The Governor of Hidalgo, José Francisco Olvera Ruiz, signed with the Governors of Coahuila and Durango, Rubén Moreira Valdés y Jorge Herrera Caldera respectively, collaboration agreements involving the fourteen Technical Universities in these States. The agreement included actions to promote the Earth Charter in these education institutions.
Since 2002, the Government of Mexico and civil society signed a Type II Initiative called “Educating for a sustainable lifestyle with the Earth Charter”, to offer leaders and decision makers the information and education on sustainability values and principles, and how to incorporate them in decision making processes. The agreements signed by the Technological Universities of these three States are part of this initiative to build better lifestyles where the Earth Charter could be the inspiration to build hope in this country.
On June 3, 2015, the States of Hidalgo and Coahuila signed the agreement, and on June 22 Durango and Hidalgo signed it as well. In both days, large events were organized, with more than 500 people each.
The Governor of Hidalgo said that this agreement will help to strengthen several areas of action of technological universities, such as exchanges of professors and students, technological development and joint research. The principles of the Earth Charter will be promoted in these joint actions, in areas such as ecology, human rights, democracy and a culture of peace for an equitable human development. He emphasized that with this agreement, Coahuila, Durango and Hidalgo are sending a strong message to the rest of the country, where collaboration and unity are important and feasible to advance in Mexico’s development.
The Governors of Coahuila and Durango mentioned that the exchange of experiences and knowledge will create the conditions for collaborative learning to promote capacity building processes to enhance the State’s competitiveness under the framework of sustainability.
Mateo Castillo Ceja, Earth Charter International Council Member was present in both events, he was very pleased with the agreement and the promotion of the Earth Charter principles.
The Earth Charter Mexican Network focal points of Coahuila, Durango and Hidalgo worked hard to make this agreement possible. In Coahuila, Norma Mota Palomino made possible the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Earth Charter, where the Governor of Coahuila endorsed the Charter. Amorita Salas Westphal, focal point of Durango, was the main coordinator of the signing ceremony in this State. Finally, Leodan Portes Vargas, Rector of the Technological University of Tula-Tepeji and focal point in Hidalgo, was able to connect and get this agreement signed by the Governors of the above-mentioned States.
We hope that these actions will help in the construction of a more just, sustainable and peaceful society in the XXI Century.