Mirror Sites:
CSUDH - Habermas - UWP - Archives
Practice Module on This File

California State University, Dominguez Hills
University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Soka University Japan - Transcend Art and Peace
Created: September 16, 2002
Latest Update: September 16, 2002
jeannecurran@habermas.org
takata@uwp.edu

Earth Charter Community Summits
Coming Up Near You or On the Internet Saturday, September 28, 2002.

Many of us have difficulty finding a time and place where we can connect; where we can share our values and our willingness to work for those values with others who share them. Summit conferences like these offer a connection. I don't for a minute believe that you have a half day or more to give over to peace and sustainability on one of your Saturdays. The semester will soon be half over. But life is part of this game we call "getting an education." And learning to work as a community to express our concerns for our environment and for peace is a part of that liberal education we try to fit inbetween our myriad other tasks. I think it's particularly wonderful that they are beginning to realize how many of us are on the fast track, and maybe a little too tired to drive off to Ventura or other parts unknown. But they offer a Web Site, where you can follow the community summit meetings. Give it a try if you have a chaance. jeanne

Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2002
Subject: Earth Charter Community Summits - Sept 28 - 20 Cities -
Spread the Word

Dear Earth Charter Endorser,

It's Time to Connect!!

The annual Earth Charter Community Summits are a grassroots effort to bring Americans together to realize the vision and principles of the Earth Charter in their communities. The Earth Charter: A Declaration of Interdependence recognizes that humanity's environmental, economic, social, cultural, ethical and spiritual aspirations are all interconnected. It came into being through an extraordinary grassroots drafting process that involved thousands of people in 78 countries over the course of 12 years. Its core value is the interdependence of all life and it calls for economic and social justice, peace, democracy and ecological integrity. It seeks to inspire in all peoples a new sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well-being of the human family and the larger living world. It is an expression of hope and a call to help create a global partnership at a critical juncture in history.

Following the international launch of the Earth Charter at The Hague Peace Palace in June 2000, the Earth Charter was launched in the United States on September 29, 2001 in 12 cities linked by satellite. This year's Earth Charter Community Summits are being held on September 28 in 20 cities--Austin, TX; Boulder, CO; Burlington, VT; Chicago, IL; Honolulu, HI; Hartford, CT; Indianapolis, IN; Louisville, KY; Minneapolis, MN; Mobile, AL; Oshkosh, WI; Prescott, AZ; Philadelphia, PA; Portland, OR; San Francisco, CA; Santa Rosa, CA; Seattle, WA; St. Petersburg/Tampa, FL; Ventura, CA; and Washington, DC.

There will be festive celebrations, inspiring speakers and meaningful dialogues to make the Earth Charter principles a reality in personal lives, workplaces and community. For the first time, the community summits will be connected via webcast. This will allow people who do not live in a summit city to view the event in real time over the Internet. The webcast will be available on September 28, viewable from your home computer, at www.earthchartersummits.org. Speakers that can be viewed during the webcast include David Korten, author of When Corporations Rule the World; Steven Rockefeller, Earth Charter Commission; Paul Hawken, author of Natural Capitalism and Ecology of Commerce; David Kreiger, President of Nuclear Age for Peace Foundation; Bob Correll, former Assistant Director of National Science Foundation and many others.

Sociologist Paul Ray, Ph.D. studied 100,000 Americans and their values over 14 years and found that one in four value the same things that the Earth Charter is about--- relationships, sustainability, the oneness of life. However, people who share these values often work for the greater good on their own or with a few friends. It's time to connect and for all of us to join together under the holistic and hopeful vision of the people's Earth Charter to become a catalyst for positive change.

Please help us get the word out about the September 28 Earth Charter Community Summits to other likeminded people who value a respect for nature, economic justice, universal human rights and a culture of peace. For more information including specific locations and times for the 20 Summit cities, visit Earth Charter Community Summits Web Site.

Jan Roberts
Tampa, FL
Earth Charter Community Summits, National Planning Committee