Renewing the Sacred Balance: Globally
The Earth Charter Initiative

"We stand at a critical moment in Earth's history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise. To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny... Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations.”

- Preamble of The Earth Charter

Overview

The Earth Charter is the product of nearly a decade of worldwide, cross-cultural conversations aimed a finding a synthesis of values and principles to guide the creations of a truly sustainable human society. For peoples of different faiths and cultures, the Charter can serve as a wonderful starting point to reflect together on the ethical vision needed to renew the sacred balance of our planet.

While the values in the charter do not reflect any one religious or cultural view, they do have a strong current of spirituality running through them. For example, the preamble writes notes that:

While the values in the charter do not reflect any one religious or cultural view, they do have a strong current of spirituality running through them. For example, the preamble writes notes that:

“Humanity is part of a vast evolving universe. Earth, our home, is alive with a unique community of life… The spirit of human solidarity and kinship with all life is strengthened when we live with reverence for the mystery of being, gratitude for the gift of life, and humility regarding the human place in nature. We urgently need a shared vision of basic values to provide an ethical foundation for the emerging world community.”

Throughout the text of the Charter, the call to respect nature is united with the call for justice. To end ecological devastation, we must also work for a better distribution of wealth, human rights, and authentic social participation. In particular, the small minority of humanity that consumes the majority of the Earth’s gifts must change their way of life so that all to creatures – and all people – may flourish.

The History of the Earth Charter

In 1987, the United Nations’ World Commission on Environment and Development proposed the creation of a new charter or universal declaration on ecological protection and sustainable development that would “prescribe new norms for state and interstate behaviour needed to maintain livelihoods and life on our shared planet”. The 1992 Rio Earth Summit attempted to do this, but fell short of the aspirations that many people had for the Charter.

In 1994, a new “people’s initiative” was started by former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev together with the Rio Earth Summit’s Secretary General, Maurice Strong. An Earth Charter Commission was formed in 1997 to oversee the project and an Earth Charter Secretariat was established at the Earth Council in Costa Rica. In March 1997, the Commission produced the first version of a ‘benchmark draft’. Following a participatory process that gathered input and ideas from around the world, the text of the Earth Charter was finalised in March 2000.

Key Principles

The core of the Earth Charter may be summarised by the following key principles:

1. We must respect and care for the community of life by:

• Recognising that all living being are of value and that all are interdependent.
• Affirming that with increased knowledge and power comes increased responsibility for the common good.
• Ensuring the participation of all in society and the respect for human rights.
• Taking care to protect the beauty and bounty of the Earth for future generations.

2. We must protect and restore the Earth’s ecological systems by:

• Safeguarding endangered species and caring for the Earth’s water, soil, air, forests, and oceans.
• Exercising precaution, discerning the potential impact of our actions to ensure that they will not be harmful.
• Adopting lifestyles that emphasise quality of life while minimising consumption.
• Recognising and preserving the traditional ecological knowledge and spiritual wisdom of all cultures.

3. We must promote social and economic justice by:

• Eradicating poverty, guaranteeing access to the essentials of life, and ensuring a sustainable livelihood for all people.
• Distributing wealth equitably, cancelling onerous debts, and ensuring fair trade.
• Affirming gender equality and promoting the participation of women in all aspects of society.
• Eliminating discrimination in all its forms, recognising aboriginal rights, and honouring the role of youth.

4. We must build a global society based on democracy, non-violence, & peace by:

• Strengthening democratic institutions, supporting civil society, and protecting human rights.
• Promoting education and life-long learning aimed at teaching a sustainable way of life.
• Treating all living being with respect and consideration.
• Nurturing a culture that values and celebrates diversity, non-violence, and peace.

The Charter puts forth a powerful challenge to all of humanity to choose a new way of living in the world:

"The choice is ours: form a global partnership to care for Earth and one another or risk the destruction of ourselves and the diversity of life. Fundamental changes are needed in our values, institutions, and ways of living. We must realize that when basic needs have been met, human development is primarily about being more, not having more…

"We must decide to live with a sense of universal responsibility, identifying ourselves with the whole Earth community as well as our local communities… This requires a change of mind and heart. It requires a new sense of global interdependence and universal responsibility…

"Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace, and the joyful celebration of life."

Suggestions for Using the Earth Charter

In Canada, a number of churches and religious organisations have endorsed the Earth Charter including Faith & the Common Good, the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace, the Canadian Unitarian Council, The United Church of Canada, and several religious congregations. Individual parishes, congregations, or temples are also invited to endorse the charter – as are interfaith organisations.

The Earth Charter is as an excellent tool for interfaith dialogue on the values and principles needed to renew the Earth’s sacred balance. In reflecting on the charter, persons of different faiths can share how their religious traditions reinforce, complement, and deepen the ethical values needed to create a truly just and sustainable human society living in harmony with the wider Earth community.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Charter or obtaining a copy of it, visit http://www.earthcharter.org/. The site also contains a large number of resources, including sample presentations and workshops. Copies of the Earth Charter may also be ordered from the Earth Charter USA; 2100 "L" Street, NW; Washington, DC, 20037; USA. Call 202-778-6133 for more information.

The material on this page was adapted from an article by Mark Hathaway originally published in the April 2004 edition of Scarboro Missions magazine's special issue on "Renewing the Sacred Balance."

 

 

 

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