Earth Charter in Action. Powering a global movement.

France

In 1999 in Toulouse, France, the Earth Charter Initiative inspired Josiane Troillet and Telia Djamila to create a support committee to work locally with the Earth Charter. Their first step was to do a study on the relationship between a “United and Responsible” world view and the principles of the Earth Charter. They organized a number of art workshops for children in local schools. Later on, they established the local French organization “Actions pour une Charte de la Terre”.

In 2003 and beyond, the Earth Charter continued to be utilized as a pedagogical instrument in the work of “Actions pour une Charte de la Terre” which involved schools in different regions of France. These learning workshops with primary school children were organized under the theme “I will do something for my planet”.

The Common Good Forum, a Paris-based NGO, and ECI began to collaborate in 2014. The organization’s publication, Bridge-Builder Magazine published an article written by ECI Staff. Also, former French National Cycling Champion Aurelien Passeron began a campaign to create an ethical cycling team based on the Earth Charter principles. His intention is to name the team after the Earth Charter and use his sport to promote the Earth Charter sustainability vision. Watch a video here. https://youtu.be/MrZu9XIATU0.

In 2014, long-time Earth Charter educator Josianne Troillet, used the Earth Charter to create different learning units for three high schools where she works in Toulouse. These units were based on the four pillars of the Earth Charter and she provides examples of leaders in each of the fields related to specific pillars of the Earth Charter. She used a unit called “Wangari Maathai” to highlight the Earth Charter pillar on democracy, nonviolence, and peace. She also used the Earth Charter in a discussion on the law in combination with Jacques Chirac’s Charter for the Environment.

Gambia

Las primeras actividades de la Carta de la Tierra en Gambia tuvieron lugar en mayo de 2009 cuando una organización llamada Unificación Global se alió con la red juvenil de la Carta de la Tierra y formó un ECYG – Unificación Global.

Lea más sobre las actividades juveniles que ocurrieron en Gambia en los perfiles del Grupo de Jóvenes de la Carta de la Tierra.

Michoacan

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Michoacan, Mexico:

Mateo Alfredo Castillo Ceja Michoacán (ECI Council Member)
Janeth Ortiz Ruiz

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Michoacan, send us an email at [email protected]

Ghana

In early 1999 a national committee was established by the Ministry of Environment and Science and Technology to work on the consultation of the Earth Charter in Ghana. The National Committee was only active during the Earth Charter consultation process; it had representatives from the University of Ghana, the National Commission on Women and Development, Friends of the Earth, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology. They organized a national consultation forum on the Earth Charter in December 1999 and participated in the Benchmark Draft at the regional meeting of the African National Earth Charter Committees, in Cape Town, South Africa.

Activities with the Earth Charter before 2010 were organized by the Youth Group YEA-Ghana. They organized workshops and seminars on topics related to environmental protection and volunteerism. They implemented tree planting and clean up awareness and exercises, and organized educational trips with schools. They also undertook long and short-term projects in agriculture, disease, and pest management with a focus on being environmentally friendly. Through these profiles, you can see the former Earth Charter Youth Groups in Ghana.

Greenland

In 1998, the Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) was in a debate concerning the wording of the Earth Charter Drafting text, particularly regarding the principles referring to animals. With the presentation of the final version of the Earth Charter in early 2000, ICC fully supported the way the principle had been rephrased and helped the process of translating the final version of the Earth Charter into Danish and the Greenlandic Inuit language. The translation effort was undertaken by the Committee of Nature and Peoples of the North, two organizations based in Copenhagen, Denmark.

In April 2008 an international conference on Climate Change and Sustainability took place at the small South Greenlandic town of Narsaq. A group of international scientists, local high school students and representatives from the local community were present and participated in working groups during the conference to better understand how climate change will affect people and animals in the region. The local Earth Charter Group, Green Cross Sweden, and WWF Denmark sponsored the event, which resulted in the Earth Day statement.

Honduras

In 1998, the Earth Charter was part of an effort that launched a national commitment document titled “Ethics, Transparency and Sustainable Development”. The Government and civil society representatives elaborated on it with the purpose of stimulating understanding of a series of ethical values based on the vision for sustainable development to help generate a deep process of change. This declaration included the commitment of the country to implement Agenda 21 and the Earth Charter.

During 1999 and 2000, the National Council for Sustainable Development (CONADES) organized a series of seminars and workshops in various parts of the country. The principles of the Earth Charter were discussed in these activities, to foster its implementation at all levels.

Hungary

The Earth Charter has been known in Hungary since at least 2007 when the Balkan and Black Sea Circle Consortium Conference (BBCC) was held in May of that year. EC International actively participated in this annual conference held at the University of Debrecen, Hungary. A presentation was made on the use of the Earth Charter as a framework for ESD.

In 2012-13, the Andrassy Catholic Business Academy in Hungary and Avonbourne College and Academy began collaboration on an international project to bring Earth Charter values and principles into the whole-school curriculum. The first round of this project was completed in 2014 and a case study was published by Earth Charter International in “The Heart of the Matter: Infusing Sustainability Values in Education”, a publication submitted for the end of the UN Decade for ESD.

Island of Nevis

In January 2013, the Earth Charter was presented for the first time on the Island of Nevis by Nicole Helene Augusta Slack, a University for Peace student who also works as Health Planner and Health Educator with the Nevis Island Administration. Nicole organized several workshops, one targeted for children and youth, another for university undergraduates from the University of Virginia visiting the Island, and a third for a religious community.

Israel

In 2001, organizations such as the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel, the Israel Association on Society-Nature Relations, and the Kibbutz Lotan’s Center for Creative Ecology were involved in the dissemination of the Earth Charter in Israel. The latter helped with the translation of the Earth Charter into Hebrew.

In 2006, a group of committed individuals formed “Earth Charter Israel”, a volunteer initiative that is part of the Earth Charter Communities (ECC), whose mission was to generate awareness about the Earth Charter principles in the general public. They opened an online Forum where citizens of Israel and the world could initiate dialogue on different topics related to sustainability and peace. The forum was in Hebrew, Arabic, and English.

Youth activities were organized by Earth Charter Youth Initiative Israel.

Kazakhstan

In 1999, a number of the Kazakh representatives from government, civil society and academia participated in the Central Asian Earth Charter meeting which took place on lake Issyk-Kul (Kyrgyzstan). At this time the Earth Charter Initiative and its draft documents were introduced to the countries of this region.

In 2000, the Regional Environmental Center (REC), organized the regional conference on Sustainable Development and the Earth Charter. The representatives from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Armenia took part in this conference. In 2001, The REC Central Asia convened various Earth Charter activities for children and youth: there were children’s Earth Charter discussions during the summer vacations at the Annual Environment Camp: they created a special exhibition entitled “Discussing the Earth Charter”, organized the art contest with Earth Charter theme, and the Earth Charter inspired science projects for the youth groups.

Although the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia used to be actively engaged in the Earth Charter activities, they are currently not active.

Kyrgyzstan

In 1999 the first introduction of the Earth Charter to the region of Central Asia took place at the Regional Central Asian conference held at the location of Lake Issyk-Kul, not far from the capital of Kyrgyzstan. At that time an Earth Charter Council for Central Asia was created as the result of the conference, its goals objectives were the promotion of the Earth Charter ethical values and moral principle in the region, and the dissemination of the Earth Charter educational materials, and other information.

The Ecological Movement of Kyrgyzstan played an important role in promoting the Earth Charter in the country, as well as within the regional Earth Charter Central Asian Council. As the head of the most influential environmental NGO in Kyrgyzstan, Dr. Emil Shukurov played an important role in integrating the Earth Charter into the life and work of the civil society in the country. The Earth Charter was about to become an officially endorsed document in Kyrgyzstan, but after the sudden change of political power, the situation in the country was reversed.

Saudi Arabia

Representatives of the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment, Department of Environmental Public Awareness and SABK International participated in the 10th anniversary of the Earth Charter in Jordan in 2010. They signed the Dead Sea Declaration and supported the creation of the Earth Charter Middle East and North Africa Network.

Serbia

An Earth Charter Youth Group called ECYG KRIO was established in Serbia in June 2008. The Youth group’s mission was to encourage and support young people to take an active role in building a sustainable world, based on respect for nature, civil, social, and economic justice, a culture of peace for current and future generations.

Tajikistan

In 1999, the NGO “Foundation to Support Civil Initiatives” started to be involved in the Earth Charter Initiative. As part of their effort, they disseminated the Earth Charter among key organizations in the country and coordinated several local meetings to discuss the first and second drafts of the Earth Charter text.  Since then the Foundation and its Chairperson, Dr. Muazama Burkhanova, have promoted and used the Earth Charter in various ways. Numerous activities and events have been held in the country to promote the Earth Charter principles and its vision and mission in the country. Among such activities were educational workshops and training sessions at different levels, from secondary schools, to the teachers of the remote rural areas, to the local authorities in the cities and in the distant makhaljas (community centers). The high-level training projects for the Tajik governmental officials, youth organizations and the national Academy of Sciences were also held during this period. The Foundation, as the Earth Charter Tajik Affiliate, organized summer camps for children and youth from cities and rural areas, held educational games, used Earth Charter videos and made various presentations about the Earth Charter.

The Earth Charter affiliate in Tajikistan was able to organize a meeting of high school students to learn about the Earth Charter and present the Earth Charter at a roundtable on Earth Day 2014.

Between 2007 and 2008 the Earth Charter Guidebook for Teachers and the Earth Charter brochure were translated into the Tajik language and published. This made the wider dissemination of the Earth Charter vision and mission possible among all sectors of the Tajik civil society, and has led to new educational opportunities and activities. In 2009, the Ministry of Education of Tajikistan approved the launch of a series of pilot Earth Charter lessons in secondary schools of Dushanbe. The first lesson took place in school N1 for forty students of the 8th grade, and it followed by another 15 lessons once a week, (16 lessons in total, and each lesson covering a corresponding principle of the Earth Charter). The first lesson was received with great enthusiasm by teachers and students.

There was one Earth Charter Youth Group in Tajikistan, called ECYG Dushanbe: “Live Earth”. They joined the Earth Charter Youth network in December 2008. This group’s mission was to raise awareness about the Earth Charter among Tajik youth and to promote Earth Charter values and principles into the national educational system.

Seychelles

Seychelles Islands are an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar. In 2007, the Seychelles National Institute of Education (NIE – the institution responsible for the training of primary and secondary school teachers) offered courses through Prof. Michelle Martin in which the Earth Charter was a central part.

The organization Sustainability for Seychelles (S4S), with which Michelle Martin works, has been active in promoting the Earth Charter in different sectors, such as educators and policymakers, since 2010. S4S staff realized that they could use the Earth Charter to improve cross-sectoral collaboration in their country, and so they translated the Charter into Kreol and they have organized several activities to open dialogue about sustainability issues on the Island and to build capacity among community-based organizations (CBOs) and motivate them to become involved in decision-making processes about things that matter to them. In 2014, they printed a new Earth Charter poster in English and Kreol which was widely distributed with CBOs. They also organized several EC workshops facilitated by Peter Corcoran, an Earth Charter advisor and long-time supporter from the USA.

Morelos

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Morelos, Mexico:
Jazmín Hildabel Moreno Aguirre

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Morelos, send us an email at [email protected]

Nayarit

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Nayarit, Mexico:
Fernando Treviño Montemayor
Beatriz Quintero Hernández

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Nayarit, send us an email at [email protected]

Chile

The Instituto de Ecología Política (Institute for Political Ecology) has supported the Earth Charter for many years with different educational activities and is presently an EC Affiliate in this country. In July 2002, the Institute for Political Ecology organized an event to launch the Earth Charter and raise awareness about it. Over 150 participants attended the event; among them were political authorities, ecological organizations, NGOs, and students.

This institute continuously holds meetings with Government representatives to present the Earth Charter, with the aim to reach an endorsement from the Parliament and the Ministry of Environment.

Costa Rica

Civil society in Costa Rica has been involved in the Earth Charter Initiative since 1995. In 1997, the Earth Council joined Costa Rica’s Ministry of Public Education in organizing a two-day workshop, which gave secondary school students the opportunity to talk about sustainable development and contribute to the Earth Charter consultation process. In 1998, the University of Costa Rica strongly supported the Earth Charter process, particularly through a group of students that developed a survey about the values and principles of the Earth Charter and which involved approximately 3,500 university students.

In November 2000, the Earth Charter Secretariat and the Ministry of Environment organized an official launch of the Earth Charter. The event had the participation and support from the President of Costa Rica, the Minister of Education, and the Minister of Environment. The Municipality of San Jose endorsed the Earth Charter and undertook a training on sustainability for more than 1,800 staff members.

In 2001, the Minister of Education and the Minister of Environment of Costa Rica signed a declaration (Declaración de Interés Público) expressing their agreement to work with the Earth Charter using it as educational tool and declaring the Charter of public interest.

The National University has been organizing since 2010, the Earth Charter Student Awards. This recognition is awarded to students with strong values and positive human qualities, who are putting the Earth Charte principles into action. The General Studies Center of this University offers several courses that are mandatory for all students and that use the Earth Charter as a theoretical framework.

In a process that lasted more than four years, and which started in 2008, the Judicial Power of Costa Rica drafted its Axiological Policy as part of their Ethical Management System. The Earth Charter was included as a reference and a document that judges can use in their resolutions.

Two educators created an inmate literacy instruction around the principles of the Earth Charter in La Reforma prison in Alajuela, Costa Rica. The program ran from 2005 to 2011. A video that present this experiences was created by ECI Secretariat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whe_y47SGtg

The Earth Charter Secretariat, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the National University (UNA), the Children’s Museum and the Distance Learning University (UNED), led a project, funded by the Japanese Embassy, that developed a teacher guidebook and student publications (workbook and agenda) to facilitate the implementation of the Earth Charter Principles. Over 35,000 books for teachers and 100,000 for students were distributed in Costa Rica (many through training workshops) between early 2005 and 2007.

In 2006, the Earth Charter Center of Education for Sustainable Development and UNESCO organized the Latin American Meeting: “Building Education for Sustainable Development” in San Jose, Costa Rica. The meeting had the purpose of promoting regional actions within the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development – DESD (2005-2014). The main outcomes were the “Regional Strategy: Building Education for Sustainable Development in Latin America an the Caribbean” (See Regional Strategy in English here) and the “National Costa Rican Commitment for the Decade“.

In 2003, through a youth led-project, four Earth Charter concerts took place over a period of four months.

Colombia

The Institute of Environmental Studies (IDEA) of the National University of Colombia, ECI Affiliate, in collaboration with the Environmental Education Network and RCE Bogotá, has organized environmental forums and pedagogical training opportunities for sustainable development using the Earth Charter as reference. IDEA also offers a course on Environmental Education, in which they use the Earth Charter.
In June 2012, the Hon. Álvaro Cruz Vargas, Governor of the Department of Cundinamarca, endorsed the Earth Charter in a public ceremony in the community of San Juan de Río Seco. This endorsement was possible thanks to the initiative of Vilma Parra and Lino Donaher, of the Fundación Maestros Del Río in Colombia and ECI Affiliate.
The SIPT Company endorsed the Earth Charter in 2013 and created an educational program to promote the spirit and objectives of the Earth Charter among the children of staff currently in primary school, to make the endorsement more meaningful.
The Filosofarte Foundation, ECI Affiliate, founded the Eco AUM ecological school in Bogotá in 2010, using the Earth Charter as its foundation. According to the Foundation, this allows the school to specify the philosophy and spirit contained in the Earth Charter with which they are in full agreement.
Previously there was a group of young people from the TC in Colombia called ASOTEMIRE (theater, mime and the Association of Youth Recreation).

Finland

Finland has been involved with the Earth Charter since at least 2006 when an Earth Charter Youth Group called ECYG Finland was established. This youth group translated the Earth Charter into Finnish and promoted the Earth Charter in Finland, specifically at the University of Jyvaskyla. From 2007 to 2013, Earth Charter International had a flow of interns from the University of Jyvaskyla.

In March 2009, a group of 20 voluntary translators started a process of translating the Earth Charter’s country web page, The Earth Charter Guidebook for Teachers, and EC-Assess into Finnish.

In 2013, Earth Charter Finland concluded the Earth Our Home exhibition introducing the Earth Charter in Helsinki, the last city of its tour around Finland. The exhibition venue was Laituri, The City Planning Department’s meeting place on Narinkka Square in the city center and counted about 1,600 visitors.

Earth Charter Kestävän kehityksen peruskirja

• Perustietoa Kestävän kehityksen peruskirjasta suomeksi löytyy
• Kestävän kehityksen peruskirjan minuutin mittainen esittelyvideo esittelyvideo
• Opettajille suunnattu “Kestävää kehitystä luokkahuoneisiin; Kestävän kehityksen peruskirja Opettajan opas” suomeksi täällä
• Opettajan opas myös Globaalikasvatus.fi:n vinkkipankissaKiinnostuitko Kestävän kehityksen peruskirjasta? Haluaisitko osallistua Earth Charter–kansalaisliikkeen toimintaan?
• Ota yhteyttä:[email protected]

Vuonna 2012 Suomea kiertää näyttely, joka esittelee Kestävän kehityksen peruskirjan sisällön 18 roll up -paneelin avulla. Näyttely kiertää läpi kahdeksan paikkakuntaa ja käynnistyy jokaisessa kiertuekaupungissa avajaistilaisuudella. Kaupungeissa toimii myös 2–4 kestävän kehityksen opasta, jotka opastavat paikalle sattuvia vierailijoita ja opastuksen varanneita ryhmiä. Näyttelyn ohessa järjestetään kaikille avoimia työpajoja, joissa perehdytään peruskirjaan toiminnallisten harjoitusten avulla. Näyttelyn kuulumisiin pääsee tutustumaan Facebookissa ja sivun alaosan uutisissa.

Lisätietoa näyttelystä täällä.

Näyttelyn koordinaattori Kirsi Ahonen | 045 651 0982 | [email protected]

Polonia

Pakistan

Nuevo Leon

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Nuevo Leon, Mexico:
Lorena Herrera Durán

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Nuevo Leon, send us an email at [email protected]

Dominican Republic

In 1998, PRONATURA convened a group of individuals and organizations to form a National Earth Charter Committee that would help raise awareness about the Earth Charter and put together a collective contribution to the Earth Charter consultation process. Their effort to promote the Earth Charter included developing and disseminating programs for television and radio and various workshops.

In 2000, the Earth Charter Committee continued disseminating the Earth Charter through a series of Earth Charter articles, which were published in newspapers and magazines that year. The Poveda Center also joined this effort to support the Initiative through education programs in schools.

During the official state government interventions at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg, the Dominican Republic’s government affirmed, “As is evident, our commitment to sustainable development is a practical and real commitment, practiced every day and supported by an ethical conception of development. It is for this reason that we also want to state that the Dominican Republic supports the principles established in the Earth Charter that put people and the natural environment ahead of short-term economic interests.”

In 2014, a network of organizations that work with people with disabilities in Dominican Republic (called La Red Iberoamericana de Entidades de Personas con Discapacidad Física en la República Dominicana) published an environmental education material that is based on the Earth Charter.

In 2008, the University Pedro Enríquez Ureña offered two orientation courses for teachers, in the framework of a Post-Graduate Program for Teachers of the Ministry of Education. Sixty teachers from different regions of the country participated.

The Earth Charter national site for Dominican Republic is the following: http://www.earthcharterdominicanrepublic.org/

Belgium

Nuevo Leon

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Nuevo Leon, Mexico:
Lorena Herrera Durán

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Nuevo Leon, send us an email at cartadelatierra.nl@gmail.com

Oaxaca

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Oaxaca, Mexico:
Guadalupe Yessenia Hernández Márquez

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Oaxaca, send us an email at [email protected]

Morocco

Guatemala

In Guatemala, the Nature Conservation and Community Development Organization (ORCONDECO) created and implemented the Environmental and Cultural Scholar Education Programme, with Maya Q’eqchi’ children and youth in 56 schools of the Lachuá Ecoregion. The aim of this programme is to create awareness about the value of life and sacred nature. They have integrated the Earth Charter in the programme since 2010 and continue to use it actively. In 2014, they added new Earth Charter resources for the programme, including a youth poster.

Puerto Rico

Qatar

Scotland

Perú

In 2008, Asociación Cultural Pirámide (Pyramid Cultural Association) and Earth Charter Peru (a group of five people) started to be engaged in the Earth Charter Initiative with the objective to raise awareness about the Earth Charter and promote its use in various spheres of action.

In 2010, the Jesuit University of Peru, Antonio Ruiz de Montoya University, offered an Earth Charter Course within the university extension courses. The course was called “Earth Charter: Current Global Situation and the New Paradigms. Exchange of Experiences for a Balanced World.”

There was an Earth Charter Youth Group in Peru, called Asociacion Peruana de Escultismo (APE).

Venezuela

Puebla

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Puebla, Mexico:
José Ignacio Rojas González

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Puebla, send us an email at [email protected]

Indonesia

In June 1999, an Earth Charter meeting was held to promote engagement of different Indonesian groups in the EC initiative. This meeting was facilitated by Ms. Erna Witoelar, Earth Charter Commissioner.  She has engaged local NGOs in Indonesia, to help with the production of the Earth Charter Brochure in Indonesian, which was widely distributed in 2002. Many of these NGOs continue to be part of the EC Initiative exploring ways to use the Charter and promote it.  A group of NGOs met in November 2007 with EC Secretariat staff in Jakarta, to further explore ways to disseminate the EC principles. They launched an Earth Charter network for Indonesia.

Earth Charter representatives were present at the WSSD PrepCom, in Bali (27 May to 7 June 2002). The EC Seeds of Change exhibition was displayed in Bali during the WSSD PrepCom.  A wonderful Earth Charter cultural event took place on 2 June at the Candra Loka Amphitheatre in Nusa Dua in Bali with the participation of about 1,000 people. The event brought together Indonesian artists and singer san serves as a wonderful opportunity to promote the Earth Charter.

In 2005, the Center for Religious and Cross Cultural Studies at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta held a seminar on world religions and ecology, where the Earth Charter was discussed.

Argentina

In 1997, a national Earth Charter Project was created in Argentina to help generate dialogue about the Earth Charter draft and collect Argentina’s vision of the Earth Charter. In 1998, the Earth Charter was discussed during the third Indigenous Peoples, Mother Earth and Spirituality meeting on Education, Traditional Knowledge and Sustainable Practices held in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina. In August that year, the presentation of the Earth Charter Project in Argentina took place in a public forum with the attendance of approximately 250 people. The NGOs Acuario XXI Century and Ala Plastica organized the forum.

After the launch of the Earth Charter in 2000, activities in Argentina have slowed down. Argentina People and Nature was disseminating the Charter with individuals, educational institutions, and in rural and local schools through the publication of their magazine “Verde y Algo más” (Green and more) and through their Botanical Garden.In 2009 they planned a workshop for businesses and discussed the possibility of including the Charter within the official agenda Cordoba Province

Ala Plastica has been developing educational artistic projects with biologists, sociologists, and other professionals, to help them enhance their creativity in their work with communities. The organization used Earth Charter values in this project, not only in Argentina, but also in Ecuador and New York. In 2013, they collaborated more closely with Solo con Natura, an Ecuadorian organization, to expand this project to a larger scale.

Armenia

Armenians became involved with the Earth Charter Initiative in 1998 when the Association for Sustainable Human Development launched a series of public discussions on the first draft of the Earth Charter text. An important accomplishment of their efforts was the Russian and Armenian translation of the Earth Charter and its Benchmark Draft II.

The Association have also created and disseminated a Children’s version of the Earth Charter in Armenian, English, and Russian. Since early 2000 several national and two big regional Earth Charter events have been organized, including Earth Charter art exhibitions, theatrical performances, and several Earth Charter poster contests. The members of the Association and its Chairperson, Prof. Karine Danielyan have made significant progress into the educational use of the Earth Charter: About 10 textbooks and guidelines for universities have been produced. Members of the Armenian Parliament and governmental officials have been directly and indirectly using the Earth Charter as an ethical framework.

The Association for Sustainable Human Development (ASDH), ECI Affiliate, have been very active in promoting ESD materials that they had developed for Universities, making presentations on sustainable development, sustainable consumption and production, and education for sustainable development.

In 2006 an Earth Charter Youth Group was established in Armenia.

Sierra Leone

Austria

In the year 2000, the International Institute for Global Ethics made some effort to use and promote the Earth Charter. It focused on the implementation of “ethics in business” and in that context the institute organized a meeting of the Ethics in Business Council and discussed how the Earth Charter could be implemented. Under this umbrella activity other activities have followed.

In 2015, Christoph Band, an Austrian artist and activist, launched Earth Charter Austria, a registered non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the Earth Charter mission in Austria.

The UNESCO Club of Vienna used the Earth Charter with some frequency in 2014. One of the highlights of the year was successfully suggesting to the Webster University Model UN that they should include a representative to represent the Earth Charter perspective as one of the civil society delegates in the proceedings. A high school student from Prague took the challenge and worked with an ECI staff member to best represent the Earth Charter at the MUN conference in Vienna. Vienna. /content/articles/1098/1/High-school-student-represents-the-Earth-Charter-at-a-Model-UN-Conference/Page1.html

An Earth Charter Youth Group was formed in Austria in August 2010 by e-GLO 2 graduate Jessica White. Visit the ECYGs profile here.

In the year 2008, an Austrian-based NGO called INEX (International Network of Educational Exchange), started a partnership with Earth Charter International in Costa Rica. INEX offers summer university programs to several European universities; one of the programs is a short course on Sustainable Development for Master’s students of different disciplines, which took place in Costa Rica and used the Earth Charter. INEX served as an Earth Charter Affiliate from 2009-2013.

Austrian Environmental Law days
The Earth Charter had been at focus at the 20th Austrian Environmental Law days at 16th and 17th of September 2015. Professor Dr. Klaus Bosselmann, who actively endorses the Earth Charter for a long time, held the ceremonial address by video link from New Zealand. According to the organizator, the 220 listeners showed greatest interest and even enthusiasm for his speech. Klaus Bosselmann is the director of the New Zealand Center for Environmental Law at the University of Auckland.
The speech is available at www.nzcel.auckland.ac.nz

Azerbaijan

Inspired by the vision and values of the Earth Charter, at the very beginning of the 2010, the “IRELI” Public Union, a civil society network in the Republic of Azerbaijan, became the first Affiliate in this country. Founded in December 2008 on the basis of the Countrywide Youth Movement, the IRELI Public Union is one of the most massive and active non-governmental organizations in Azerbaijan.

One of the main goals of IRELI is the development of a new sustainable lifestyle in Azerbajani citizens, teaching them to respect national spiritual values, religion, language, and history. IRELI believes that only spiritual and ethical criteria based on national values and rules will be able to guarantee the complete and comprehensive development of every member of the society. The organization wants to see responsible state officials, students, and property owners who are true to their values. As representatives of many young people of the contemporary Azerbaijan, IRELI believes in consistent educational efforts that ensure the informed and active participation of young people in building a just, peaceful and sustainable society.

The IRELI Public Union, co-organized an event on the Green Economy in early August 2013. The main objective of the ecological camp on the Green Economy was to raise awareness of environmental protection, the ecological benefits of applying non-waste and low-waste technologies, and study the role of youth in reducing harmful effects of economic development to the environment.

Sri Lanka

Guanajuato

Focal Points of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Guanajuato, Mexico: Shafía Súcar Súccar
Luz María Morales Trujillo
Francisco Javier Camarena Juárez

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Guanajuato, send us an email to: [email protected]

Durango

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Durango, Mexico:
Amorita Ivonne Salas Westpal

Syria

Tatarstan

Queretaro

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Queretaro, Mexico:
Pamela Siroub Carbajal

Canada

Canadians have been active in the Earth Charter Initiative since October 1999 when representatives from Canada participated in the On-line Global Forum on the Earth Charter. Since then, there have been many projects and initiatives in Canada involving the Earth Charter. In 2,000, the Convergence Foundation of Canada joined the Earth Charter Initiative to facilitate the promotion of the document in Quebec. The Earth Charter background information and text were published in its April 2,000 newsletter, sent to over 5,000 individuals and groups in Canada and Europe. The convergence Foundation was also involved in the translation of the French Earth Charter document as well as related materials.

After the initial dissemination of the Earth Charter in Canada, many different activities through disparate groups have emerged including educational activities, policy-related initiatives, youth projects, and work involving First Nations

In Canada the Inclusive Leadership Gathering once again took place and in the 2014 summer edition, more than 70 people participated. These gatherings heavily feature the Earth Charter. ECI also welcomed a new affiliate in Canada who immediately began helping the Earth Charter movement, specifically by designing the EC+15 logo.

Since early 2008, Dr. Mitra Doherty has been working on the dissemination of the Earth Charter through art and presentations at conferences. In 2015, she created the Mitra Doherty Scholarship Award to grant financial aid to participants coming to the Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development programmes.

The Little Earth Charter for Kids

The Little Earth Charter was created, for young kids, through collaboration between JC Little of Little Animation Inc. and Rosie Emery, a singer and songwriter and environmental educator. This is a remarkable animated video that captures the principles and momentum of the Charter in sights and sounds and the language of children. The video is available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, and Dutch. To obtain a copy, contact [email protected] and for more see: http://www.littleanimation4kids.com/

In June 2002, Sierra Club Canada organized an event were the Earth Charter was featured “People and planet: Changing Values for a Sustainable Future – Canada”. This conference, organized by the Sierra Club of Canada and the Society for Conservation Biology, has the main purpose to search for solutions to major environmental problems by examining their root causes.

In 2002 the Toronto & Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) began a process, after endorsing the Earth Charter, of comparing the Earth Charter principles with existing TRCA policies. It involved identifying, analyzing, interpreting and commenting on those Earth Charter principles most relevant to the work of TRCA.

In November 2001 the Conference “Multiple Currents: Expanding the Boundaries of Transformative Learning” took place and reaffirmed the commitment of many involved with the Transformative Learning Center at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education to use the Earth Charter. This effort offered a unique occasion to raise awareness and commitment to utilize the Earth Charter.

Quintana Roo

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Quintana Roo, Mexico:
María Guillermina Pech Pech

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Quintana Roo, send us an email at [email protected]

United States of America

The Earth Charter took root in the USA in 1996 when The Center for Respect of Life and Environment (CRLE) organized a first Earth Charter meeting to raise awareness and support to the Earth Charter consultation process. John Hoyt, CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, Bella Abzug, chair of WEDO (Women, Environment and Development Organization) and Steven Rockefeller, chair of the Earth Charter Drafting Committee, participated with many others in this special event that took place in Washington and was organized under the leadership of CRLE’s head, Rick Clugston.

In the year 1999 CRLE continued to organize events and publish materials through its Earth Ethics related to the Earth Charter. Earth Charter USA, a formal non-profit, was established and an Earth Charter Campaign to involve NGOs, Universities, and other groups in the drafting process of the EC was initiated.

In April 2000 activists from around the US gathered in the Washington, DC area to hold the Earth Charter USA National Conference. Participants included the chair of the Earth Charter International Drafting Committee, Steven Rockefeller, the Chairman of Earth Charter USA and former president of the Humane Society of the United States, John Hoyt, among other key leaders.

After Jan Roberts, Founder of Earth Charter U.S. learned about the Earth Charter at an EC drafting session in Assisi, Italy in July 1999, she set up a process to engage individuals from communities all around the US. The purpose was to sensitize and engage local community leaders including individuals without affiliation to any organization or institution. They formed an Earth Charter Local Community committee in Tampa, Florida to organize simultaneous Earth Charter Community Summits in as many cities or towns as possible that would be connected by satellite. Since the first EC Local Community Summit held in September 2001, these efforts continue to persist in and have spawned many offshoots and parallel initiatives.

There was activity all over the USA in 2014. The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh held its Earth Charter week again. It has been doing so for a decade. Earth Charter Indiana was very busy with climate activities, participating in marches and legislative efforts, and publishing regularly on Earth Charter topics. Florida Gulf Coast University, the EC affiliate in Florida, continued using the Earth Charter heavily and integrating it more deeply into its core curriculum.

There were a number of activities in the United States of America in 2013, some through Affiliates, some through new partners, and many Earth Charter activities carried out independently. Earth Charter US held its fifth annual Sustainable Business Awards ceremony, celebrating 13 businesses and with an attendance of more than 200 people.

Another Earth Charter Affiliate, the Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) and its Center for Environmental and Sustainability Education continued to implement the Earth Charter on many different levels and through a variety of programmes and educational initiatives. In the academic year 2012-13, the University awarded 10 Earth Charter mini-grants to the Center’s Faculty and Staff. FGCU also started a new initiative, a Live Learn Community (LLC) titled “Leadership through Service.” Another mini-grant helped fund the development of a study abroad, interdisciplinary, team-taught, service-learning course, which was delivered across two semesters and included a study abroad component in Costa Rica. The 2013 edition of FGCU’s Center for Environmental and Sustainability Education Rachel Carson Distinguished Lecture featured Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver.

In 2004, EarthCat, the Earth Charter Community Action Tool, a software tool was developed for use by communities interested in developing sustainability programs. It is a guide designed to provide communities with a framework that permits them to identify their own priorities and approaches as they work towards a sustainable future. EarthCat provides a clear methodology to take in defining goals and targets, developing strategies, and measuring progress. It is an easy-to-use tool that provides practical instruction and theoretical background for every step.

In May 2002 a remarkable Academic Symposium, co-sponsored by the Chewonki Foundation, The Center for Respect of Life and Environment and the University Leaders for a Sustainable Future took place in Wiscasset, Maine, USA. The organizing theme was the implication of the Earth Charter in higher education.

Yes! Magazine developed a curriculum and guide to the Earth Charter for teachers. Now thousands of teachers are part of this education network. Yes! Magazine is a progressive quarterly that prints no advertisements and has an international circulation. Yes! Magazine continues to collaborate with Earth Charter International to this day.

Earth Charter Community Summits inspired the Earth Scouts project, which developed an interesting guide in the early 2,000s. The Earth Scouts Guide is based on a cooperative learning environment that empowers children and youth to take active roles in leading Earth Scout activities. It is written in a conversational and helpful style, so both adults and youth will find it easy and enjoyable to use.

Bangladesh

In 1999, the IUCN and the Earth Council organized a “National Forum on Multi-Stakeholder Sustainability Planning in Bangladesh”. 40 participants representing different sectors of the society attended the Forum. A discussion about the Earth Charter was part of the agenda.

In 2000, the Centre for Sustainable Development produced and disseminated a booklet on the Earth Charter in the national language, Bengali. Currently, the Centre for Sustainable Development continues to be Affiliated with and supportive of the Earth Charter.

There was one Earth Charter Youth Group in Bangladesh, called ECYG Climate Natural. They joined the Earth Charter Youth network in February 2008. ECYG Climate Natural’s mission was to create youth network in Asia to promote climate strategy and sustainable development.

Belarus

In 1999 a Belarusian National Earth Charter group was formed, and in the same year the first Earth Charter National Meeting was held in Belarus, led by the Division of the International Academy of Ecology. Dr. Eugene Shirokov, president of the Habitat Center was a leading advocate for the creation of the National Earth Charter Committee and the National Council for Sustainable Development. Since then, the National Earth Charter Committee has organized several Earth Charter meetings on sustainable development, the Earth Charter ethical framework for education, and its role in building capacity in Belorusian civil society.

There is one Earth Charter Youth Group in Belarus, called ECYG Youth International Club “NEWLINE”. They joined the Earth Charter Youth network in August 2007. NEWLINE’s mission is to introduce Earth Charter principles and values to Belarusian non-governmental and state youth organizations, schools, and individual youth, as well as promote cooperation between them for sustainable development and democratization in Belarus.

YIEC “Newline” continued to carry out activities to spread the Earth Charter in Belarus and the region in 2014. YIEC “Newline” helped form the Education for Sustainable Development Association, and this organization, with the help of YIEC “Newline” helped bring the Earth Charter and ESD to many parts of the Belarusian educational system. YIEC also carried another Spring Discussion Camp in March, bringing together students and teachers from 13 different schools in Belarus and Latvia.

YIEC also participated in the Academy of Post-Graduate Education in Minsk’s Conference: “Partnership Network of Sustainable Development Schools: Inter-regional Collaboration and Sustainable Change”. During the three-day conference teachers and students from the “Partnership Network of Sustainable Development Schools”, assisted by national and international experts,  discussed the project and defined promising trends for expanding education to promote sustainable development in Belarus. Following the conference, a book was published on the conference results in Belarusian and Russian.

YIEC and Adobe Youth Voices Program / IEARN hosted the annual Youth Media Festival “Youth Voice for Sustainable Development 2014”, featuring over 20 media projects from all over Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. All the projects are available at a specially created YouTube channel.

YIEC also published an updated and improved translation of the Earth Charter in Belarusian. In 2013, The Week of Sustainable Development, a traditional annual event, was held in Belarus. The SD School Partnership Network is one of the main participants and co-organizers of the event and supports and promotes the ideas of sustainable development through local actions wherever their members are active. The SD School Partnership Network uses the ideas of the Earth Charter as its basic principles: Earth is our home; providing global safety is our care; universal responsibility is our principle of collaborative work and general activities. In 2013, there were about 50 different actions during SD Week that were organized for various social groups and local authorities by the SD School Partnership Network members. The Earth Charter activities were supported by Earth Charter Affiliate Youth International Education Club “New Line”.

Belize

Throughout 2006, the International Institute of Culture and Language promoted the Earth Charter in Belize in various activities.

San Luis Potosí

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in San Luis Potosí, Mexico:
José Adrián Figueroa Hernández

To contact the Mexican EC Network in San Luis Potosí, send us an email at [email protected]

Benin

In 2000, the NGO Benin 21 started a process to disseminate and promote the Earth Charter among governmental agencies and officials, NGOs, research institutes and civil society in general. This process entailed the elaboration of a short version of the Charter in French, which was translated into five local languages (Fon, Adja, Idaatcha, Baatonou, and Dendi). In addition, several songs and poems about the principles of the Earth Charter were created in French and Fon, which were made available on tape and were widely distributed. In this dissemination process, Benin 21 encouraged NGOs and public and private organizations to adopt the Earth Charter in their work and personal lives. During the national presidential election that year, special efforts were made to promote the principles of Democracy, Non Violence, and Peace.

In recent years there have not been many Earth Charter activities in Benin.

Bahrain

The Bahrain Women Association for Human Development participated in the Arab Regional Meeting on the Earth Charter in 2001. Since then, they have been making efforts to promote the sustainability vision articulated in the Charter. For example, they created the Environmental Citizenship Program (2003) with which they provided many workshops for middle and high school students on the principles of the Earth Charter. They also introduced the Earth Charter in radio public service announcements (2010).

Bahrain Women Association for HD participated in the 10th anniversary of the Earth Charter and are part of the Earth Charter MENA network. In recent years, they have focused on creating workshops for youth associations, women organizations, universities, and government agencies. The Association is also involved in a number of environmental events happening in the country. For these events, they have created post cards and booklets with inspiring images and phrases related to the Earth Charter.

The Bahrain Women Association has continued to be involved in the Earth Charter Initiative, offered Earth Charter workshops, and members participated in the Earth Charter +15 Art Project One by Dutch artist Alette de Groot.

In 2011, IMPACT Bahrain, a marketing and advertising company endorsed the Earth Charter and supported it by creating a temporary Earth Charter website in Arabic. A representative of this company is a member of the Earth Charter MENA Network.

Bolivia

In 1999, the League for the Defense of the Environment (LIDEMA) worked on a national effort to promote the Earth Charter in Bolivia and gather inputs for the consultation process from a variety of sectors. LIDEMA continued with the promotion of the Earth Charter until 2006.

Other organizations that have promoted the Earth Charter in Bolivia are Fundación PUMA, Fundación Construir, and PAZINDE.

Fundacion Construir develops actions that aim to implement the Earth Charter Principle 13 through the organization of events or implementation of projects which respond to the implementation of specific subprinciples.

In 2014, Fundación Construir was selected by CIVICUS as one of only eight projects to promote multi-stakeholder dialogue. More than 900 organizations from all over the world applied for this recognition.

Sinaloa

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Sinaloa, Mexico:
Julio Armando Morales Sánchez
María Carolina Ceballos Bernal

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Sinaloa, send us an email at [email protected]

Burkina Faso

During the Earth Charter Initiative consultation process in the 1990s, there were three active groups in Burkina Faso: The National Council for Sustainable Development (CONAGESE); Green Cross Burkina Faso; and the Volunteer Association for Development (ADV). CONAGESE is an organization functioning under the umbrella of the government of Burkina Faso and is a multi-stakeholder council.

Starting in 1998, these organizations promoted the idea of the Earth Charter throughout their network, and were active in generating feedback to the drafting process of the Earth Charter. During that time, Green Cross Burkina Faso formed an Earth Charter Committee, which included the participation of several key people and organizations in the country.

Green Cross Burkina Faso (GCBF) continues to use the principles of the Earth Charter related to ecological integrity as inspiration and foundation for their activities. In 2014, they organized the following activities, as part of their commitment to promote the Earth Charter:

1. Conflict Prevention project related to Natural Resource Management in the Volta Basin (PRECOGRN) PHASE III – this project aims to introduce sustainable agricultural practices to limit the use pesticides in Burkina Faso.
2. Research project on how gender perspective and the rights of local communities are included in the mining code of Burkina Faso. They found that these are not well included therefore the project made recommendations to for their inclusion.

Brazil

In early 1998, an Earth Charter National Committee was created to engage different Brazilian sectors in the Earth Charter consultation process. This was followed by a series of preparatory events for the Earth Charter Continental meeting of the Americas, held in December 1998. Participants from all over the American Continent were present and engaged in discussions regarding the proposed principles to be included in the Earth Charter. The event had the support of the Government of the State of Mato Grosso.

For many years, The Paulo Freire Institute in Sao Paulo has been engaged in promoting the Earth Charter through educational initiatives. In August 1999, the Institute organized an international gathering of 150 educators to explore the possibilities of the Earth Charter from an educational perspective. Members of this institute agreed that this document should guide all their projects and programmes. They continue to implement “Eco Political Pedagogical” projects in different parts of Brazil, where they have been trying to reinforce the importance of the environmental dimension in connection to other subjects in the school curricula.

ITAIPU, the world’s largest bi-national, state-owned hydroelectric dam, has been using the Earth Charter as a valuable ethical framework, educational tool, and as the common thread linking the 70 or more projects that are part of the programme Cultivando Agua Buena (Cultivating Good Water), which began in 2003. For their efforts, they won the Maximo Kalaw Earth Charter award in 2005. Cultivating Good Water aims at the preservation of water, soil, and life. It has developed sustainable environmental initiatives in 29 Paraná River municipalities influenced by the dam. The project involves local partners in each of its actions working on co-responsibility with excellent community participation. They also helped to establish a formal network of professors who have organized EC study workshops and three conferences with more than 3000 participants. Through the actions of Itaipu, thousands of people have received materials and information about the Earth Charter and more than 250,000 people living in the Paraná Basin area have participated in activities and heard the message of the Earth Charter. Learn more about Cultivating Good Water here. /invent/images/uploads/ECh20-24.pdf

In early 2014, Earth Charter International, Amana-Key, and AIESEC Brazil created the “Global Citizen – Earth Charter” project. This is a social exchange project that empowers young people between 18-30 years old to multiply the principles of the Earth Charter in schools (public and private), thus contributing to building to a more ethical, just, and sustainable society.

The Instituto Harmonia na Terra is a Brazilian NGO affiliated to the Earth Charter International since 2009. They have developed many ecological materials, such as posters, books, campaigns and the famous Earth Charter Game, which was launched in 2010 at the EC + 10 Conferences in India and Mexico. From 2011 to 2014, Instituto Harmonia na Terra organized 85 workshops reaching 3,000 people in 110 Brazilian cities. An article that explains more in depth this initiative was included in ECI publication “The heart of the matter: Infusing sustainability values in education”

The Lusophone Network for Environmental Education (Rede Lusofona de Educacao Ambiental – Redeluso) adopted the Earth Charter in 2014, as one of the guiding documents for the Network.

The photographer Miguel Igreja created in 2012 a Photo Arts Exhibition based on the Earth Charter called “Pernambuco: Culture, History and the Sea”. This is a mobile exhibition that presents pictures that are carried around using bicycles.

Another artist promoting the Earth Charter in Brazil is Ana Person, a composer, singer and violinist

There was one Earth Charter Youth Group in Brazil, called ECYG Diversity Institute, Bahia.

Visit Earth Charter Web site in Brazil.

Since 2002, the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment has been disseminating the Earth Charter, and has used it in some of its initiatives, particularly as a guide to implement the Agenda 21 Program, and as a reference for holding national environmental conferences. In April 2007, Brazil’s Minister of Environment, Marina Silva (who is also a legendary environmental campaigner), signed an agreement of technical cooperation with Earth Charter International and the Human Rights Defense Center of Petropolis to widely disseminate, promote and use the Earth Charter.

At the Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiba, a group of 41 individuals established an Earth Charter Committee for the State of Mato Grosso. Through their efforts, a number of seminars and events were organized, such as “The Mato Grosso Earth Charter seminar”, in October 2000, with more than 500 people.

Fort Myers

Sonora

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Sonora, Mexico:
Martín Villa Ibarra
Beatriz Eugenia Corona Martínez

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Sonora, send us an email at [email protected]

Bulgaria

In 2009, The Balkan Agency for Sustainable Development (BASD) based in Sofia, Bulgaria became the first Earth Charter Affiliate in Bulgaria and in the Balkan region. BASD is an international non-governmental organization dedicated to the promotion of a knowledge-based economy, sustainable development, civil society, and social inclusion throughout the world. BASD is a part of a wide network of non-for-profit and research organizations, regional agencies, governmental and other institutions in all Balkan and European countries, and in Central Asia and the Middle East. BASD’s mission is to foster the well-being of all human beings by promoting sustainable economic development, inter-cultural dialogue, and facilitating access to lifelong learning, especially in the developing nations of Western Balkans.

Having learned about the Earth Charter mission, vision and some of the activities, BASD decided to endorse the Charter and translated the Earth Charter text into the Bulgarian language. They also disseminated the ideas and principles of the Earth Charter in among their stakeholders.

In 2013, BASD carried out many activities and actions representing the Earth Charter in Bulgaria and in cooperation with European initiatives. BASD co-organized the Festival of Euromed Contemporary Arts: “Culture Versus Crises” in collaboration with partners from Turkey, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, and Montenegro and had the opportunity to present the Earth Charter during that festival in Radomir, Bulgaria. BASD also used the Earth Charter in its cross-national BREAD project, promoting cultural exchange and improving relations between Bulgaria and Serbia. BASD also presented the Earth Charter at a meeting of the LIST project in Luxembourg at the Public Research Center Henri Tudor. They also presented the Earth Charter at two separate meetings in Kovachevtsi, Bulgaria in 2013.

In 2014, BASD carried out numerous activities where they introduced the Earth Charter, including six presentation in libraries around Bulgaria on the Earth Charter and sustainable development. The most significant Earth Charter related project BASD implemented is with the Municipality of Kovachevtsi titled “Bridging Resources for Ecological and Art-based Development (BREAD)”. The project supports cross-border (CB) cultural exchanges in the form of group trainings in baking bread. These activities serve to improve cultural relations between Bulgaria and Serbia, promote the exchange of experience and skills between youth and seniors, foster a sustainable lifestyle, and many other benefits. The Earth Charter was introduced during the initial phases of project implementation and serves as an ethical guide throughout. BASD was involved also in the Project BUILD SEE – Urban sustainability and quality governance model in 2014.

In 2015 LdV ToI Project LIST- Logistic Skills Transparency – CIP-LOG 12060 with CRPHT Luxembourg – enhance the approach used in the project CENTRAL by adopting its working methodology for innovative solutions in the field of logistics respecting the environment.
Under the project In defense of our rights BG05-1204, 2015 with Tsvete Theatre BASD trained more than 60 teachers how to educate students in their human rights on the basis of Convention on the Rights of the Child – Unesco; https://www.facebook.com/InDefenceOfOurRights/

In 2015-2016 under the project USEFUL, USABILITY, DISPOSABILITY (UUD) http://plasticsfree.eu/ were developed modules for training of trainers how to organize socio-civic events on environmental topics. Many events among all ages were organized. See here for more information.

Projects on social inclusion, care for vulnerable groups in 2015-2016  were:   Erasmus + KA2: “European Partnership For Actions Involving People At Risk Of Exclusion” and “In Europe, with us or without us – the fate of the excluded and foreign”

In 2017 BASD continues to work on the same topic under the project Hands On Plastic Environment.
Also efforts in education for sustainable development with activities under the project Training Green Logistics Managers to Avoid the Environmental Effects of Logistics, Erasmus + KA2.

In 2018 BASD Bulgaria worked on various projects following the principles of the Earth Charter in topics like adult education, immigrants inclusion and introduction to digitalization.

Tabasco

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Tabasco, Mexico:
Ligia Hernández Chárraga
Norma Lilí Cárdenas Zurita
Jorge Alberto Márquez Vázquez

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Guanajuato, send us an email at cartadelatierra.tab@gmail.com

Egypt

The Arab NGO Network for the Environment and Development (RAED) has been working on the promotion of the Earth Charter in Egypt and has made an effort to use the document within its activities and framework. Since its inception, over 250 organizations from 16 Arab countries have joined this network. In 2001, a national forum was organized by RAED with the objective of bringing together government representatives, parliamentarians, academia, business, religious groups, and NGOs to discuss Earth Charter principles. More information on RAED’s activities can be found in this report.

Representatives of RAED and the Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE), participated in the 10th anniversary of the Earth Charter in Jordan. They signed the Dead Sea Declaration and supported the creation of the Earth Charter Middle East and North Africa Network.

More recently, Earth Charter International partnered with SHIFT Network (Euro-Arab Youth Initiative) on a Euro-Arab Youth Forum in 2012 in Alexandria, Egypt.

In 2014, a young Egyptian alumna of e-GLO wrote a personal perspective on Egyptian political turbulence from an Earth Charter perspective.

Tamaulipas

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Tamaulipas, Mexico:
Eduardo Delgado Gurrola
Rosa Imelda Cuadras Bojórquez

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Tamaulipas, send us an email at [email protected]

Tlaxcala

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Tlaxcala, Mexico:
Verónica González Sartillo
Paloma Lilibeth Álvarez Castillo

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Tlaxcala, send us an email at [email protected]

Jordan

Jordanian organizations and individuals have actively participated in the Earth Charter Initiative since 2001. Important supporters are HRH Princess Basma Bint Talal (an Earth Charter Commissioner), The Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD), and the Land and Human to Advocate Progress (LHAP).

In November 2001, JOHUD organized the Arab Regional Meeting on the Earth Charter, which resulted in the endorsement of the Earth Charter by many groups, and in the “Amman Declaration ”.

A year later (2002), all 99 municipalities in Jordan jointly endorsed the Earth Charter; this was the first step towards developing sustainable development plans for cities in Jordan.

In 2003, the Black Iris Earth Charter Youth Group Jordan was created, to promote interreligious cooperation and dialogue. In 2005 as a result of Black Iris’s work, the Earth Charter was recognized as one of the international reference documents by the Higher Council’s youth and environment division.

At the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg, the official representative of the Jordanian government, as part of the heads of states intervention, called the attention to the Earth Charter as “a vision to inspire a new sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well-being of the human family and the larger living world.”

In 2003, during UNESCO’s 32nd General Conference, the Government of Jordan submitted a Draft Resolution for UNESCO’s recognition of the Earth Charter. The resolution was approved and UNESCO now recognizes the Earth Charter as an important ethical framework for sustainable development.

From 23 to 24 November 2010, under the patronage of HRH Princess Basma Bint Talal, JOHUD organized a regional meeting in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Earth Charter. This was done in collaboration of the Ministry of Environment, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) West Office, and Earth Charter International Secretariat. As a result the participants signed the Dead Sea Declaration (in Arabic and English), and the Earth Charter Middle East and North Africa Network was formed.

JOHUD continues to be an Earth Charter Affiliate. In 2014, they started a project to create an eco/agro tourism and learning center close to the Baptism site in Jordan, where they plan to use the Earth Charter in their educational projects.

Veracruz

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Veracruz, Mexico:
Luis Alberto Peralta Peláez

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Veracruz, send us an email at [email protected]

Kenya

The Green Belt Movement (GBM) and late Nobel Peace Laureate Prof. Wangari Maathai, have supported the Earth Charter since its drafting process. Mrs. Maathai was a Member of the Earth Charter Commission since 1996. The GBM translated the Earth Charter not only into local languages (e.g. Kiswahili) but also into practice. Their reforestation and education processes in Kenya are a vivid example of putting Earth Charter principles into action.

The GBM has disseminated Earth Charter brochures to more than a thousand organizations in Kenya. In early 2007, Prof. Maathai supported the Billion Tree Planting Campaign initiated by Earth Charter UK, in Oxford. She planted the first tree for this campaign.

Many youth groups have been actively involved in the Earth Charter Initiative. In 2002, the UNEP Youth Advisory Council for Kenya disseminated the Earth Charter in all the workshops and conferences that were organized by the Kenya National Youth Committee for the Earth Summit. More recently, Kibera Community Youth Programme (KCYP), a community-based organization (CBO) formed and run by young people of Kibera slum, Nairobi, have been using the Earth Charter in their programs.

The GBM has been collaborating with Green Cross Sweden to promote peace, security, and sustainability in Kenya for many years. This cooperation began in 2005 under the direction of the late Professor Maathai. The Earth Charter has been incorporated in two specific projects that these organizations are implementing in the Rift Valley region: Sustainable Communities Peace and Reconciliation Project (which started in 2013), and the Smart Water for Green Schools Projects (started in 2012 and still active in two schools: Kamara and Mau Summit).

Yucatan

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Yucatan, Mexico:
Nancy Julieta Gamboa Mancilla
Emma Isabel Alcocer Méndez

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Yucatan, send us an email at [email protected]

Zacatecas

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Zacatecas, Mexico:
Sandra B. Mendoza Barrera

Mauritius

Since 1998, the Council for Development, Environmental Studies, and Conservation (MAUDESCO) has promoted and facilitated many Earth Charter projects in Mauritius. They led a consultation process in the country that stimulated a discussion around the Earth Charter drafts and generated contributions to the drafting process. This process partly culminated in an event that took place in June 1998. Following that and over the year 2000, students and youth at large were fully involved disseminating the Earth Charter in Mauritius.

Currently, MAUDESCO develops activities (workshops, talks, projects) that tend to raise awareness and build capacity on pressing issues such as adaptation to climate change. The Earth Charter serves as a framework for their work.

MAUDESCO is actively involved in regular and ongoing awareness-raising and capacity building, particularly of young people i.e primary, secondary, and tertiary students and the public at large, using elements of the Charter in these activities. In 2010, they implemented a project called “Mauritius Ill Durable”, intended for secondary school students, youth and NGO leaders, where they distributed many copies of the Earth Charter.  They have been very active in climate negotiation issues.

Baja California Sur

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Southern Baja California:

María Elena Martínez Delgado “Mara”

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Guanajuato, send us an email to: [email protected]

South Africa

In 1999, a special regional Earth Charter Consultation workshop was held in Cape Town with the participation of the Deputy Mayor of Cape Town. The meeting brought individuals and organizations from Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Uganda, and Zimbabwe together and generated significant contributions to the drafting process of the Earth Charter.

In 2002, a number of Earth Charter activities were organized during the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg. As a result, the first draft of the official declaration included the following reference in paragraph 13: “recognition of the relevance posed in the Earth Charter”. On the last day of the Summit in closed-door negotiations among government officials, the reference to the Earth Charter was deleted from the Political Declaration.

At this Summit, the Ubuntu Alliance on Education for Sustainable Development was formed and members signed the Ubuntu Declaration, which expresses full endorsement of the Earth Charter. Earth Charter and Ark of Hope workshops were also held during the Summit, under the leadership of Sally Linder. Workshop facilitators went into the black settlements of Soweto, Zandsprite, and Diepsloot, where they spent over a week sharing the vision of the Earth Charter with children and young people and had discussions with them through dialogue and art about their hopes and aspirations for the future.

In 2007, Professors of the Environmental Education and Sustainability Unit at Rhodes University began to use the Earth Charter as the theoretical framework for an Environmental Education, Ethics and Action research program. The professors introduced new methodologies for enhancing the use of the Earth Charter to stimulate dialogue and for addressing ethical dilemmas.

Uganda

In 1998 and 1999, different organizations from Uganda actively joined the consultation process of the Earth Charter. The Integrated Rural Development Initiative (IRDI) and other NGOs organized national meetings to generate inputs to the Earth Charter Consultation process. They formed an EC Committee that helped to promote awareness about the Earth Charter. Other important organizations that were involved in this process were the Uganda Wildlife Society (UWS), the Wildlife Clubs of Uganda (WCU) and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).

After the Earth Charter launch, organizations in Uganda such as IRDI used the Earth Charter as an educational instrument, and have organized numerous workshops and campaigns to promote sustainable lifestyles.

There were two Earth Charter Youth Groups in Uganda.

The Department of Good Governance and Peace Studies of Uganda Martyrs University has been engaged in several Earth Charter environmental activities and it became an ECI Affiliate. In 2013, its efforts focused on an initiative called Equator Greenbelt in which participants planted around 5,000 trees in a demonstration plot at the university campus. They also organized Earth Charter workshops with more than 100 people, including students from local schools and the University, and organized other types of activities to mobilize University staff members to take care of the environment.

Switzerland

The Earth Charter has been used in Switzerland since at least 2009. There is an Earth Charter Schweiz website that has contact information and

In 2014, Earth Charter Switzerland was active around Switzerland making presentations of the Earth Charter, co-sponsoring events, offering workshops, and participating in public events. EC Switzerland was present again at the LifeFair, co-sponsored a film screening “The Vanishing of the Bees”, offered workshops at the Social and Environmental Forum, and presented the Earth Charter to children.

In 2013, Earth Charter Schweiz was very active with representatives making appearances, facilitating workshops, collaborating with other organizations, and participating in international sustainable development dialogues. Some of the activities of EC Schweiz in 2013 include co-organizing the 12th LifeFair Forum on the Green Economy in Zurich, collaborating with Greenpeace Switzerland on educational initiatives, and participating in a national dialogue to determine the Swiss position on the post-2015 sustainable development agenda. In 2013, the Earth Charter was presented to hundreds of people at different venues and from a variety of communities including faith groups, private sector groups, and other NGOs.

Senegal

Zambia

In 2008, the Workers Education Association of Zambia joined Earth Charter International as an Affiliate. The Association has organized several activities to promote the Earth Charter, such as a Local Community Summit on Climate Change, which was held in October 2008 and was an effort promoted by Earth Charter USA.

These two organizations also started the Community Action on Poverty and Environment (COPE) Project, in 2009. This project continues to be active in promoting direct actions to solve some pressing issues in Zambian rural communities.

In 2014, the COPE project handed out solar-powered lanterns (Luci) to older girls preparing for their final exams in Mwachilele Primary School. Girls have a much tougher life in Zambia than boys since they do all the chores. With these lanterns, the Project hopes that girls will have more time at night to study. This video shows the moment when the girls received the lanterns.

The Zambian Earth Charter Youth Groups’ profiles can be found here.

Zimbabwe

Many organizations and individuals from Zimbabwe took part in the drafting process of the Earth Charter starting in early 1998. During the first half of 1999, the Africa 2000 Network organized and facilitated Earth Charter consultations, as well as three regional workshops to increase national awareness of the global Earth Charter process and involve Zimbabwe’s civil society in its formulation. A Network of the partnership was created by the Africa 2000 Network, which is a network that includes both national and local government, CBOs, NGOs, academic institutions, professional associations, the private sector, religious and spiritual organizations, cultural entities, women and youth groups, parliamentarians, and prominent personalities.

Africa 2000 was involved with the Earth Charter Initiative for many years. Since 2014, the organization that is following up this network’s commitment to the Earth Charter is Neremoto Biodiversity Institute.

China

In 2000, the Earth Charter text was translated into Chinese to help the effort to raise awareness about the Earth Charter in China. This translation has been revised and improved several times. Inspired by its content, numerous groups and individuals in China have participated in different activities and meetings to promote the Earth Charter.

The Earth Charter has also been broadly used and quoted on various occasions by different groups of people. Several Earth Charter Commissioners and Council Members have taken advantage of their presence in China to exchange views and discuss issues related to the spirit and principles of the Earth Charter with Chinese society. For example, high officials from the Ministry of Environmental Protection recently praised the books of one EC Council Member, in which Chinese traditional spirituality and philosophies were explored to promote environmental protection.

Visit the Chinese Earth Charter Youth Group profiles here.

Several Earth Charter videos have been translated into Chinese, find them at our Vimeo Channel:
http://vimeo.com/channels/earthcharter

In Beijing, China, Stephanie B. Tansey, a longtime supporter of the Earth Charter, published the book “Recovery of the Heart, Dialogues with People Working towards a Sustainable Beijing.” This book introduces nine extraordinary Beijingners, both Chinese and American, their struggles, passions, and why Chinese wisdom and values are interconnected with a future, sustainable Beijing. Some of the Beijingers in this book have used the Earth Charter in their work. For example, Mac Fan was one of the founders of the New School of Collaborative Learning, in China. This school used the Earth Charter as a tool for intercultural dialogue. Mac Fan explains his experience with the Earth Charter in detail.

Baja California Norte

Earth Charter Mexican Network focal point in Northern Baja California:
Laura Isabel Martínez Ríos

Para contactar a la Red Mexicana de la CT en Guanajuato, enviar un correo electrónico a: [email protected]

Chiapas

Focal Point of the Earth Charter Mexican Network in Chiapas:
Eder Fabián Medina Morales

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Chiapas, send us an email to: [email protected]

Taiwan, Province of China

The Taiwan Ecological Stewardship Association (TESA) has been very active since 2004 in promoting the Earth Charter within the youth and indigenous communities in Taiwan/Province of China.

In July 2008, TESA started a network called Earth Charter Taiwan. Since its beginning, EC Taiwan has been very active, offering study groups, immersion Camps for youth, basic courses, and youth volunteer training. Also, TESA organized a series of Environmental Ethics Lectures, conducted by Dr. Holmes Rolston III, where the Earth Charter was discussed in depth during six weeks. TESA also published a four-volume publication called “TESA Series in Thought and Praxis of Environmental Ethics”, where the Earth Charter is featured. It is available only in Chinese.

Also, Dharma Drum Mountain World Buddhist Association of Taiwan is using the Earth Charter in its campaign of protecting the spiritual
environment.

In 2013, TESA organized the 28th Caretakers of the Environment International Conference ‘Nature, Culture and Future’. This Conference provided a very interesting setting to promote the principles of the Earth Charter and see its applicability with children from different ages and cultural settings. TESA also continued offering training programmes for students, in the form of Conferences and support for project implementation, to empower them to participate in this international Conference. The involvement of TESA with CEI Conferences comes from the collaboration between two Earth Charter Affiliates (ASPEA from Portugal and TESA). This is a great example of how members of the Earth Charter Initiative can collaborate in a decentralized way and bring the values of the Earth Charter to different settings.

India

The Earth Charter has been active in India since the late 1990s. The late Earth Charter Commissioner Kamla Chowdhry and Ashok Khosla of Development Alternatives were very supportive of the EC drafting process and helped introduce the EC in India. Both linked the Charter to Gandhian thought, especially with regard to non-violence and peace. Kartikeya Sarabhai, Director of the Centre for Environment Education (CEE), is currently contributing to the ECI as a Council member.

In 2000 the Center for the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESDI) organized a number of consultations and initiated discussions on the Earth Charter in different regions of the country.

In India, the Centre for Environment Education (CEE), an Earth Charter Affiliate, organized several activities with the Earth Charter in 2013. One of them was a campaign against polythene use with the theme “SANKALPA- for a polythene free city”. This campaign was coordinated by CEE’s Paryavaran Mitra programme in collaboration with the Regional Science Centre, Kalpadroom Foundation, and others. The event took place on 1 January 2013 and it was inspired by Earth Charter principle 7a: “Reduce, reuse and recycle the materials used in production and consumption systems, and ensure that residual waste can be assimilated by ecological systems.” CEE celebrated Earth Day 2013 with a three-day event in Bajali HS School in the Barpeta district of Assam, India. The theme was Face of climate change, and many activities were carried out with large groups of students. A cycle rally passed through the locality to create mass awareness about the importance of Earth Day. An Earth Charter Think Café was organized during the second day of Earth Day celebrations. It was a day-long interactive session with students from five schools, where the CEE team presented the Earth Charter principles and guided students to take action to sustainably conserve mother Earth. During the session, students realized their role in making the earth a livable place.
In Andhra Pradesh, India, the Montfort Social Institute (MSI), Earth Charter Affiliate since 2008, has been working on the establishment of an education center on human rights and sustainability, to be launched in February 2014. The organization has been undertaking developmental activities aimed at the reconstruction of village societies for the advancement of individuals, families, and communities; eradication of the high prevalence of child labour; and ensure basic education and health care for all through a rights-based approach. Formation of Neighborhood Parliament, Young People’s Initiatives (YPI), and Children’s Parliament helped harness the human potential for collective action and to create a democratic ethos in villages. Sustainable agricultural methods, cooperative farming by women and vocational education were introduced. The Earth Charter is used as an educational instrument for empowering women, low paid workers, the youth and other vulnerable groups in the villages MSI work.

The first Earth Charter Youth Group was formed in India in January 2010.

In 2007, CEE (EC Affiliate) and UNESCO, organized the 4th International Conference on Environmental Education in Ahmedabad. The EC Secretariat participated in several activities. The Earth Charter was discussed and included in the final declaration of this Conference.

CEE’s Youth Environment Network (YEN) is closely working with the EC Initiative. Aparna Susarla, a member of YEN, is part of the Earth Charter Youth Leadership Team.

Between December 2005 and November 2008, the People’s Commission on Environment and Development India (EC affiliate), in collaboration with its partner-NGOs, organized a series of public awareness campaigns on the principles of ecological integrity in Srinagar, Naukuchiyatal, and Kodaikanal.
In India, the Montfort Social Institute (MSI), Earth Charter Affiliate since 2008, opened its Center for Human Rights and Sustainable Development in Andhra Pradesh. MSI has been engaged in integral human development for social transformation in the state of Andhra Pradesh, by undertaking developmental activities aimed at reconstruction of village societies for the advancement of individuals, families, and communities; eradication of the high prevalence of child labor; and ensure basic education and health care for all through a rights-based approach. Formation of Neighbourhood Parliament, Young People’s Initiatives (YPI) and Children’s Parliament helped harness the human potential for collective action and to create a democratic ethos in villages. Sustainable agricultural methods, cooperative farming by women and vocational education were introduced. The Earth Charter has been an education instrument for empowering women, low paid workers, the youth and other vulnerable groups in the villages MSI work.
In India Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Ahmedabad, Gujarat encourages and supports the educational use of the Earth Charter in schools. One example is an exhibition on Earth Charter principles. This exhibition is the product of a photography competition on the Earth Charter themes held at the national level. In order to use this exhibition in schools teachers need to be oriented on how to use this photography exhibition as a resource in schools. In this context CEE decided to do this project to develop a facilitator’s guide to familiarize teachers on EC values and its implementation through photography exhibition, with the expectation that this project can contribute a broad understanding of the scope of learning across exhibition in the context of education and to promote the use of EC in education.

Since early 1999, the Delhi Public School Society (DPSS) used the Earth Charter to raise awareness among thousands of children regarding sustainability principles. Then in 2005, Development Alternatives (DA) developed a children’s version of the Earth Charter through its CLEAN-India programme and translated it into eight Indian languages. The Hon. Chief Minister of Delhi and CLEAN-India launched the “Earth Charter for Schools” project in April 2007 – making Delhi one of the first cities to integrate the Charter into its curriculum. DA developed teachers training manuals, textbooks as well as educational and training packages for integrating the charter in Indian schools.
In November 2001 the People’s Commission on Environment and Development India (PCED), a national environmental advocacy NGO, organized a “Roundtable on the Earth Charter” in Delhi. The event was inaugurated by Dr. Karan Singh, a member of the Parliament and President of PCED.

Chihuahua

Focal Point of the Earth Charter Mexican Network in Chihuahua, Mexico:
Alberto Lafón Terrazas

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Chihuahua, send us an email to: [email protected]

Mexico City

Focal Points of the Earth Charter Mexican Network in Mexico City:
Martha Cristina Maya Vargas
María Elena Mesta Fernández
Rafael Martínez Blanco

To get in touch with the Earth Charter Mexican Network’s Focal Points, please send an email to [email protected]

Coahuila

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Coahuila, Mexico:
Norma Yolanda Mota Palomino

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Coahuila, send us an email to: [email protected]

Japan

In June 1999, upon request of Mr. Gorbachev, Green Cross Japan(GCJ) organized an Earth Charter meeting to discuss the Charter with major stakeholders on sustainable development in Japan. The output of the meeting was sent to the Earth Charter international secretariat as a contribution to the EC Drafting Process.

In 2000, the Earth Charter Japan secretariat was organized by Mrs. Wakako Hironaka, a member of the House of Councilors, the Diet of Japan, and a member of the ECI Council. The text of the Earth Charter was translated into Japanese and was printed for distribution among Japanese citizens.

On Nov 28th, 2001, a group called the Earth Charter Commission Japan was organized around a major event: The Global Environment Action (GEA) Conference. Important guests for this meeting were Mr. Tsutomu Hata, former Prime Minister of Japan; Prof. Hans van Ginkel, former Rector of the United Nation’s University; and Prof. Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, former Science Council Chairman of Japan. Mr. Maurice Strong gave a Keynote Address at the conference. Nearly one hundred people participated in this inauguration meeting from NGOs, businesses, journalists, academia, and politics.

The Earth Charter Japan was later called the Earth Charter Asia Pacific & Japan Committee. It has produced educational materials in Japanese and English, and a webpage to promote the Earth Charter.

This Committee has also been encouraging the Government of Japan to increase its overseas development assistance to developing countries, as a way to put the Earth Charter principles in action. The Embassy of Japan in Costa Rica has contributed financially to the Earth Charter International Secretariat, specifically for developing educational materials for schools in Costa Rica.

The Earth Charter Committee of Japan produced an Earth Charter Manga booklet, with illustrations from the famous manga artist Mr. Norio Yamanoi, the holder of the Manga copyright. This manga booklet is available in Japanese and English. It presents the major global sustainability issues, which are mentioned in the Earth Charter Preamble, in a way that is easy to understand by the general public. The Earth Charter Manga was launched in Japan in a parallel event at the UNESCO ESD World Conference in Nagoya in November 2014. Find this publication here.

The Earth Charter Japan – Asia Pacific Committee has been actively organizing activities since 2005.  These include the organization of conferences and symposiums, cultural performances and translation of important documents. Find here a summary of activities organized and planned, from 2005 – 2012.

In 2005, the UN Classic Live produced a musical on the environment called “Our Forest is Alive – Part III: Our Earth Charter”. They have performed all over Japan as well as abroad, including at the UN Headquarters in New York and in Geneva.

In October 2003 the GEA Conference for a Sustainable Future held in Japan was attended by Earth Charter Commissioners HRH Princess Basma, Wakako Hironaka, Steven Rockefeller and other friends of the Earth Charter. Presenters urged Japanese society to embrace the Earth Charter and use it as a reference and educational tool. At the end of the Conference, a set of recommendations was adopted, including one on the Earth Charter which reads as follows: “Partners to promote the UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development should consider the establishment of an ethical framework of sustainable development. The guiding principles in the Earth Charter should be reflected in materials used in all learning efforts to promote sustainable development, including those in the school systems”

A series of seminars about the Earth Charter were held in Osaka, organized by the KEEP group of Soka Gakkai Internationa (SGI) between 2001 and 2002, with speakers including Earth Council Executive Director Mr. Maximo Kalaw and Mr. Eiichi Yamashita, Vice Minister for the Environment. In 2002, SGI in collaboration with the Earth Charter International Secretariat produced an Earth Charter exhibition entitled “Seeds of Change: The Earth Charter and Human Potential” which was first launched at the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development and has been translated into 11 languages. The Earth Charter is one focus of the Soka Gakkai’s “21st Century Environment Exhibition,” launched in 2006. By 2009,
this had been seen by over 500,000 people in 65 locations in Japan.

Colima

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Colima, Mexico: Francisco Javier Muñoz Aranda

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Colima, send us an email to: [email protected]

Nepal

An Earth Charter dialogue process in Nepal was initiated in 1999 under the auspices of the Center for Community Development and Environmental Research. The process culminated on December 29, with the organization of the National Consultation Workshop on the Earth Charter. In 2000, the Nepal Earth Society was created with the purpose of supporting the Earth Charter Initiative in Nepal. This group produced an Earth Charter brochure in both the Nepali and Newari languages. The Nepali version was disseminated among the Upper and Lower House Members of the Parliament.

Education programs for school children using the Charter as a tool have been planned in various parts of the Nepal Kingdom, with over 1,600 students already have benefited from these programs.

New Zealand / Aotearoa

The New Zealand Center for Environmental Law (NZCEL), of the University of Auckland, took on the role of coordinating the New Zealand National Earth Charter Campaign in mid-1999. In addition, Pauline Tangiora, a member of the Earth Charter Commission supported and promoted the Earth Charter since its drafting process.

In February 2000, the Tindall Foundation provided a grant to the NZCEL to help set up the National Earth Charter Campaign. Two months later, a coordinating group was formed to establish a National Earth Charter Committee. Since then, they have undertaken many activities, including setting up a local Earth Charter website.

Two faculty members of NZCEL, Klaus Bosselman, and Prue Taylor have been using the Earth Charter for many years and promoting it through the National Committee. They have written various books and articles about the Earth Charter. They have also been using the Earth Charter in their undergraduate and graduate-level classes in the Law School, and the School of Architecture and Planning.

In 2002, SGI-New Zealand hosted a series of Earth Charter meetings, where the principles of the Earth Charter were discussed.

The Congregation of Aotearoa New Zealand Dominican Sisters started an education center for the communities of Korimako. Since 2001, this Center has generated a process of education for sustainable development using the Earth Charter.

Germany

German Earth Charter actions were in part inspired by the Conferences in Assisi, Italy on “Spirituality and Sustainability” held in July 1997, 1998, and 1999. In November 1999, the Ecumenical One World Initiative (EOWI) organized an EC Workshop in Lauenburg, Northern Germany to discuss the EC Benchmark Draft II. Since then EOWI has been involved in the process of disseminating the EC in Germany. For instance, since June 2001, the EOWI has published a quarterly Earth Charter magazine in German. They have also joined forces with BUND to translate and publish Earth Charter brochures in German. EOWI is an Earth Charter Affiliate.

EOWI carried out and assisted the German Earth Charter network to implement many activities in 2014. These included workshops, speeches, dragon dreaming workshops, theater workshops, school projects, public stands, youth camps, and regional networking activities. EOWI also has established the German EC Ambassadors programme, training young people to become multipliers of the Earth Charter all over Germany. This programme recruits young multipliers and trains them over the course of two weekends over the course of the year. The national network of these “Ambassadors” also meets at least once a year. There were several weekend-long events, some day-long events, and many shorter speeches and presentations all over Germany. The sum of people involved in all of these activities and reached by the Earth Charter easily reaches into the thousands.

In 2013, EOWI continued to carry out a variety of Earth Charter activities, as well as promote the Earth Charter Initiative nationally. EOWI continued to maintain and update the Earth Charter website in Germany and published and distributed three newsletters per year. Some of the activities carried out in Germany included an online youth dialogue between German and Indian youth on Earth Charter topics, various talks and lectures around the country at different forums, and inter-faith dialogues, including one with Earth Charter Commissioner Rabbi Abraham Soetendorp. EOWI also continued its “Earth Charter Ambassadors” training and capacity building, to strengthen the network of people in Germany able to implement the Earth Charter in their lives and communities. EOWI also developed a new didactic method for teaching Earth Charter values using theater techniques, created a new poster for children and youth, and has gained the interest of many schools, including one that intends to become an “Earth Charter School”.

EOWI undertook several Earth Charter actions in 2012. The organization began to operate the Earth Charter Germany Website in both German and English. EOWI also published an Earth Charter Handbook (in German only), which details a decade of educational experiences using the Earth Charter.

In October 2007, EOWI in collaboration with Soka Gakkai International – Germany and two regional educational institutions, organized the first national teacher’s training seminar on the Earth Charter in the country. The seminar highlighted and explored several areas in which the Earth Charter could be used to raise awareness about the values that are inherent in sustainable development.

The first German Earth Charter Youth Group was established in June 2009.

GLS Bank has supported the Earth Charter and especially its activities in Germany through financing the printing of three editions of the German Earth Charter brochure, the Bank’s board members hold the strong conviction that the Earth Charter should become the ethical constitution of the emerging world community. According to the bank’s CEO, Mr. Jorberg, the Earth Charter played a crucial role in designing the bank’s current mission statement, which holds that the bank’s activities are based on the values of respect for life, care for the peaceful coexistence of all cultures and civilizations, as well as individual freedom and responsibility. The bank states that human needs and interests should always be at the center of economic and financial activities and that human beings can be understood as a unity of body, soul, and mind. “There is no other document that captures the philosophy of our institution like the Earth Charter does,” said Jorberg. “Indeed, our foremost aim is to use the money we are endowed with to invest in projects that help to realize its vision and values.”

Earth Charter Couch surfing
You’re going to an event somewhere or you just feel like visiting a foreign city or region and you enjoy staying at the place of people with similar interests and having interesting conversations. All people from the Earth Charter Network in Germany are now able to combine these things by participating in the Earth Charter Couch Surfing on http://erdcharta.de/intern. New members can be invited by members of the Earth Charter network.

Earth-Charter coordination office in Germany/Ecumenical Initiative One World

This is a report of the activities held in Germany in 2016, compiled by the Earth-Charter coordination office in Germany/Ecumenical Initiative One World.

Aguascalientes

Punto Focales de la Red Mexicana en Aguascalientes:

Gina Mireya Ventura Ramírez
Enriqueta Medellín
Israel Roque Moreno

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Guanajuato, send us an email to: [email protected]

Greece

The Earth Charter Affiliate in Greece, the University of Crete, has been working with the Earth Charter since 2010. An intern at Earth Charter International helped to set up the Earth Charter Greece website and initiate activity there through the University of Crete.

Led by Professor Nelly Kostoulas-Makrakis, Earth Charter Greece organized a variety of activities in Greece to disseminate the Earth Charter in 2014. In September, she presented the Earth Charter at a workshop with the Greek Ministry of Education to assist the implementation of the Earth Charter into the 344 primary schools in Athens. At the end of 2014, the University of Crete officially endorsed the Earth Charter at a ceremony attended by 30 people and is in the process of introducing it to its faculty. Professor Kostoulas-Makrakis taught a course in which the 30 students worked on Earth Charter implementation in primary schools.

Mexico State

Focal Points of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Mexico State:
Rafael FernandoSánchez Barreto
David Eduardo Velázquez Muñoz
Eduardo Villeda Callejas “Chuen”

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Guanajuato, send us an email to: [email protected]

United Kingdom

Italy

The Earth Charter has been well-known in Italy since before its launch in 2000 as several consultation meetings on the draft of the Earth Charter were held there and the Italians were active in promoting the nascent Earth Charter document.

In 2000, Pro Natura, the Italian National Federation For Nature, organized a nationwide dissemination campaign of the Earth Charter, which included ten conferences held in various Italian cities to present the document and promote the Italian Earth Charter website. With the support of the Ministry of Environment, Pro Natura developed a CD-ROM with information about the Earth Charter, which has been widely distributed to schools throughout Italy.

In June 2003, an international Earth Charter in action meeting was held in Urbino, which brought together key Earth Charter partners to develop a two-year action plan. The event was sponsored by the Earth Charter International Secretariat, the Center for the respect of Life and environment and the city of Urbino. During that time the Mayor of the City of Urbino was very supportive of the Earth Charter and the city formally endorsed the Charter.

For over 10 years, the ECI Affiliate Italian Committee for Earth Charter (Comitato Italiano Carta Della Terra) has organized a nationwide dissemination campaign of the Earth Charter, which involves several conferences held in various Italian cities to present the document and promote the EC Italian website. Some members of the Italian Committee gave conferences in schools and universities and distributed thousands “Carta Della Terra” CD Rom to students with the support and sponsorship of “COBAT – Consorzio Nazionale Raccolta Riciclo” (the National Consortium to Recycle Wastes). The Earth Charter CD Rom contains a video, many relevant documents, Earth Charter articles, the history of the Earth Charter, photos, and other useful information for students of primary and secondary school. A similar effort takes place every year, where the Italian Committee prints approximately 5,000-10,000 CD Roms, depending on sponsors. Corrado María Daclon from Pro Natura published an article on EC+10 at the COBAT (Consorzio Nazionale Raccolta Riciclo) magazine.

In 2013, several EC events took place in Italy. Green Cross Italy, an ECI Affiliate, once again held its Earth Charter Youth Contest, this year for the 21st time. This environmental education initiative was co-organized in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Education. The aim is to teach and inspire youth to become environment superheroes and find solutions to our Earth’s problems. This year’s theme was focused on one of the biggest problems humanity faces today: “Inizia da te: l’acqua (It starts with you: water)”. In March 2013, the Italian Earth Charter Committee, in collaboration with the Italian Japan Foundation and under the patronage of the Japanese Embassy to Italy and the Japanese Embassy to the Holy See, co-organized a photo exhibition to remember the destruction of Civitavecchia in 1943 and the destruction of Ishinomaki in 2011. The event was attended by several hundred visitors, many from local schools in Rome. The Altaura Farm, an Earth Charter endorser in Italy, held an event in February 2013 that heavily featured the Earth Charter. The event was also in support of organic farming using self-produced organic seeds. The event featured a guided proposal for organic seed exchange led by Dr. Silvia Ferro of an association called Diversamentebio.

Fondazione Cogeme Onlus has been actively involved in the Earth Charter Initiative since 2002, organizing numerous initiatives to promote and disseminate the Earth Charter. For example, in November 2007 Fondazione organized an international event in Castegnato, Brescia, entitled “In the circle of creation: Education and wisdom of native people”. The purpose was to promote a better understanding of the American native people and for participants to consider the Earth Charter as an educational tool. A presentation about the Earth Charter was included as part of this event. In the following years Fondazione organized many other events as different moments of reflection regarding sustainability and the educational potential of the Earth Charter,  working on educational processes and using the Earth Charter as a reference document to determine a shared structure for the “Piano dell’Offerta Formativa” (POF) or curriculum proposal oriented towards the key-competences for a sustainable citizenship. This has involved ambitious projects for ambitious challenges: to orient, the basic education focused on future citizens, that could be able not only to face the present challenges but also to predict future ones.

There are various ways to achieve these ends:
•    university student internships
•    graduation thesis
•    voluntary work experience and/or voluntary service
•    consultancy
•    conventions with universities
•    ties to other institutions.

In 2015, Fondazione Cogeme began a new project called “Festival Carta Della Terra”. This festival was organized for the first time in collaboration with 5 local communities and other associations/institutions from 11 October to 14 November 2015. In 2016, Fondazione Cogeme focused its activities on the second edition of this festival to increase and improve environmental policies, and to encourage best practices inspired by the values of the Circular Economy. EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy establishes a concrete and ambitious programme of action, with measures covering the whole cycle: from production and consumption to waste management and the market for secondary raw materials. The proposed actions will contribute to “closing the loop” of product lifecycles through greater recycling and re-use, and bring benefits for both the environment and the economy. Fondazione Cogeme won a call for tenders sponsored by Fondazione Cariplo (Milano) with a project titled  “Verso un’economia circolare” (towards circular economy).

Foundation Cogeme put together an Earth Charter website in Italian: www.cartadellaterra.org and has elaborated an Earth Charter Brochure in Italian. Download here the brochure.

In 2015, Terra nel Cuore Association (The Earth in the Heart Association), organized an Earth Day meeting that was attended by approximately 250 students. The Association also organized two teacher training sessions on the Earth Charter.

The organization Centro Studi per la Pace Onlus (The Center for the Study of Peace, CSPACE) organized a school-year long project for five middle-schools on the Earth Charter. The programme was very successful and reached seven classes, around 100 students.

The Gaia Project of Education on global awareness and psychosomatic health has also used the Earth Charter in its education programme.

Iran

Australia

Australia has been close to the Earth Charter since its drafting process in 1998. In February 1999, to encourage public participation, a National Earth Charter Forum was organized in Canberra at the Australian National University’s Center for Resource and Environmental Studies. During that time the Australian EC Committee also developed curricular material on Earth Charter themes for the Australian school system.

A number of other efforts were made since the EC launch, including a major Asia-Pacific EC Conference in Brisbane in December 2001, the adoption and application of the EC principles as part of the strategic planning process in the city of Joondalup and the Brisbane Peace Lecture in St. John’s Cathedral in 2013.

In 2005 the Australian Senate endorsed the Earth Charter with a motion stating, among other things, that the Senate:

• Recognizes and supports the Earth Charter as an important civil society contribution to our understanding of sustainable development and the ethics and principles needed to promote a more just, sustainable and peaceful world;
• Encourages the use of the Earth Charter by Federal and state educational authorities during the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.

Mexico

Earth Charter activities in Mexico began in early 1998, as part of the empowerment process of the members of the Advisory Councils for Sustainable Development (NCDO) of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), with radio programmes and sustainability forums in order to contribute to sustainable citizenship.

The NCDO coordinated the activities with the Earth Charter, and a national alliance was created with SEMARNAT, in order to develop a national consultation that would contribute to the drafting of the Earth Charter and organize activities around its dissemination and adoption.

In 2000, Mexico’s NCDO contributed to the dissemination and promotion of the Earth Charter through its national network of regional councils, aimed at generating a recommendation for the Mexican State to adopt this ethical framework.

As a result of the national consultation, members of the CCNDS elaborated a recommendation that was addressed to the then President Vicente Fox so that, in his participation in the World Conference of Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002, he would express his support and commitment to the Earth Charter. Therefore, in 2002, the Earth Charter was formally introduced in Mexico, triggering a process of citizen empowerment to contribute to the different areas of sustainability processes inspired by the principles and values ​​of the Earth Charter.

Building on the country’s commitment, the First National Meeting on Ethics for Sustainability was held in the city of Morelia, Michoacán, in 2003, with the motto: “Education for a sustainable way of life with the Earth Charter”. The event was organized by the Michoacán State Council fo Ecology, with the support of the city government of Morelia, the state government of Michoacán, and the federal government, through SEMARNAT.

Since 2000, countless Earth Charter events and workshops have been held throughout Mexico. In addition, the Earth Charter was translated into several indigenous languages ​​and adaptations were made for youth and children.

The production of two videos, among several, was essential and very helpful in promoting the content of the Earth Charter. The first one produced in 2003, presented at the First National Earth Charter Meeting part 1, part 2; and the second sponsored by the Environmental Attorney and Land Management of Mexico City. The most recent video was produced in 2020, and funded by Foundation Studio, to promote a new Earth Charter outreach campaign, particularly Principle 7.

In 2013, the national Earth Charter movement entered a new phase in Mexico, with a stronger and decentralized approach, which allowed the Mexican Earth Charter Network to be formally constituted. The current Earth Charter national network in Mexico is composed of men and women as focal points in each of the 31 states and Mexico City.

Continue reading to the complete report in Spanish …

Latvia

In 2007 the Institute for Sustainable Education at the Daugavpils State University, led by the UNESCO focal point for UN DESD Dr. Ilga Salite, officially became an Earth Charter International Affiliate and included the Earth Charter in its pedagogical curriculum for teachers’ education and life-long professional training. The Institute is famous for being an initiator and organizer of the European Network of Educators for Sustainable Development, the Balkan and Black Sea Circle Consortium (BBCC). The Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development has also become a member of the BBCC and is cooperating with the network in the educational research and development of new methodologies based on an ethical framework of the Earth Charter. The successful educational experience of the Institute was included in the joint UNESCO-ECI publication within the UN DESD framework, “Good Practices Using the Earth Charter”.

In order to further promote the use of the Earth Charter at the Daugavpils State University, the Institute established an Earth Charter Center there, which makes it an Earth Charter hub in the region of Eastern Europe.

There was one Earth Charter Youth Group in Latvia, called ECYG Students for Sustainability.

Netherlands

The Netherlands developed a special relationship with the Earth Charter from the beginning of the initiative. The Dutch government provided financial and moral support during the consultation process and key people, including former prime minister Ruud Lubbers, Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp and (former) Queen Beatrix contributed to gatherings which took place in the Peace Palace in The Hague, leading up to the international launch of the Earth Charter on 29 June 2000.

Ever since, the Netherlands has been a ‘hub’ for the Earth Charter community. Key events in which Earth Charter Commissioners, Council members and Earth Charter Young Leaders gathered were hosted in The Netherlands to mark five year, ten years and fifteen years Earth Charter.  In addition, important books on the Earth Charter were published in The Netherlands, among them “Earth Charter in Action” and “Inspiration for Global Governance with the Earth Charter”. Even now, The Netherlands proves to be unique, in building a community of Earth Charter friends.

In recent years, the Dutch Earth Charter friends have developed increasingly strong bonds with the network of Worldconnectors up to the point that the two now form one network known as Worldconnectors, affiliate of Earth Charter. By merging the two organisations the Earth Charter message can be spread wider ensuring that the Netherlands will remain a ‘hub’ for the Earth Charter community in the years to come.

More details on the Earth Charter activities in the Netherlands can be found by clicking here.

Earth Charter Affiliates in the Netherlands

Worldconnectors, affiliate Earth Charter

Contact: Janneke Bosman, Coordinator

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.worldconnectors.nl/

One World Citizens (OWC)

Contact: Monique van Dam, Director

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.oneworld-citizens.org/

Norway

In 1999, the Earth Charter process was initiated in Oslo under the auspices of the Norwegian Society of Chartered Engineers (NIF) and the Environmental Center in Fredrikstad. These organizations created an Earth Charter National Committee and worked together on further promotion of the Charter. Press releases were sent to the most important media groups, and the Benchmark Draft II was translated into Norwegian. During 1999 and 2000 a number of public hearings were organized to raise awareness about the Earth Charter and develop contributions to the consultation/drafting process of the Charter.

In early 2000 the Norwegian translation of the Earth Charter was published in the magazine “Alternativt Nettverk”. This magazine was sent to all members of the Norwegian parliament and the Norwegian government. These efforts resulted, among other things, with the City of Oslo formally endorsing the Earth Charter.

At present Earth Charter Norge is working on the dissemination of the Earth Charter in the fields of business, ethics, youth, democracy, and government.

Portugal

For many years ASPEA (Portuguese Association of Environmental Education), the Portuguese Affiliate of Earth Charter International, has carried out numerous activities in promoting of the Earth Charter in Portugal. This involves various workshops with school teachers, the Child – Youngster Forum held in 2004 and a pilot project called “Earth Charter – instrument of sustainability”, that has been taking place mainly in rural primary schools. The objective of this project is to promote the new context for action in the educational community, in accordance with the Earth Charter principles and practices; encourage the use of the Earth Charter and other framework documents, among others.

As part of an effort to support the United Nations Decade on Education for Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Education of Portugal sponsored the translation, publication, and dissemination of the Earth Charter Teacher’s Guidebook in Portuguese.

In 2014, ASPEA was responsible for many educational activities and presented the Earth Charter at several events. ASPEA introduced the Earth Charter in two separate projects and presented it at several environmental education forums. ASPEA representatives also conducted teacher training in which they introduced the Earth Charter directly to educators.

Between 2005 and 2010, The Little Earth Charter (LEC – a project initiated in Canada) launched a collaborative project with Cacia Schools in Portugal, called “Working Together”. The LEC served to facilitate discussions, the sharing of experiences among other activities between students from Portugal, Belgium, Russia, Japan, and Brazil. The schools of Cacia organized an Earth Charter presentation at the City Hall of Aveiro, Portugal.

ASPEA was also a co-organizer of the First Iberian Earth Charter Meeting for Sustainable Development, organized in collaboration with Fundación Valores in Spain. The meeting was held in Madrid on 17-18 November 2007. The objectives were to offer space to share experiences, promote collaboration, develop strategies and objectives for the execution of different community projects, and build an online network to be known as the Iberian Earth Charter Network for Sustainable Development. More than 200 people attended the meeting.

Guerrero

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Guerrero, Mexico:
Edgar Ulises Salmerón Ramos

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Guerrero, send us an email at [email protected]

Liberia

An Earth Charter Youth Group called ECYG for Sustainability and Peace was established in Liberia in September 2008. Their mission was to encourage young people to join hands, hearts, and minds to build a sustainable and peaceful nation based on mutual respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. The other Earth Charter Youth Group in Liberia was called Fiamah Youth in Action for Development ECYG. They joined the Earth Charter Youth network in March 2009.

Nigeria

Earth Charter Network in Nigeria

Lebanon

Romania

During the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in 2002, Romania was one of the eight states, who included the Earth Charter in their official intervention during the official debates. Romania’s representative in his statement he affirmed that “the proposed Earth Charter further offers a moral underpinning for political action” for a “renewed commitment” for sustainable development.

In 2006 Dr. Mikhail Hardau, the Romanian Minister of Education and Research, instructed his staff to develop a broad action plan for integrating Earth Charter principles into the school-based curriculum, by developing new content, objectives, and criteria for students proficiency. This helped to integrate sustainable development principles into the national core curriculum. These efforts were documented in the national report at the 2nd Meeting of the UNESCO Steering Committee on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in December 2006 in Geneva. The Ministry of Education recommended the following “…Promotion of the Earth Charter as an educational instrument/material to be used in pre-university education, through posting the Earth Charter on the ministry website (http://www.edu.ro); development of school-based curricula on the Earth Charter by county school inspectorates; and organizing extracurricular activities at the county and school level, based on the Earth Charter’s principles.”

In 2007 the Ministry offered funding for school contests related to subjects in which the Earth Charter principles were reflected. Four types of contests were organized at the local, county and national levels: interdisciplinary (“Earth Sciences”); civic (“Democracy and Tolerance,” as based on student portfolios); “Little Ambassadors for the Environment;” and ecology (“SOS Nature”). Among the best 14 schools that won the contest, School N13 Stefan cel Mare in the large city of Galati was selected as a case study of the successful adaptation of ministerial plans to sustainable educational efforts for presentation in the joint UNESCO-ECI publication “Good Practices using the Earth Charter”.

There was one Earth Charter Youth Group in Romania, called ECYG Constanta. They joined the Earth Charter Youth network in 2004. ECYG Constanta’s mission was to promote EC principles through educational activities for students and adults.

Russia

In 1996, a first Earth Charter All-Russian conference was held to generate broad support and a public discussion on the first draft of the Earth Charter text. This event was chaired by Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev and was covered by all major mass media outlets of the Russian Federation. More than 300 participants from all stakeholders of Russian society, from NGOs, business, academia, youth, different religious groups, to the Ministry of Defense took part in lively discussions regarding the values and principles that should be part of the Earth Charter. This conference gave start to the Earth Charter dissemination in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Afterwards, the first Earth Charter focal point in Russia, The Foundation for Development and Survival of Humankind and its Executive Director Rustem Khairov, organized numerous activities and initiatives for promoting the Earth Charter in the country. In 1997 the Earth Charter web site was launched in Russian by the Foundation. There have been many actions and activities in Russia over the past 15 years.

In 2016, the Board of Directors of all organizations that make up the Group of Companies Institute for Sustainable Innovation (ISI) joined the Earth Charter Initiative. This decision demonstrated their commitment to its principles, primarily in the field of social and environmental responsibility. Since then, the staff of ISI has actively contributed to the promotion of Earth Charter ideas in Russia and other countries.

The Earth Charter Affiliate in Russia, the Center for Environmental Policy and Culture (CEPC), jointly with Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD) presented the Earth Charter at 11 meetings, seminars, and conferences to 740 people in 2014 mostly in Russia, but also in Romania. The Earth Charter was recommended as an ideal background document for Education for Sustainable Development.

In 2013, CEPC, jointly with Institute for Sustainable Development of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation (ISD), was very active, presenting the Earth Charter and recommending it as a foundational document for Education for Sustainable Development at many lectures, roundtables, conferences, and social fora, reaching hundreds of people.

The Guidelines for the All-Russian Open Lesson “Ecology and Culture – the Future of Russia” was elaborated by experts of CEPC and ISD in 2013. The Lesson was recommended by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation and conducted in schools throughout Russia. The focal point of the Lesson is to provide the basic knowledge on sustainable development ideas based on the principles of the Earth Charter.

The Russian Social Forum “Priorities of Sustainable Development: Challenges of Civil Society” in September 2013, publicized a Declaration suggesting the adoption of the Ethic Code of Sustainable Development on the basis of the Earth Charter. Also in Russia, the Declaration of the Third National Conference on Environmental Education in November, “…recommends educational institutions to include basic ideas of the Earth Charter and the Green Economy in the Curriculum of the scientific and humanitarian disciplines.” The Earth Charter document was given to all participants at this conference.

In 2007 a new partnership was initiated between the Center for Russian Environmental Policy and Culture and Earth Charter International. Since then, this Center has taken a leadership role in promoting the Earth Charter in Russia. For instance, they brought the Earth Charter to the agenda of several All-Russian Conferences focused on the priorities of environmental policy and civil society, held in Moscow in 2007 and in Barnaul (Altai) in 2008. The conferences were organized under the leadership of Dr. Vladimir Zakharov, President of the Center, who is also the Chairman of the Environmental Commission of the Russian Public Chamber.

The Earth Carter was also endorsed by the Institute for ‘Problems of Sustainable Development’ at the Russian State University for Chemical Technology and the Environmental Commission of the Russian Public Chamber.

Cameroon

In 2000, the NGO Nouvelle Afrique presented the Earth Charter at various important events in Cameroon, for example at the National Arts and Culture Festival, and several other events in different Cameroonian regions. These events offered an opportunity to raise awareness about the Earth Charter and discuss its principles and other important issues regarding sustainability with a wide range of people, including artists and intellectuals, youth and faith organizations, and government officials.

Find a report here on the activities to promote the Earth Charter, implemented by Nouvelle Afrique.

The Cameroon Association for the Protection and Education of the Child (CAPEC) organized a series of meetings with youth leaders, schools and other institutions to promote the vision of Earth Charter in Cameroon. In 2008, CAPEC organized a two-week workshop for 100 orphaned children from six orphanages in Yaoundé. The workshop raised awareness about the Earth Charter and sustainable development. In 2007, they created an Earth Charter Youth Group called ECYG Yaoundé Cameroon Association for the Protection and Education of the Child (CAPEC).

Other youth groups that joined the network between 2009 and 2010 are LUKMEF-Cameroon-ECYG, ECYG AFREDECC Limbe, and Better World Cameroon.

Congo

An Earth Charter Youth Group called Congolese Youth Association for Development (CYAD) was established in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2005 and another, MAISON DES JEUNES ECYG-PRODEC, in 2009.

Croatia

The first Earth Charter actions were taken in Croatia when an Earth Charter Youth / Student Group ECYG was formed in November 2009. This group translated the Earth Charter into Croatian, Serbian, and Bosnian.

Cuba

In 1998, young people took the lead in the Earth Charter consultation process in Cuba through the Brigadas Tecnicas Juveniles. The group engaged other groups and representatives from a variety of sectors including parliament, academia, professional associations, religious groups, NGOs, and the National Council for Sustainable Development. They organized a number of activities to promote awareness about the Earth Charter and generate input to the international consultation process.

The National Conference of the Young Technicians Brigade took place in 1999. Young Cuban professionals who were interested in being involved with the Earth Charter process in Cuba participated in this event. They shared their perspectives on the Earth Charter Draft, and discussed how to incorporate this vision as part of their work and activities.

Spain

In October 2000, the Earth Charter Catalonian Committee was formally created, with agreement upon a constitutional document endorsing the Charter. The Earth Charter was translated into Catalonian. In the same year, Vivim Plegats (Living Together), a multicultural program for peace and cooperation established in 2000 by the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Department of Social Welfare of the Balearic Islands, started to use the Earth Charter as an educational tool. They developed adaptations of the Earth Charter to children and youth for teachers to use it in their classrooms. The Earth Charter has since come to be used by different organizations in Spain since its introduction in 2000.

In 2014, ECI Affiliate Values Foundation organized one Conference and two Seminars with approximately 300 people. The seminars were called “Impulses for a better world”, under the slogan “The Earth Charter in Action”. The first seminar took place on 5 April in Soria and the second one on 18 October in Huelva. The annual Conference that Values Foundation organized was called “Projects and Utopias for a better world”. 2014 was the 8th time that they put the Conference together under the theme: “Living without fear, can you imagine it?”

In 2013, Values Foundation organized two conferences:

• “The Earth Charter works. The path of the heart”, in March.
• “The Earth Charter: Finding our inner strength. Living without fear”, in October.

Find all the details on the wealth of information and inspiration from these conferences through this link. Another activity that Values Foundation organized with the Earth Charter was the 7th edition of the Projects and Utopias for a better world Conference, on April 13th and 14th, 2013 in Vitoria‐Gasteiz. This conference focused on showing and discussing solutions for a more sustainable way of living. Finally, another important activity to report from the Values Foundation in Spain is the training programme that they organized called “Emotional Intelligence through the Earth Charter”. This programme was created as a response to a request from professors of a school in Madrid (Colegio de Ensenanza Infantil y Primaria “La Rioja”). The Department of Education of the University of Granada continued to use the Earth Charter in five undergraduate courses and in many other graduate-level courses in 2013. Their research with students. For example, the thesis called “Experiential learning for the development of Earth Charter values, a study for primary school” (“El aprendizaje vivencial para el desarrollo de valores de la Carta de la Tierra. Un estudio en educacion primaria”) was presented in September 2013. In this paper, the research team proposed a series of educational activities to promote Earth Charter values in primary schools.

In 2008, the Avalon Foundation used the Earth Charter in two parallel activities: One is through the organization of activities aimed at the general public and, the second is for the 150 volunteers within the Foundation, through the six workshop training program “Education for Peace”. Also, the Earth Charter was presented in several primary and secondary schools as well as universities in Seville, Huelva, and Valencia. These sessions were carried out in the Faculty gardens, and all teachers and students were involved in the activities.

In June 2007 Fundacion Valores held its third annual conference, entitled “Projects and Utopias for a better world”. This series of conferences provides an opportunity to reflect on the Earth Charter principles, as well as on processes of education for sustainable development and values-based education. It is also meant to promote knowledge-sharing about what different organizations from Spain are doing regarding these issues. As a result of their efforts, the University of Granada has incorporated the Earth Charter in various projects including courses in the department of education.

In April 2006, Fundacion Valores organized its 2nd Congress “Proyectos y Utopias para un Mundo Mejor” (Projects and Utopias for a Better World), with the objective to engage individuals and organizations in exploring ways to use and promote the Earth Charter in their sphere of influence. This very successful event, held at the Palacio de Congresos Municipal Campo de las Naciones Unidas de Madrid, included the participation of Leonardo Boff, Federico Mayor, and students of Universidad de Granada. They organized a number of activities (such as forums and educational workshops) to engage different groups of Spanish society with the Earth Charter.

Foro Soria 21, founded at an event in March 2001 in which HRH Prince of Asturias and Maurice Strong participated, has been incorporating the Earth Charter as part of its activities and numerous events organized with the purpose of promoting awareness and use of the Earth Charter. Foro Soria 21 encourages public authorities and the private sector toward a long-term commitment to sustainability through the lenses of the Earth Charter. Mr. Amalio de Marichalar, the head of Foro Soria 21, has taken part in a number of Earth Charter International events and incorporates the Charter as part of his efforts.

For more information about the activities in Spain, please see their country
website: www.cartadelatierra.es

Curacao

In 2008, The Caribbean Integral Institute started to disseminate the Earth Charter through its areas of activities.

Czech Republic

In 2009, The Municipal Library in Sedlčany, Czech Republic chose the Earth Charter as the theme for the 7th year of the community project entitled Lukášek (short for Saint Lucas, the patron saint of surgeons, physicians, and painters). Blanka Tauberová, Senior Executive of the Municipal Library in Sedlčany, and a volunteer project coordinator, the Unitarian Reverend Iva Fiserova, educated community members through visual arts, education and various creative activities motivated towards “healing”. Leaders of the local and neighboring schools and other organizations decided to keep the theme of the Earth Charter for the next school year, 2010-2011. Within one year the library became an Earth Charter Affiliate and began to reach out to other partners in the Czech Republic to introduce the Charter to the broader public in their country.

Their first partner became Czech students´ organization UESS SPODEK, at the Czech Agricultural University, lead by Pavel Pšenička. In December 2009, UESS SPODEK became an Earth Charter Affiliate. Under the auspices of UESS SPODEK, these two organizations developed the Czech national Earth Charter website and helped translate and publish the EC brochure in the Czech language. They also cooperate with Prof. Jana Dlouha who works at the Environmental Center of the famous Charles University. Prof. Dlouha included several EC educational materials in the foundation environmental course mandatory for all the students of Charles University.

These Affiliations were not renewed in 2013.

Denmark

In early 2002, Green Cross Denmark began using the Earth Charter as part of its programme of activities, particularly through the Earth Education Academy. Green Cross Denmark was an Earth Charter Affiliate until 2013.

Hidalgo

Focal Point of the Mexican Earth Charter Network in Hidalgo, Mexico:
Verónica Kugel

To contact the Mexican EC Network in Hidalgo, send us an email at [email protected]

Ecuador

Intiwasi Foundation, located at Baños de Agua Santa, Ecuador, was one of the Earth Charter promoters in this country. In 2010, this organization created the Earth Charter Gigantographies exhibition, which is an exhibition of huge pictures of EC principles that were exhibited in different museums in Ecuador. Along with this exhibition, they organized a number of workshops to reinforce the message of the exhibition.

Sweden

The Earth Charter has been known in Sweden since at least the year 2000. In June of that year, Green Cross Sweden conducted Earth Charter Empowerment workshops during the Global Environmental Youth Convention. Over 400 youth representatives from all over the world attended the workshops. Basic Earth Charter presentations were made. In December 2002 Ảre Municipality became the first municipality to endorse the Charter in the Country. Green Cross Sweden has been taking a very active role in promoting the Earth Charter in Sweden.

Barbro Holmberg, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, is a former Earth Charter Council member.

On April 26th, 2014, The Earth Charter was highlighted at the celebration of the 20th anniversary of Green Cross Sweden and the GCS Annual Event: A Journey through Global Challenges to Human Consciousness, held in Göteborg, Sweden. The keynote speaker was Drubpon Konchog Khandro-la, a nun of the Drikung Kagyu tradition of Buddhism, from the nomadic territory of Drikung. The event was attended by approximately 150 people. GCS also continued working with the Green Belt Movement and the collaboration on the Peaceful Transitions project supported the production and distribution 1,000 copies of the Earth Charter Declaration to schools, where approximately 2,000 school children and parents were trained on the principles of the guidelines of the Charter in Kenya.

In June 2007 and 2008 the Earth Charter featured at the Tällberg Forum, an annual gathering held in the Swedish region of Dalarna, which has emerged as a premier global conference in the field of sustainability. The Earth Charter received significant and increasing attention at the Tällberg Forum 2007. Ruud Lubbers, a member of both the Earth Charter Commission and a founding member of the Earth Charter International Council, was a prominent plenary speaker, and his mention of the Earth Charter was picked up by a number of others, including Tällberg Founder Bo Ekman. The Charter was also the subject of a number of discussions during plenary sessions and workshops.

Ethiopia

There was an Earth Charter Youth Group in Ethiopia, called ECYG Ethiopia.