Dear Earth Charter friends,
“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.” This is what the Earth Charter recalls in its Preamble and what our collective work as the Earth Charter global movement has been raising awareness on.
At this moment, in our different geographic contexts, we are experiencing this in a tangible way with the COVID-19 situation. In this time of crisis, we can indeed feel as one global community, which is interdependent and vulnerable. Maybe even more than what we imagined. It now feels more urgent than ever the need to cultivate a sense of care and responsibility with oneself and the common good, to move forward.
We want you to know that we are thinking of you and concerned about your wellbeing. We are holding you in our thoughts, hearts and prayers. We send you our love and good energy and also to those who are sick and to the caregivers who are working so hard. We encourage you to take moments of your day to move away from the news (that sometimes overwhelm us) and relax your mind, take a deep breath, and meditate on things for which you can be grateful. Be disciplined in finding ways to connect yourself with a positive energy, and spread goodness and some laughter despite the circumstances. The world is in much need of this.
And of course, take care and collaborate with the measures and restrictions that the World Health Organization is asking us to follow. There is much that can be done during this time of crisis: re-think and assess our lives, connect virtually with family and friends, catch up on pending work, do some physical exercise, etc.
ECI Secretariat will continue working, although our mobility will be limited for the next month. Our team is in good health and spirit, and maintaining a good attitude. Some EC+20 events have been cancelled (such as the one proposed for 17 March in Costa Rica), and we are mostly working from home as Costa Rica declared a state of emergency on Monday, 16 March.
We are going through challenging times. We trust that soon we will somehow overcome this situation and we will learn a great deal from this. We are grateful for our friendship and collaboration over the years.
It is time to act with prudence, with diligence and love for others, with spirit of collaboration and responsibility. We want to soon celebrate life and our capacity to overcome this kind of challenges.
From a sunny, warm and beautiful day in Costa Rica, we wish you and your families, good health and strength. Stay safe and well.
Best wishes,
Mirian, Alicia, Amanda, Irma and Javiera