Earth Charter Conference

1-2 December 2022

This dynamic event will bring together Earth Charter supporters from all over the world with the purpose of stimulating discussion and collaboration. We will open ourselves up to two full days of learning, making new connections, and sharing and building new perspectives for turning conscience into action for a thriving Earth. The Earth Charter Center for Education, located on the University for Peace campus, is a magical setting for our gathering amid a tropical forest near San Jose, Costa Rica. Your presence will contribute to this process and elevate the depth of our conversations.

Our heartfelt thanks to our sponsors for their generous support: Edward & Jeanne Bracken Memorial Fund, Okayama University, Soka Gakkai International and Debbie Crowell memory fund.

This two-day event will involve keynote presentations, inspirational talks and dialogues, as well as networking and nature immersion activities. Plenary sessions in the mornings and breakout sessions in the afternoons will address the following questions:

• What is Planetary Well-being? What are our contributions to that?
• What legacy of Planetary Well-being do we want to leave for future generations?
• Why should our decisions and actions be oriented towards contributing to Planetary Well-being? What are the implications of that to education?
• What are examples of decisions and policies generated by countries (over the last 30 years) that contributed to Planetary Well-being? What triggered those actions?
• How can we evaluate our contributions to Planetary Well-being? How can the Earth Charter be used as a roadmap?

2022 marks 30 years since the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro (the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development) and 50 years of the UN Conference on Human Environment in Stockholm (1972). These were historical moments that aroused awareness worldwide on the interrelated social and environmental challenges humanity was, and still is, facing. These efforts triggered significant commitments, plans and actions, at all levels, to address the challenges of unsustainability and respond to the warnings that scientists were flagging in terms of the negative effects human actions were generating on the well-being of our planet. There is still quite a road ahead to realize the goals that were set back then.

As 2030 becomes closer, it is not difficult to realize that it is still a challenge to implement what was agreed years ago and the fact that the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals Agenda will probably not be fully realized within the timeframe set. Efforts need to be strengthened to raise awareness of the interrelated challenges we, individuals, governments, and society as a whole, face and to orient actions and decisions in such a way that they will contribute to Planetary Well-being.

Objectives

The event will create a space to:

• Further explore the concept of Planetary Well-being, building on previous research and initiatives.
• Evaluate progress on our contributions towards Planetary health and well-being for all people, the greater community of life and future generations
• Identify and share examples of policies, decisions and actions countries generated over the past 30 years that have contributed to Planetary Well-being and consider what can be learnt from it.
• Share examples from Costa Rica that have been contributing to Planetary Well-being in different realms.
• Expand our consciousness, understanding and vision on the importance of Planetary Well-being and to consider the implications of that to education.
• Network and forge collaboration towards further developing ways to evaluate and measure our contributions to Planetary Well-being.

Date and Place

1 and 2 December 2022 at the Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development at University for Peace, Costa Rica.

Participants

The event is expected to bring together 100 participants with a combination of academics, businesspeople, young leaders, ECI partners, and representatives from international organizations.

Registration

Registration Fee (in-person attendance): US$400

Includes: meals during the conference, transportation from surrounding hotels to the conference venue, logistic support to plan the visit to Costa Rica (information on lodging, airport transportation, tours).

Participants will be responsible for covering their travel costs (airfare, lodging and meals outside the conference, as well as travel insurance), in addition to arranging transportation to and from the airport.

Options for field trips after the conference will be offered as well as pre/post Conference workshops. Interested participants will cover field trip costs.

Hotels

After you register you will receive the information about the hotels and other details.

Registration Fee (virtual attendance): US$100

Please contact us if you have any question at: [email protected]

We look forward to seeing you!

If you have any questions or require further clarification, please feel free to email: [email protected]

Sponsored by:

Our sincere gratitude to our sponsors for their generous support!