The Earth Charter, Ecological Integrity and Social Movements

The Earth Charter is a unique document published in the year 2000 and now endorsed by more than 6,500 organisations. The second half of the title indicates the direction of this book towards ecological integrity by means of generating a powerful social movement to realise the aims and aspirations of the Charter. The main themes the search for common ground, international law, ethics and social movements, human rights, indigenous voices for integrity, and the nature of government decisions in relation to environmental policies and social movements. Ron Engel, one of those involved in the drafting of the Charter, provides an excellent overview of its promise, limits and future within the context of the possibility of a new axial age. As he puts it, the question is how to build an international movement with the power to usher in a new era of global governance in which justice and peace prevail and the ecological integrity of the planet is restored and maintained.

The Charter itself represents an important step towards a realised Earth community, but the forces maintaining the current order are extremely powerful and have only their own short-term interests in view. Hence the need for a powerful social movement for change. The basis of a new axial age is relational ontology extending to the whole of life, not just to humans. This involves an interplay between interdependence and autonomy as well as the harnessing of ethical thought within the context of current economic and political realities. Without a credible social analysis, this cannot be achieved. The last part of this essay discusses the most important issues to be faced and steps that could be taken. It is clear that NGOs must play a leading role here, as the initiative will not be taken by governments, who are under the influence of those supporting unsustainable business as usual based on continued economic growth, free markets and treating the environment as a resource to be exploited. In my view, the Earth Charter should be a core part of educational curricula, but far too many people are unaware of its existence and significance. Incidentally, it has been powerfully supported by Mikhael Gorbachev.