Our Teacher for Billions of Years: the Earth — Part One

Earthrise from Far Side of the Moon

Apollo 8 Lunar Mission

December 24, 1968

PART ONE

EARTH VALUES CAUCUS HISTORY

In 2001, as president of CWED, which had consultative status with the United Nations as an NGO (non-govenrmental organization), I pinned a paper to a wall at the UN in New York City, saying:

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Rio+10 is fast approaching. One issue that seems to be largely missing from the agenda is that of Values.

Does this concern you? If so, please come to discuss the possibility of forming a CSD [Commission on Sustainable Development] Values Caucus.

Date: March 7th

Time: 1:00 pm

Place: Northeast corner of the Cafeteria

If you are interested, but unable to attend, please contact Eleanor Rae at E-mail: Cwed@aol.com

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On that day, 15 people attended that meeting. Thus was born the Earth Values Caucus (EVC), which I co-chaired for many years at the UN.

I believe there is relevance — and a strikingly similar comparison — of the mission of the EVC to the needs of our current times! Take a look!

After its founding in 2001, in its efforts to insert Earth values in the UN agenda, the Caucus quickly became involved in the process and documents of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). This Summit was being held in Johannesburg, South Africa August 26 to September 4, 2002, ten years after the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June, 1992.

The EVC conducted several workshops and side events during the WSSD and also sponsored a variety of activities with groups in the Values Caucus, Peace Caucus, and the Energy Caucus. An “Earth’s Code of Conduct” was developed as an educational statement.

The Caucus continued its efforts in the follow-up work to the WSSD by meeting regularly at the United Nations headquarters in New York City and communicating with EVC members worldwide.

Below: Inner Section of the Original EVC Brochure

NEXT POST: Our next post will be Part Two of the story. It will connect you to the title statement:

Our Teacher for Billions of Years: the Earth.