To The Ocean Futures Community,

I encourage you to review the guiding principles of The Earth Charter. It is my hope that this document, created through the United Nations, will play a powerful role in bringing about positive change in human society in this new century, as did the International Declaration of Human Rights in the last.

The values and objectives of The Earth Charter focus on how "it is imperative that we, the peoples of the Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations. The document creates an unprecedented ethical and moral framework to guide the conduct and behavior of people and nations to each other and the Earth. The Earth Charter embraces the view that the problems of poverty, environmental degradation, ethnic and religious conflict, and social injustice are all interdependent, thus policies that address one problem can impact and improve other issues. The Earth Charter is a unique international document in its scope and ability to lead the global society in addressing the problems that impede sustainable development, human rights and peace."

It is my hope that all of us, young and old alike, learn to embrace and integrate the principles of sustainable living found in this charter in our every day lives.

For more information on The Earth Charter, follow these two links:

EARTH CHARTER OFFICIAL WEB SITE

PRESS RELEASE: COMPLETION OF EARTH CHARTER MARKS LAUNCH OF WORLDWIDE CAMPAIGN

Respectfully yours,

President, Ocean Futures Society