The Earth Charter

Preamble

We stand at a critical moment in Earth’s history, a time when humanity must choose its future.

As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise.
To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny … it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations.

Principle #1

Respect Earth and life in all its diversity.
Recognize that all beings are interdependent and every form of life has value regardless of its worth to human beings.

Affirm faith in the inherent dignity of all human beings and in the intellectual, artistic, ethical, and spiritual potential of humanity.

Charity Federation Action

Our most serious challenge in the 21 st century might not be war, hunger, disease, or even the collapse of civic order, a UN report says: It may be the lack of fresh water. The global water crisis will reach unprecedented peaks in the years ahead, the report says, with growing per capita scarcity in many parts of the developing world. And that means hunger, disease, and death.

To begin to conserve water, everyone needs to know some simple facts:

1. Water is a limited resource.
2. Water costs a great deal in energy and money to pump, move, and purify.
3. Water consumption can be reduced significantly in the home.
4. Our challenge is to invite all Sisters and Associates of the Federation to focus on ‘water' as our corporate effort to reduce poverty.

We are asking that each member of our communities choose one action to conserve water.

• Take short showers and save five to seven gallons a minute. (U.S. measure)
• Don't run water while washing your hands, brushing your teeth, or washing dishes. Faucets use two to three gallons a minute.
• Repair leaky faucets and turn taps off lightly. A slow drip wastes 15 to 20 gallons a day.
• Run the dishwasher and washing machine only when full. Save even more by using the short cycle.
• Don't run water to make it cold. Have it chilled in the refrigerator, ready to drink.

Fairly Divine

"What do you mean?"
comes the question
from the back of the room.
" What do you mean,
'God favours the poor?'"

Baffling bias
re-defines fairness;
provokes amazement.

Saviour from Nowhere,
humbly emerging,
stirs us to take sides
in creation's embrace.

Two thousand years later
simplicity still scandalizes.
Love still transforms.

Hail the delivery!
Good news!

Roma De Robertis, scic
December 1999

Acting in God’s Time

‘Kairos’ is Greek for God’s time … a moment of grace and opportunity in which God challenges us to decisive action.

In Canada, the former inter- church coalitions merged into KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives. The theme of the current KAIROS action campaign is, ‘Cultivating Just Peace’. The campaign challenges the idea that peace can be secured by force.

Would you like to learn more about KAIROS? Contact your local group or check this