ECI is enthusiastic for the challenges and opportunities of this New Year. The ECI Secretariat looks forward to new partnerships and initiatives that will emerge in 2012 and that will help move ahead our main goal “to build a just, sustainable and peaceful global society.”
Towards the end of last year, the Earth Charter International Council met to discuss priorities and directions for the future and map out the strategy for the Earth Charter Initiative moving forward.
Among the important outcomes of this Council meeting, was the identification of the priority areas for the ECI Secretariat for 2012, which will be:
1) Education for sustainability – Setting up the new Earth Charter Center for ESD (in a new office facility) and the new UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development with the Earth Charter.
2) Networks – ECI will expand an increasing the amount of energy in facilitating the formal networks of Affiliates, youth groups, and volunteers through the soon-to-be launched new Web site and social media sites. The Secretariat will continue to engage individuals, groups and organizations in using the Earth Charter and in knowledge/experience sharing.
3) Catalyze and Facilitate Ethical Dialogue – ECI will increase its efforts in catalyzing and facilitating dialogue on shared values and ethical principles, and their application to decision making, including policy influencing. The policy focus will be Rio+20 for 2012 and UNDESD (the UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development) towards 2014. An Earth Charter event is being planned for Rio+20 in June.
There is plenty to do this year regarding Rio+20, the setting up of the new Earth Charter building and Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development, and in mobilizing a stronger network of groups and individuals that share the Earth Charter vision. The ECI Secretariat hopes to count on the continuous engagement, guidance, advice, and help of the many individuals, groups, and organizations from around the world in this collective journey.