Earth Charter Celebrates Interdependence
The Earth Charter Celebration of Interdependence Summit is a day-long event
to be held on the Westbrook College Campus of the University of New England
on September 29, 2001. It will be one of 10 summits around the country that
will be linked together at certain points during the day. Among the national
speakers is David Korten, author of When Corporations Rule the World.
Students, organizational representatives, teachers, parents, faith-based
representatives and Native peoples are invited to attend. The Summit is free
to the public.
The Charter is a declaration of 16 fundamental principles for building a
just, sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century. Its
inclusive ethical vision has been drafted and refined over the past decade
in a worldwide, cross-cultural process involving thousands of individuals
and hundreds of organizations. It draws upon contemporary science,
international law, the wisdom of the world's great religions and
philosophical traditions, current best practices for building sustainable
communities as well as the declarations of the UN Summit Conferences of the
last decade. It will be submitted to the United Nations for endorsement at
the Rio-plus-10 Earth Summit in South Africa, in September 2002.
Although people in many countries are familiar with the document, there is
little awareness of it yet in our own country. Activities begin in Ludcke
Auditorium and include a talk by Alan Atkisson, author of Believing
Cassandra; a poetry reading, a speech by David Korten and a talk by
Professor Steven Rockefeller, chair of the drafting committee, beamed from
the Tampa, Florida site.
The day will include Native drumming, guitar playing, seed demonstrations,
poster contests and the opportunity to sign a giant scroll that will signal
individual support for the Earth Charter and that will be presented to the
United Nations next year. A plenary panel discussion on the Relevance of
Earth Charter Principles to the Work of Maine Leaders will be held in the
afternoon. Participants include Brownie Carson, of the Natural Resources
Council of Maine, Scott Schnaap of Maine Businesses for Social
Responsibility, Ron Phillips of Coastal Enterprises, Karin Anderson of the
Maine Women's Fund, and Susan MacKenzie of the Spirituality and
Environmental Sustainability Working Group.
Among the subjects to be discussed at 10 workshop breakout sessions: are
Evolutionary Leap of Consciousness; Earth as Sacred Space; Innovative Maine
Programs; Youth; Peace and Human Rights; Global Governance; Education;
Corporate Ethics; Global Warming; Civic Renewal.
For more information contact Anne B. Zill, University of New England Tel.
(207) 797-7261 AnneBzill@aol.com
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