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Earth Charter Plus Five
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The Royal
Tropical Institute |
SGI representatives and individual members from several
countries joined 400 people from all over the world who
attended the Earth Charter Plus Five event held at the Royal
Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, from November 7 to 9. Queen
Beatrix of the Netherlands, who officially launched the
Earth Charter as a set of common values and principles for a
sustainable future in 2000, attended the celebrations.
The event started with an Earth Charter Youth Initiative
meeting at which 30 youth representatives from all corners
of the world met face-to-face for the first time. The Soka
Gakkai made a contribution toward the cost of bringing this
group together, and two SGI-Canada members who created the
SGI Vancouver Youth Earth Charter Committee participated.
They were also nominated for a Maximo T. Kalaw Earth Charter
Award, as one of 10 groups commended for creativity in
implementing action-based projects based on the Earth
Charter.
Addressing the main conference, Earth Charter Commission
Cochair Maurice Strong spoke of the need to move "from ego
systems to ecosystems" and for an ethical and motivational
revolution which reaches into the souls of individuals.
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[Gerrit
Versteeg] |
The event marked the launch of the third phase of the Earth
Charter Initiative. The first involved the consultation,
translation and drafting process that produced the Charter.
The second included dissemination and seeking endorsements
as well as implementation by educational institutions and
local communities, and the third phase, from 2006, will
focus on expanding awareness of the Earth Charter, education
for sustainable living, engaged endorsement and use of the
Charter as a tool for ethics-based assessment.
The "Seeds of Change: The Earth Charter and Human Potential"
exhibition was shown in the upstairs of the main lobby area
and drew positive responses from viewers.
In the main conference, thematic sessions explored the
application of the Earth Charter in the building of a
culture of peace, in business, education, local governments
and international law. The SGI co-moderated a session on
"Faith Groups and the Earth Charter" which brought together
Christian, Buddhist, Islamic, Jewish and other religious
representatives. It was agreed that the Earth Charter
provides a common vision of a better world which can be a
bridge between different faiths.
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