During the launch of Pictures of Success, over forty people heard short speeches about a project developing ways of using the Earth Charter to prompt and guide thinking about ecology, equity, peace and the wider community of life, and helping to raise awareness of development issues and the Millennium Development Goals.
As a part of this project, Pictures of Success has been created to show how constructive engagement with the big issues in the world can enrich the lives of people in mainstream companies and be the motive force for completely new and pioneering enterprises.
Some of the Pictures of Success were briefly introduced. Jane Riddiford, Founder and Director of Global Generation talked about the Skip Garden at Kings Cross and the many activities that have happened in and around it.
Ian Agnew, Executive Director of the Lorna Young Foundation, spoke about establishing the Oromo Coffee Company. This social enterprise in Lancashire is owned by Ethiopian refugees in the UK – a unique Fairtrade company that trades directly with producers. Hayley Griffiths from ActionAid spoke about the creation of the Millione Foundation to support ActionAid schools and education programmes in Sierra Leone.
Invited guest, Reverend Dr. Giles Fraser responded by referring firstly to the beauty and creativity of Pictures of Success and then by reminding everyone that many of the issues that Pictures of Success starts to address are far from beautiful.
Almost exactly a year since he resigned from his post as Canon at St. Paul’s Cathedral, he spoke passionately about the need to do more and to move more quickly to address global problems including climate change.
Gwyn Jones, director of the Association of Sustainability Practitioners described remarkable results from using printed Pictures of Success cards in workshops and conferences to engage “the whole person”.
Thanks were given to Sarasin & Partners, who hosted the launch at their offices overlooking the steps of St. Paul’s.
CarbonSense is keen to collaborate with organizations who would like to replicate the Pictures of Success model for their own community, region, city, or country. The Web site framework, engagement processes, and lessons learned from the UK Earth Charter in Business project will be incorporated in the model that we believe can work anywhere in the world.
Visit the Pictures of Success Web site.
To order a printed copy of “the Earth Charter in a box” comprising 80 x A5 picture cards, each with a story on the reverse (details here) please contact CarbonSense.
For more information, contact:
Earth Charter UK: [email protected] Tel: +44 207 183 1847
Pictures of Success and CarbonSense [email protected] Tel. office: +44 1626 777274