of organizations representing
millions of individuals, the Earth Charter seeks to
inspire in all peoples a sense of global interdependence
and shared responsibility for the well-being of the
human family and the larger living world.
The idea of a Charter
originated in 1987, when the United Nations World
Commission on Environment and Development called for
a new charter regarding fundamental principles for
sustainable development. In 1992, the need for a charter
was urged by then-Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali
at the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit.
In 1993, there was a conference in Rome organized
by the Franziscan Study Center for Environment (Bernhard
J. Prezwozny) where a first draft was formulated (together
with Maurice Strong).
In 1994, the Earth Charter Initiative was formed by
Canadian Maurice Strong, secretary general of the
Earth Summit and chairman of the Earth Counsel, Mikhail
Gorbachev, who was then president of Green Cross International,
with support with the government of The Netherlands.
The document was drafted from early 1997 to March
2000, through an international, open process.
It has not yet been endorsed by the United Nations,
although the Earth Charter Organization is attempting
to gain its international support.
*The
Earth Charter (download)
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.
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