The Earth Charter
The Earth Dialogues
Environmental Education
In an effort to bring about fundamental value and behaviour changes, Green Cross International has employed the power of words and education to implement the Earth Charter by developing the Earth Dialogues and Education for Sustainable Development initiatives. Each of these programmes highlights the crucial nexus between the issues of security, poverty and the environment and facilitates dialogue that will effectively change the values and behaviour of governments and the public.
The The Earth Charter is a document that has both Green Cross International's Chairman Mikhail Gorbachev and the President of Earth Council Maurice Strong as its patrons. It is a prime example of GCI's effort to impact upon the values and behaviour of people.This document embodies fundamental principles that are meant to act as guide for people worldwide on how to conduct themselves in order to ensure a sustainable future. The support of this document has been overwhelming, with over 8000 organisations representing more than 100 million people formally endorsing the EC, along with many nations starting to integrate aspects of the EC into their constutions and national laws. In this way GCI is promoting a new vision of how a sustainable future can be achieved.
Within the same realm, Green Cross International has established the Earth Dialogues, public forums held on the sustainable development and the ethical dimension behind the nexus of poverty, security, and the environment.
The goal is to raise awareness and promote solutions worldwide by providing an opportunity for uninhibited conversation about many of the most pressing economic, environmental social and security issues in the world. These forums are held all around the world including Lyon, Barcelona, New York, and most recently in 2006 where they were held in Brisbane, Australia. The Earth Dialogue compliments the ideals and guidelines established in the Earth Charter by providing a venue for people from all sectors to discuss and debate ideas instead of being excluded from the development process. Under the leadership and foresight of both Mikhail Gorbachev and Maurice Strong the Earth Dialogues will continue to be a great success.
Green Cross International is also working to include both children and adults through its Education for Sustainable Development Programme established by the Green Cross National Organisations with projects such as "Environmental Diaries" created by Green Cross Japan. Many other Green Cross affiliates have also established environmental education and awareness projects with promising results. The idea is to educate and infuse children and adults with a positive awareness of and responsibility for the environment. GCI understands that many of the issues faced by the planet will not be solved immediately, which is why it is important to give children an understanding of the links between the problems of security, poverty, and the environment.
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