Correspondence regarding Earth Charter endorsement
Email from Jackie & Brian MacDonald of the Victoria Faith in Action Committee requesting Council endorsement of the Earth Charter.
From: Jackie & Brian MacDonald Sent: February-18-17 1:43 PM To: Mayor And Council Email Subject: Earth Charter endorsement
Dear Mayor & Council,
The Victoria Faith in Action Committee have asked the City of Victoria to endorse the Earth Charter. We are also extending this invitation to other CRD municipalities. It would be wonderful if this could happen for Earth Day 2017.
Our interest in the Earth Charter has become ever more keen over this last while when we see what is happening to our earth and to each other. The numbers of folks living in poverty continues to increase as does the violence. There are many cities and organizations around the world who have endorsed the Earth Charter for these very reasons. The Earth Charter gives a way forward in these challenging times. The Earth Charter website states that "the Earth Charter is a framework for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century. It seeks to inspire in all people a new sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well being of the whole human family, the greater community of life, and future generations. It is a vision of hope and a call to action." Victoria Faith in Action has initiated and is sponsoring a petition to ask our municipalities to endorse the Earth Charter. You might be aware that Faith in Action has also initiated Greater Victoria Acting Together, or GVAT. I think this Charter will also help to make GVAT’s and other organizations initiatives even stronger. If our communities endorse the Charter, I think it will support all the initiatives of our cities who are working for healthier, happier communities.
A copy of the Earth Charter can be found at earthcharter.org. The Earth Charter website has educational resources for all age groups. We are meeting with teachers and we will be exploring ways of taking this initiative to the schools. It is already being taught at Vancouver Island University.
You will also find attached a poster inviting folks to an evening with Elizabeth May and Gerban Van Straaten on the Earth Charter and Earth Charter cities. It will be an opportunity for information and conversation about this important document and the possibilities that are made available for us.
We would be very grateful for your support with this project. This endorsement of the Earth Charter will also help to support the work of many organizations who are working for change. Here is a link to the online petition: http://www.victoriavoice.ca/earth_charter
Sincerely,
Victoria Faith in Action Committee