|
World poverty is a multi-faceted problem that includes: (1) "free" trade that causes the conversion of agricultural lands to cash crops for exportation displacing farmers and decimating communities; (2) structural adjustment policies prescribed by the IMF and World Bank resulting in nations cutting social expenditures to repay loans, (3) discrimination that in the extreme results in genocide and huge numbers of refugees, (4) environmental destruction including the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and genetically modified organisms that cause overburdening debt for farmers; (5) lack of participatory democracy that robs those without money of a voice in decision-making affecting their livelihoods; (6) lack of transparency in borrowing and lending that spawns corruption by despots; (7) unaccountability of corporations including fraud, ignoring environmental regulations, and violating labor rights;(8) inequitable use of resources, e.g. 20% of the population in the developed nations, consume 86% of the world's resources.
The Earth Charter is based on the interconnection of all life and the inter-relatedness of issues. It is a set of principles and values that can be used by individuals, governments and organizations as a guide for developing policies and solutions to complex problems. Principles include: (1) require multinational corporations and international financial organizations to act transparently and hold them accountable; (2) enhance …resources of developing nations and relieve them of onerous international debt; (3) adopt at all levels sustainable development plans and regulations; (4) eliminate discrimination in all its forms.
Workshop Format: Mini-lecture on the Earth Charter and the interconnection of factors on world poverty. A dialogue among participants on how world poverty can be addressed by the use of the Earth Charter.
|
Sustainable
Resources 2004 > Talks
and Workshops
