Earth Charter

In 1987 the U.N. World Commission on Environment and Development discussed the creation of a charter that would set forth the principles of sustainable development . In 1997 an Earth Charter Commission was formed to oversee the project. In 2000, at a meeting at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, the Commission approved the final version of the Earth Charter.

The Preamble sets the goal: “We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace.” To this end, “fundamental changes are needed in our values, institutions, and ways of living.”

It sounds good – care about and protect the earth and all who live on it. It is possible for many good people to get involved with positive programs and events.

However, Earth Charter goes far beyond the environment and ecology to:

•  Promote social and economic justice.

•  Promote the equitable distribution of wealth within nations and among nations.

•  Eliminate the international debt held by developing nations.

•  Ensure universal access to health care that fosters reproductive health and responsible      reproduction.

•  Demilitarize national security systems.

•  Eradicate genetically modified organisms.

•  Affirm gender equity

•  Strengthen families

•  Eliminate discrimination

Although several of these goals are considered mainstream, many are controversial:

•  socialized medicine

•  population control

•  redistribution of wealth

•  control of the environment at the expense of development

•  control of land use at the expense of development

•  control of national defense at the expense of national security

•  control of agriculture

Implementation of the Earth Charter involves a global plan with education at its very heart. As the Earth Charter website explains:

“Education is the key to advancing the transition to more sustainable ways of living. Transformative education is needed: education that helps bring about the fundamental changes demanded by the challenges of sustainability…The Earth Charter provides a unique framework for developing educational programs and curricula aimed at transformative learning for a more just, sustainable and peaceful world.”  (Emphasis added)

The world’s children, including Americans, are being “educated” to accept values and beliefs that will create acceptance of the Earth Charter. The IB Program embraces this transformational education project.

To read the Earth Charter, click here.