The Hague & Doorn, The Netherlands | 1–3 July 2025
“We cannot leave this mess to our children.”
This was the urgent call that rang out across the beaches of Scheveningen, through the Peace Palace in The Hague, under the trees of Doorn — and into the hearts of over 300 participants gathered for Earth Charter+25. This global gathering marked 25 years since the launch of the Earth Charter, serving not just as a commemoration, but as a rallying cry for a new era of peace, justice, and ecological integrity.
A true intergenerational wake-up call
In an age of planetary breakdown and wars on most continents, young people stood not on the sidelines — but at the center of this event. Their message was uncompromising: intergenerational justice must become our ethical foundation. The future cannot be sacrificed for the convenience of the present.
Elizabeth Wathuti, founder of Kenya’s Green Generation Initiative, called for bold climate action rooted in compassion. Earth Charter Young Leaders Chloé Bernardino and Maria Sosa-Segnini led intergenerational dialogues that demanded structural transformation — not symbolic gestures. Dieudonné Gakire of Rwanda and part of the ‘We Grow Together’ community, invoked the power of ancestral wisdom and storytelling to connect generations in shared purpose.
“Wisdom is already present in youth; we must stop speaking for them — and start listening deeply.”
This listening takes many forms — from ancestral intelligence to deep attention to what is both said and unsaid. A collective commitment emerged to listen deeply and deliberately add the perspectives of future generations, nature, un-heard and silenced voices to governance, education, and leadership practices.
From metrics to ethics
Over three powerful days, one truth echoed throughout every panel, performance, and dialogue: sustainability is not a box to check. It is an ethical imperative. It is not only about surviving — it is about upholding dignity, equity, and the right to thrive.
Speakers reminded us: “Peace is not a treaty. It is a way of being. If we lived by the values of the Earth Charter, we wouldn’t need NATO. We would invest in regenerating life, not defending fear.”
Business as a force for life
The gathering also called for a radical rethinking of our economic systems and to stop the endless extractive growth of capitalism. In a landmark session on business and ethics, entrepreneurs, academics, and union leaders came together to initiate the Business Ethics Values Declaration, grounded in the Earth Charter’s principles.
This declaration urges companies to:
– Shift from short-term profit to long-term planetary responsibility
– Embrace an ethic of care
– Act as stewards of life, serving the common good for current and future generations
Educating for transformation
The conference reaffirmed the essential role of the Earth Charter in contributing to the much-needed transformation of education and policy. As the coordinating body of the UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development, Earth Charter International will continue to support the integration of ethical values of care, and planetary consciousness into education contexts — particularly in support of youth, Indigenous communities, and local decision-makers.
The Earth Charter: A living compass for a world in crisis
In times of collapse and disconnection, The Earth Charter stands as a beacon of hope, as a moral and ethical compass for humanity. It invites us to live with respect and care for the community of life, to protect the integrity of ecological systems, and to recognize that peace is not merely the absence of war but the presence of justice. Read our positioning statement to COP30 to see how we advocate for the Earth Charter as an ethical compass into practice.
On the final notes of the music, a shared promise took root:
I am because you are, we act not out of fear, but with fierce love for the whole community of life. We will guide our decisions, and encourage others to do the same, not with short-term metrics, but with long-term ethics. We will center the voices of youth, Indigenous peoples, and nature — not as symbols, but as co-creators of our future.
Speakers including Akpezi Ogbuigwe (Chair, Earth Charter International Council, Nigeria), Severn Cullis-Suzuki (Earth Charter Commissioner, Canada), Pauline Tangiora (Earth Charter Commissioner, Aotearoa/New Zealand), Michael Bracken (Chair, Earth Charter International Board), Elizabeth Wathuti (founder, Kenya’s Green Generation Initiative), Jessica den Outer (Founder Rights of Nature foundation, NL), Willem Ferwerda (Founder Commonland, NL), Jan van de Venis (Ombudsperson for Future Generations, NL), Sam Crowell (Earth Charter International Council and Faculty, USA) and Mirian Vilela (Executive Director, Earth Charter International, Brazil/Costa Rica) — alongside hundreds of global participants — made one thing abundantly clear:
“We need a comprehensive ethical compass to navigate the current challenging times. The Earth Charter serves as that compass. A compass rooted in intergenerational justice, rights of nature, planetary ethics, and business values for a regenerative future.”
Contact in the Netherlands:
Veronique Swinkels – [email protected] – +31 651572672
Paul Lubbers – [email protected] – +31 649595646
Alide Roerink – [email protected]
Contact at Earth Charter International Costa Rica
Mirian Vilela – [email protected]
More info: https://earthcharter.org/eci-25-event
