By Carl Teichrib
October 1, 2005
Five years ago, at the United Nations Millennium Forum, Steven C. Rockefeller – Chairman of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund – introduced the Earth Charter to the U.N. during a special UNMF side-event. That same year, the Earth Charter was officially launched, in the presence of major dignitaries at The Hague, Netherlands. Since that time, the Charter has been affirmed by UNESCO, incorporated into a variety of global education programs, and formally adopted by a number of major cities – including Seattle, Berkeley, and Urbino, Italy. In fact, the U.S. Conference of Mayors passed a resolution on June 25th, 2001, stating:
"The U.S. Conference of Mayors endorses the Earth Charter, and commits the organization to the realization of its aim. And urges its mayors and their cities to formally review and debate the Earth Charter, and its relationship to its work."
In the same year that the U.S. Conference of Mayors gave its blessing to the Charter, the Ark of Hope was unveiled at Shelburne Farms, Vermont, in the presence of such notables as Jane Goodall and Steven Rockefeller. This ark, a specially constructed wooden box, complete with handles and adorned with artwork representing air, water, fire, earth, and spirit, contains a handwritten Earth Charter on carefully prepared papyrus paper.
For those who may not be familiar with it, the Earth Charter is a series of principles meant to guide governments and civilians into an Earth-centric way of thinking and living. This document, which is considered by many to be a set of "soft laws," was the brainchild of Maurice Strong, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Steven Rockefeller. And for the last number of years, the Charter and its visible home – the Ark of Hope – have been circulated to and presented at a number of United Nations, and U.N.-affiliated events.
But, where is the Ark now, and what's become of the Earth Charter?
Granted, much of the world's leadership, including significant segments of the environmental movement, seem focused on the war/anti-war debate, rather than on items such as the Earth Charter. However, even though the Charter doesn't appear front-and-center in global affairs, it hasn't gone away.
During 2004, the Earth Charter was given attention at the World Social Summit, at the Swedish International Consultation on Education for Sustainable Development, and at the Nairobi UNEP conference on Intergovernmental Strategic Planning. In Canada, a fund-raising concert was held which incorporated the Earth Charter, and in October of last year, the Charter received The Peacemaker Award. It was also adopted by one of the most powerful environmental lobbying and policy groups on the planet, the World Conservation Union.
This year, an Earth Charter eco-tour was launched in Costa Rica, and in Italy, the Charter was part of an international conference on global environmental law development. But for 2005, the best is yet to come.
On October eighth, in cities across the U.S. and around the world, a series of Earth Charter Community Summits will be held. Cities participating include Indianapolis, Chicago, San Diego, Portland, Atlanta, Tampa, Oshkosh, and Dallas – to name but a few U.S. centers. Other Summit locations include Calgary (Canada), Andhra Pradesh (India), Brussels (Belgium), and in Senegal (unsure at this time whether the event will be held in Thies or Dakar). The purpose of these Community Summits is to infuse new energy into the Charter process, and rally a broad base of support for its principles. But the really big event, the staring show, will be in November.
Starting on the seventh of November and ending on the ninth, the Earth Charter's fifth launching anniversary is being held at the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam. Expected attendees include Maurice Strong, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Ruud Lubbers (former Prime Minister of The Netherlands), along with a host of governmental officials and Earth Charter supporters.
The big push for this event isn't so much the seeking of global grassroots support, it's the development of a specific governance structure for the Charter itself. In other words, the creation of an effective global administrative body that would propel the Earth Charter beyond its current status-quo. Aspects of this program include the renewed role of faith groups in the process, the prospects for integration into international law, and the role of the Charter in the total framework of global governance.
And, all of this brings us back around to the Ark of Hope. Where is it?
At the time of this writing, the Ark is located at the Tropen Museum in Amsterdam, where it will remain until the end of November. No surprise, the Ark of Hope is being included in the Earth Charter +5 celebrations.
Looking back, it's truly amazing what a few years can do. In 1997, when the Earth Charter was going through its drafting process, only a handful of people knew anything about the project. Even during the millennium year, knowledge of the Charter was confined to the research community and those active in the global environmental movement. And while today's average citizen knows little, if anything, about the Earth Charter, it has firmly rooted itself into the tangled web of international politics and power.
Of course, the big question becomes: Politically, where will the Charter be
in another five years, and what will be done to get it there?
Carl Teichrib is a writer from rural Manitoba, Canada.
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