The Mexican Network, as every year during the month of April, organized different activities and events to sensitize the public to generate and continue contributing to the transformation of consciousness for a better planet Earth. These activities involved multiple actions in favor of nature, reflections through talks, conferences, workshops, gratitude rituals, essay publications, popular articles and books in order to materialize the vision of the Earth Charter for a more just, secure, sustainable and peaceful humanity.
On this occasion the states of Baja California, Chiapas, Durango, State of Mexico, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, Tabasco, Tlaxcala, Veracruz and Zacatecas , organized these actions through the leadership of their focal points or affiliates of the Earth Charter, aimed at different audiences of all ages.
Las acciones iniciaron desde el 2 de abril con una de reflexión profunda de forma virtual titulada “Construcción de Paz desde nuestros corazones: Apaguemos las guerras y encendamos la Paz. Hagamos escuchar nuestro silencio”.
The actions began on 2 April with a deep virtual reflection entitled “Building Peace from our hearts: Let’s turn off wars and turn on Peace. Let’s make our silence heard”. Action where the members of the Mexican Network and special guests interacted to make the feelings awakened in their being felt and take one of the hundreds of steps necessary to achieve a significant change in the way of how human beings treat each other and how we do things regarding global care.
Entre estas acciones se destaca el compromiso asumido por el H. Congreso del Estado de Quintana Roo con la Sustentabilidad como un compromiso con la Carta de la Tierra, aprobando por unanimidad el uso de esta declaración como marco ético para la toma de decisiones y como un exhorto para adoptar los principios y valores propuestos por parte de los poderes Ejecutivo y Judicial.
Among these actions stands out the commitment assumed by the H. Congress of the State of Quintana Roo with Sustainability as a commitment to the Earth Charter, unanimously approving the use of this declaration as an ethical framework for decision-making.
On the other hand, the University of Arts and Sciences of the State of Chiapas assumed its commitment to the Earth Charter, not before giving a concise report of its actions consistent with the principles and values, as well as raising the great utility of this document as an educational instrument.
It is important to note that the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEM) released the publication “Education with the Earth Charter”: as a contribution to the construction of a vision from the curriculum and the community, a publication by the focal points of the state of Mexico David Eduardo Velázquez and Rafael Fernando Sánchez.
In addition to organizing a round table entitled, “Ethics of Care and Sustainability” they joined this activity with the young students of the UAEM “Support Irrigation Day in the Alameda 2000 Park”, and the conference “University Commitment to the Earth Charter” at the University Center of the same university.
On behalf of the Autonomous University of Chapingo, in the state of Mexico, a ritual was organized with the Master Shaman of Tequexquinahuac before proceeding to the symbolic planting of some creole maize rows whose germplasm is being rescued. This activity was organized by professors and students of the University in the experimental field of San Martin.
The state of Hidalgo coordinates a concerted action in the Mezquital Valley to free the mesquites and other plants from the hay that invades and suffocates these trees. This action has been coordinated with the collaboration of the state focal point, Dr. Verónica Kugel.
The conferences and reflections in the state of Durango were about “Women with Great Trajectories Transforming and Taking Care of the World”, “The Earth Charter + SDGs + Youth Leadership” given by Dr. Amorita Salas Westphal, focal point of the State of Durango, where A “Ceremony of Gratitude to Mother Earth” was also held, in which offerings were made in the El Tasajillo conservation area.
On the other hand, our ally to the Earth Charter network, the Center for Technological Studies and collaborators, organized a series of conferences, workshops and tree planting in Baja California, activities coordinated by Dr. Isaac Azuz Adeath.
In the state of Guanajuato, Dr. Shafía Sucar Succar, focal point of the Earth Charter in that state, published a reflection on the networks related to Earth care on the occasion of this international celebration.
Lic. Francisco Javier Camarena Juárez, also a focal point in Guanajuato, intervened during the work of the UN General Assembly in the framework of World Mother Earth Day, achieving a reflection where the Earth Charter is a reference.
The MC Edgar Ulises Salmerón Ramos, focal point in the state of Guerrero, gave a lecture on “Waste or garbage. A perspective towards conservation and sustainability” as part of the second semester academy of the Preschool Education Degree, focusing on the Ecological Integrity axis of the Earth Charter as a reference.
In the state of Tabasco, with the leadership of the MC Ligia Hernández Chararás, focal point of the state of Chiapas, a “roll around the Earth” was convened at Campus 03 of the Tabasco High School.
The Sinaloa Network of Educators organized an indigenous ceremony to thank the four directions, with songs and a meditation to internalize the care of Planet Earth, the attendees were shared with the importance of the ethical framework proposed by the Earth Charter.
In the state of San Luis Potosí, a special dialogue program was developed on the University’s radio. The Ipac-CANACINTRA committee had its meeting to discuss Earth Day and the Earth Charter. The state government gave talks during the week alluding to this celebration.
At the Technological Institute of Orizaba, the commemoration of International Earth Day began with the elaboration of wall newspapers made from recycled materials. The authorities of the Institute took a tour of the exhibition and the student community participated in the recreational activities that were carried out at the tables. Presentations were made by the students to their classmates, seeds of different plants were given away, proposals were exchanged to get down to work and bring the Earth Charter to life.
On behalf of the state of Zacatecas, through the Women’s Commission for Development in Zacatecas made up of 80 companies, principle 10c of the Earth Charter was promoted.
Finally, the representative in Mexico of the Earth Charter, Dr. Mateo Alfredo Castillo Ceja, gave conferences in Michoacán, Chiapas, Tlaxcala and Puebla, with topics such as “Ethical Initiative for Coexistence with the Community of Life”, “Building Sustainable Societies”; “The Earth Charter as an Educational Instrument”, all these to a diverse public among which the garbage collectors of the sanitary landfill of the municipality of Puebla. The rest of the conferences were directed to the university community of the respective institutions of these states.
In summary, our thanks on behalf of the world movement of the Earth Charter to all those who participated from individual to collective actions in the commemoration of the International Mother Earth Day, more than 20 activities were registered in 18 federal entities of Mexico, between conferences, talks, workshops, indigenous rituals, environmental actions and reflection texts, with an estimated impact of more than 3000 people of different ages and profiles. Since 2009, when the resolution was approved by the United Nations General Assembly to celebrate International Mother Earth Day, civil society organizations within the framework of the Consultative Councils for Sustainable Development (CCDS) started this celebration in Mexico with the national movement focusing on the Earth Charter as the main reference. Now the Mexican Network of the Earth Charter has been interested and concerned about keeping this celebration valid year after year, in which it will always be necessary to ask ourselves about: What is the meaning of our lives in this short period of life? What do we have to live on this beautiful planet Earth?