The Earth Charter Youth Initiative

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The Earth Charter Youth Initiative
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The Earth Charter

• What is the Earth Charter?
• The History of EC !
• EC principles !
• The Earth Charter Youth Initiative !
• The Earth Charter Youth Groups !
• ECYI Partners.

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WHY ! EC ?

• the Earth Charter comes from

One Human Family
One Earth Community
Common Density
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What Is the EC ?

• the Earth Charter is a Declaration of our
  Responsibility to one another.
• the Earth Charter is a Call to Action.

• the Earth Charter is a Philosophy/Theory that
  gives the direction of where to go.
• the Earth Charter is a Shared Integrated
  Vision of Basic Values.

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2 words to be in MIND

• Sustainability

• Interdependence

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EC is all about

• Respect for Nature.
• Human Rights.

• Economic and Social Justice.
• Culture of Peace.

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Message must be delivered to

• All Individuals.
• Organizations.
• Business.
• Governments.
• Different Institutions.

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Focus on EC Principles

• Respect Care for the Community of Life.
• Ecological Integrity.
• Social and Economic Justice.
• Democracy, Non-Violence, and Peace.

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The EC is Made OF

• Preamble, a describing the major challenges and
  choices facing humanity.
• 16 Principles divided in 4 parts, 61 supporting
  principles clarifying the meaning of the 16 main
  principles.
• The Way Forward, the Conclusion. A call for
  commitment and action.

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! Go Through EC !
Read EC principles later. The Way Forward
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I- Respect For the Community of Life.

• Respect Earth and life in all its diversity.
• Recognize that all beings are interdependent, and
  every form of life has value regardless of its
  worth to human beings.
• Affirm Faith in the inherent dignity of all human
  beings and in the intellectual, artistic,
  ethical, and spiritual potential of humanity.

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I- Respect For the Community of Life.

• Care for the Community of life with
  understanding, compassion, and love.
• Accept that with the right to own, manage, and
  use natural resources comes the duty to prevent
  environmental harm and to protect the rights of
  people.
• Affirm that with increased freedom, knowledge,
  and power comes increased responsibility to
  promote the common good.

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I- Respect For the Community of Life.

• Build democratic societies that are just,
  participatory, sustainable, and peaceful.
• Ensure that communities at all levels guarantee
  human rights and fundamental freedoms and provide
  everyone an opportunity to realize his/her full
  potential.
• Promote social and economic justice, enabling all
  to achieve a secure and meaningful livelihood
  that is ecologically responsible.

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I- Respect For the Community of Life.

• Secure Earths bounty and beauty for present and
  future generations.
• Recognize that the freedom of action of each
  generation is qualified by the needs of future
  generations.
• Transmit to Future generations values,
  traditions, and institutions that support the
  long-term flourishing of Earths human and
  ecological communities.

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The Earth Charter
In order to fulfill these four broad
commitments, It Is Necessary to
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II- Ecological Integrity

• Protect and restore the integrity of Earths
  ecological systems,with special concern for
  biological diversity and the natural processes
  that sustain life.
• Adopt at all levels Sustainable Development plans
  and regulations.
• Maintain Biodiversity, and preserve our natural
  heritage.
• Promote the recovery of endangered species and
  ecosystems.
• Manage the use of renewable resources to not
  exceed rates of regeneration.
• Manage the extraction and use of non-renewable
  resources to minimize depletion and
  environmental damage.

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II- Ecological Integrity

• Prevent harm as the best method of environmental
  protection and, when knowledge is limited, apply
  a Precautionary approach.
• Take Action to avoid the possibility of serious
  or irreversible environmental harm.
• Make the responsible parties liable for
  environmental harm.
• Ensure that Decision Making addresses the
  cumulative, long-term, indirect, long distance,
  and global consequences of human activities.
• Prevent Pollution of any part of the environment.
• Avoid military activities damaging to the
  environment.

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II- Ecological Integrity

• Adopt patterns of production, consumption, and
  reproduction that safeguard Earths regenerative
  capacities, human rights, and community
  well-being.
• Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle materials.
• Rely increasingly on renewable energy sources
  such as solar and wind.
• Adopt lifestyles that emphasize the quality of
  life and material sufficiency in a finite world.

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II- Ecological Integrity

• Advance the study of ecological sustainability
  and promote the open exchange and wide
  application of the knowledge acquired.
• Support the international scientific and
  technical support on cooperation on
  sustainability, with attention to the special
  needs of the developing countries.
• Ensure that vital Information to human health
  and environmental protection remains available in
  the public domain.

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III- Social and Economic Justice

• Eradicate poverty as an ethical, social, and
  environmental imperative.
• Guarantee the right to potable water, clear air,
  food security, uncontaminated soil,shelter, and
  safe sanitation (public health), allocating
  national and international resources required.
• Recognize the ignored, protect the vulnerable
  (weak), serve those who suffer, and enable them
  to develop their capacities pursue their
  aspirations.

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III- Social and Economic Justice

• Eradicate poverty as an ethical, social, and
  environmental imperative.
• Empower every human being with the education and
  resources to secure sustainable livelihood, and
  provide social security and safety nets for those
  who are unable to support themselves.

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III- Social and Economic Justice

• Ensure that economic activities and institutions
  at all levels promote human development in an
  equitable and sustainable manner.
• Promote the equitable distribution of wealth with
  nations,and among nations.
• Enhance the intellectual, financial, technical,
  and social resources of developing nations, and
  relieve them of onerous international debt.
• Ensure that all trade supports sustainable
  resource use, environmental protection, and
  progressive labor standards.

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III- Social and Economic Justice

• Affirm gender equality as prerequisites to
  sustainable development and ensure universal
  access to education, health care, and economic
  opportunity.
• Secure the human rights of women and girls and
  end all violence against them.
• Promote the active participation of women in all
  aspects of economic, political, civil, social,
  and cultural life as full and equal partners.
• Strengthen families and ensure the safety and
  loving nurture of all family members.

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III- Social and Economic Justice

• Uphold the right of all, without discrimination,
  to a natural and social environment supportive of
  human dignity, bodily health, and spiritual
  well-being, with special attention to the right
  of indigenous (original people) and minorities.
• Eliminate discrimination in all its forms, such
  as that based on race, color, sex, religion,
  language, and national, ethnic, or social origin.
• Honor and support the young people of our
  communities, enabling them to fulfill their
  essential role in creating sustainable societies.
• Protect and Restore outstanding places of
  cultural and spiritual significance.

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IV- Democracy, Nonviolence, and Peace.

• Strengthen democratic institutions at all
  levels,and provide transparency and
  accountability in governance, inclusive
  participation in decision making, and access to
  justice.
• Uphold the right to everyone to receive clear and
  timely information on environmental matters and
  all development plans and activities which are
  likely to affect them or in which they have an
  interest.
• Support local, regional, and global civil
  society, and promote the meaningful participation
  of all interested individuals and organizations
  in decision making.
• Protect the rights of freedom of opinion,
  expression, peaceful assembly, association, and
  dissent.

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IV- Democracy, Nonviolence, and Peace.

• Strengthen democratic institutions at all
  levels,and provide transparency and
  accountability in governance, inclusive
  participation in decision making, and access to
  justice.
• Eliminate corruption in all public and private
  institutions.
• Institute effective and efficient access to
  administrative and independent judicial
  procedures, including remedies and redress for
  environmental harm and the threat of such harm.

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IV- Democracy, Nonviolence, and Peace.

• Strengthen democratic institutions at all
  levels,and provide transparency and
  accountability in governance, inclusive
  participation in decision making, and access to
  justice.
• Strengthen local communities, enabling them to
  care for their environments, and assign
  environmental responsibilities to the levels of
  government where they can be carried out most
  effectively,

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IV- Democracy, Nonviolence, and Peace.

• Integrate into formal education and life-long
  learning the knowledge, values, and skills needed
  for sustainable way of life.
• Provide all, especially children and youth, with
  educational opportunities that empower them to
  contribute actively to sustainable development.
• Promote the contribution of arts and humanities
  as well as the sciences in sustainability
  education.
• Enhance the role of Mass Media in raising
  awareness of ecological and social challenges.
• Recognize the importance of Moral and Spiritual
  education for sustainable living.

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IV- Democracy, Nonviolence, and Peace.

• Treat all living beings with respect and
  consideration.
• Prevent cruelty to animals kept in human
  societies and protect them from suffering.
• Protect wild animals from methods of hunting,
  trapping, and fishing that cause extreme,
  prolonged, or avoidable suffering.
• Avoid or eliminate to the full possible the
  taking or destruction of
• non-targeted species.

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IV- Democracy, Nonviolence, and Peace.

• Promote a culture of tolerance, nonviolence, and
  peace.
• Encourage and support mutual understanding,
  solidarity, and cooperation among all peoples and
  within and among nations.
• Implement the comprehensive strategies to prevent
  violent conflicts and use collaborative problem
  solving to manage and resolve environmental
  conflicts and other disputes.

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IV- Democracy, Nonviolence, and Peace.

• Promote a culture of tolerance, nonviolence, and
  peace.
• Eliminate nuclear, biological, and toxic weapons
  and other weapons of mass destruction.
• Recognize that Peace is wholeness created by
  right relationships with oneself, other persons,
  other cultures, other life, Earth, and the larger
  whole of which all are a part.

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The Way Forward

• As never before in History, common Density
  beckons us to seek a new Beginning.
• This Requires

A Change in Mind Heart
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To Build A Sustainable Global Community

• The Nations of the world must
• Renew their commitment to the UN.
• Fulfill their obligations under existing
  international agreements.
• Support the implementation of the Earth Charter
  Principles with an international legally binding
  instrument on environment and development.

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EC,The History

• 1987, UN World Commission on Environment and
  Development issued a Call for new Charter that
  would set forth fundamental Principles for
  Sustainable Development.
• 1992, EC draft was a part of the unfinished
  Business of Rio Earth Summit.
• 1994, Maurice Strong The Secretary General of
  Earth Summit,and chairman of Earth Council,
  Mikhail Gorbachev Pres. Of Green Cross
  International launched a new Earth Charter
  initiative with support of the Dutch Government.

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EC,The History

• 1997, an Earth Charter Commission was formed to
  oversee the project and Earth Charter Secretariat
  was established at the Earth Council in Costa
  Rica.
• 2000, A new phase in the initiative began with
  the official launching the Earth Charter at the
  Peace Palace in the Hague June 29,2000.

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The ECI Goals

• To Promote the dissemination and implementation
  of the EC by civil society, business, and
  government.
• To encourage and support the educational use of
  the EC in formal as well as informal settings.
• To seek endorsement of the EC by the UN.

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EC needs

• Understanding.
• Disseminating.
• Implementation.

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The EC Youth Initiative

• The Earth Charter Youth Initiative seeks to take
  the Mission of the Earth Charter Initiative and
  make it one that is alive,relevant and applicable
  to young people globally.

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The EC Youth Initiative

• The Earth Charter Youth Initiative (ECYI) was
  put together by a core-group of young people from
  different countries committed to the Earth
  Charter, and active in bringing it to a larger
  number of young people worldwide.

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The EC Youth Initiative

• Individuals and groups can join the ECYI with
  the criteria of actively promoting the Earth
  Charter locally and internationally and
  implementing the Earth Charter values into their
  daily lives.

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The EC Youth Initiative

• We are aiming at establishing a cultural diverse
  network of young people active for sustainable
  development sharing the integrated ethical vision
  of the Earth Charter.

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The EC Youth Initiative

• ECYI is a part of the ECI.
• ECYI is a NETWORK of organizations and interested
  individuals that are committed to EC values.
• Role of ECYI is to bring the different YOUTH NGOs
  and GROUPS together that work for one or more
  specific field of the broad concept of the
  sustainable development.
• Goal is to facilitate that youth around the world
  can SPEAK with
• ONE VOICE INTERNATINALLY.

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ECYI Partners Support

• The ECYI challenges all to think both locally and
  globally,and to act both locally and globally
  (!).
• The only reasonable way to achieve this is to
  partner with other organizations, and network
  with other youth and organizations we meet - for
  example,during international conferences or joint
  actions.

ECYGs Directly!
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ECYI Partners

• Some of our partners
•  
• Youth Employment Summit has launched a Decade
  Campaign of Action, so that an additional 500
  million young adults, especially youth facing
  poverty, will have productive and sustainable
  livelihoods by the year 2002.

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ECYI Partners

• Some of our partners
• EarthYouth.Net
• A network of young people acting for a more
  sustainable planet, working together on projects,
  and sharing experiences. If you go in their
  section About us / International Partners, you
  will find some of the most active international
  youth organizations.

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ECYI Partners

• Some of our partners
• The Skyfish Project At 12 years old, Severn
• Cullis-Suzuki spoke in Rio to all the heads of
  States. She is now a Commissioner of the Earth
  Charter and started the Skyfish Project which
  includes a Recognition of Responsibility each of
  us can sign.

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ECYI Partners

• Some of our partners
• Brink Expedition
• An Australian team biking and sailing across the
  planet while supporting the educational aims of
  the Earth Charter.

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ECYI Partners

• Some of our partners
• Pole to Pole 2000
• During the year 2000, an international team
• of 8 youth from 5 continents went human powered
  across the Americas from the North Pole to the
  South Pole. During their trip, they inspired
  thousands of schools students to take action for
  a sustainable future and brought an Earth Charter
  flag to the South Pole.

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The EC Youth Initiative

• The Earth Charter !
• Youth !
• Groups !

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The EC Youth Initiative

• EC is
• An international, participatory consultation over
  years.
• Peoples text.
• Youth Young People
• Have the Energy and Creativity.
• Have the Willing to Change.
• Groups
• Can achieve more than individuals working on
  their own.
• Is the best Structure to have a constant
  multiplying effect.

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Mission of ECYG

• To inspire young people all over the world to
  adopt sustainable lifestyles.
• Enjoy life in giving JOY to others.
• To get EC Implemented and Known.
• Share thoughts,and experience between youth.

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ECYG

• ECYGs can be created in all existing kinds of
  settings, for example schools, universities,
  associations, neighborhoods,cliques, as long as
  people want to work together towards it.
• Existing groups all kinds of already existing
  groups,associations, or NGOs that do not
  contravene the EC Principles are heartedly
  invited to join ECYI, or to create ECYG.

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How Can You Build an ECYG?

• This depends entirely on your local habits.
• do you want to make it legal structure? Of what
  kind? How do you split the tasks between each
  other?
• From ECYI point of view, the only need is a
  contact person.
• Next Tips are designed to help, and not to
  put any additional constraint.
• Its your choice to use them or not! And
  they do not intend to be
• fully complete.

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Core Functions

• Facilitation.
• Fundraising and finding resources.

• Activities Manager(s).
• External relations.

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In General

• ECYGs should consist of up to 20.
• The coordinator should be considered as a
  spokesperson of the group rather than its chair.
• Principle of grass-root democracy, decisions
  should be taken by the group as a whole.

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ECYI, National Coordinator is to offer

• Help.
• Contacts.
• Projects. support and
  initiate projects that demonstrate EC principle.

• ECY network.
• Answers.
• Discussions.

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1st Steps towards ECYGs

• Get more information and advices.
• Find a group of interested people.
• Review the mission and objectives proposed here
  and adopt them locally.
• Define concrete results you want to achieve and
  actions to get there.

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From the idea, to the realization

• One suggestion for developing a project (again,
  there are other ways)
• 1. Decide what you want to do.
• Do you want to work locally or further (scope of
  your involvement)?
• Who in the society do you want to reach (your
  target audience)?
• What outcomes do you want to have?
• Do you want people to know about the Earth
  Charter or to implement its values?

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From the idea, to the realization

• 2. With the resources you have (financial,
  knowledge, time, ), develop a few ideas.
• Avoid starting with a huge plan if you are not
  used to such activities.
• It might be wise to work as a team, or as an
  association. At least seek for support and
  advices around you.
• 3. Make a quick survey to find out what has been
  done.
• In the scope of your project who can help you,
  who to create a partnership with.
• Seek for advices with others in the Earth Charter
  network.

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From the idea, to the realization

• 4. Write a precise mission for your projects,
  with defined objectives.
• 5. Break your project in logical steps and tasks
  with deadlines and start acting.
• 6. Report progress and good ideas back to us, so
  that they can be used elsewhere !

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Examples of Activities

• Respect and care for the community of life
• Learn from each other through Discussions and
  meetings of people from different beliefs,
  cultures, minority-groups that live in your
  community or school.

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Examples of Activities

• Respect and care for the community of life
• - Write/ perform theatre plays that make
  evident the positive side of each person.
• - Initiate a creativity contest/ draw pictures
  to illustrate the idea of one community of life.

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Examples of Activities

• Ecological Integrity
• List some things which the group members use
  everyday, follow the production chain of these
  product, try to find its impact on the
  environment, then discuss how to use these things
  in sustainable way. Publish the results or an
  exhibition.
• Stir your imagination on life in the year 2050,
  and know how people will relate to nature then.

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Examples of Activities

• Ecological Integrity
• Promote the three Rs Reduce, Reuse, and
  Recycle.
• With a local NGO involved in that processes,
  promote the usage of technologies that reduce the
  depletion of resources (e.g solar energy,
  rainwater, etc).

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Examples of Activities

• Social and Economic Justice
• Watch the origin of the product you buy Does the
  company and the country of the origin respect
  human rights and progressive labor standards?
  Does your school/ community sell fair traded
  products? If not,what are the obstacles? Do you
  see ways to overcome those obstacles?
• Encourage Small Businesses managed by families
  and youth groups to face poverty .
• Encourage Business Sector to offer part-time jobs
  for youth and Universities Students.

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Examples of Activities

• Democracy, Nonviolence, and Peace.
• Reflect on the relation between politics reality
  of your country and the aspirations of the Earth
  Charter. What are the specific problems of your
  country, do they have ethical/ values dimensions?
  Do you see EC could help to overcome those
  problems? .
• Write/Perform theatre plays that show a culture
  of tolerance, nonviolence, and peace.

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Contacts

• International Program Coordinator
• Michael Slaby, Germany
• Youthcoordinator_at_earthcharter.org
• Arab Region, Jordan
• Hamza AlAmoosh
• Hamza_ali_jo_at_hotmail.com

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The ECYI Presentation

• Prepared by Hamza AlAmoosh,Jordan.
• Yarmouk University, Communications Department.
• Hijawi Faculty of Technical Engineering.
• Based on materials available at
• www.earthcharter.org/resources
• Publications, Case Studies, Related Websites,
  Interviews,
• ECYI, Arab Region.