Earth Dialogues - Global
Green Cross International has established Earth Dialogues, a public forum designed to question the role that ethics plays in sustainable development. Through periodic face-to-face dialogues, this platform aims to provoke global mobilisation related to averting ecological disasters; addressing poverty; and acting to ensure truly sustainable development.
Objectives include:
This project, mapped out over a 10-year period, involves face-to-face worldwide gatherings. Comprised of 5 Regional Earth Dialogues (RED) and 1 International Earth Dialogue (IED), each cycle will last for 2 years, allowing for 5 rounds by 2012. Each round of these face-to-face meetings (REDs) will investigate a specific set of questions on different continents (Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Latin America, North America) over the 2-year interval, while maintaining a regional and local focus. Each cycle of REDs will culminate in an IED, a global assembly convened to examine the findings, recommendations, and initiatives of the REDs. Roundtable speakers will discuss regional insights and recommendations in an effort to ensure continuity, diversity, and equitable representation.
The topic for Earth Dialogues is selected according to the outcomes of prior international meetings on sustainable development and in response to evolving global conditions. Topics tend to focus on ways in which ethics could contribute to promoting sustainability in areas like corporate accountability and citizenship; security; quality of life issues; spirituality; political concerns (citizen participation); and global governance and media influence.
The goal is to incorporate a multitude of cultures and voices, such that every sector - even those that disagree sharply with each other - feels free to present its views and to have those views challenged in an open and neutral atmosphere. A larger goal is to inspire proposals for practical, action-oriented solutions from the local to the global levels, many of which involve political mobilisation. In addition, organisers hope to compile a catalogue of global opinions on ethics and sustainable development issues to contribute to political agendas.
Objectives include:
- stimulating political initiatives to promote sustainability objectives.
- developing action plans designed to lead to concrete activities for organisations, governments, business, etc.
- catalysing the formulation of recommendations and strategies for addressing local, national, regional and international ethics and sustainability challenges.
- providing a platform to assess progress on ethics and sustainable development objectives and programmes as outlined in multilateral agreements.
- mobilising diverse views on the essential ethical principles needed to support sustainable development.
- creating a forum for participants to share views and to forge new relationships, alliances, and networks.
- raising awareness of environmental and social issues in a larger rights-based framework.
- raising awareness of the links between ethics and sustainable development and the need to take proactive measures.
This project, mapped out over a 10-year period, involves face-to-face worldwide gatherings. Comprised of 5 Regional Earth Dialogues (RED) and 1 International Earth Dialogue (IED), each cycle will last for 2 years, allowing for 5 rounds by 2012. Each round of these face-to-face meetings (REDs) will investigate a specific set of questions on different continents (Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Latin America, North America) over the 2-year interval, while maintaining a regional and local focus. Each cycle of REDs will culminate in an IED, a global assembly convened to examine the findings, recommendations, and initiatives of the REDs. Roundtable speakers will discuss regional insights and recommendations in an effort to ensure continuity, diversity, and equitable representation.
The topic for Earth Dialogues is selected according to the outcomes of prior international meetings on sustainable development and in response to evolving global conditions. Topics tend to focus on ways in which ethics could contribute to promoting sustainability in areas like corporate accountability and citizenship; security; quality of life issues; spirituality; political concerns (citizen participation); and global governance and media influence.
The goal is to incorporate a multitude of cultures and voices, such that every sector - even those that disagree sharply with each other - feels free to present its views and to have those views challenged in an open and neutral atmosphere. A larger goal is to inspire proposals for practical, action-oriented solutions from the local to the global levels, many of which involve political mobilisation. In addition, organisers hope to compile a catalogue of global opinions on ethics and sustainable development issues to contribute to political agendas.
Development Issues
Environment, Ethics, Political action.
Key Points
The first Dialogue ("Globalisation and Sustainable Development: Is Ethics the Missing Link?") took place in Lyon, France in February 2002. The Dialogue included representatives of civil society, government, international organisations, finance, business, religion, media and academia, and members of the public.
According to organisers, the following challenges have emerged during the last decade of international summits: 1) raising awareness among the world's inhabitants about the links between ethics and sustainable development; 2) instilling a sense of personal accountability in citizens, governments, businesses, and international actors for support of sustainability initiatives; 3) monitoring the implementation of sustainability objectives; and 4) furnishing opportunities for the development of collective ethics-based action strategies and partnerships.
Organisers worry that globalisation has inspired differences of opinion about how to use and distribute the earth's resources, how to move toward socially just policies, and how to protect human rights. In their minds, sustainable development efforts flounder in the absence of a well-defined ethical foundation. For too many people, they claim, sustainability is an obstacle to their goals rather than a tool for achieving them. They point out that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was formulated as a means to protect people from harm. Now the planet itself is in danger, they say, and many of the basic ethical principles that should protect it - like those related to the gap between rich and poor, waste disposal, global finance, eco-tourism, minority rights, and loss of biodiversity - are not respected.
According to organisers, the following challenges have emerged during the last decade of international summits: 1) raising awareness among the world's inhabitants about the links between ethics and sustainable development; 2) instilling a sense of personal accountability in citizens, governments, businesses, and international actors for support of sustainability initiatives; 3) monitoring the implementation of sustainability objectives; and 4) furnishing opportunities for the development of collective ethics-based action strategies and partnerships.
Organisers worry that globalisation has inspired differences of opinion about how to use and distribute the earth's resources, how to move toward socially just policies, and how to protect human rights. In their minds, sustainable development efforts flounder in the absence of a well-defined ethical foundation. For too many people, they claim, sustainability is an obstacle to their goals rather than a tool for achieving them. They point out that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was formulated as a means to protect people from harm. Now the planet itself is in danger, they say, and many of the basic ethical principles that should protect it - like those related to the gap between rich and poor, waste disposal, global finance, eco-tourism, minority rights, and loss of biodiversity - are not respected.
Partners
Cross International and the Earth Council.
Sources
- Log in to post comments