Charter

We stand at a critical moment in history, a time when the future of life as we know it will rest upon the choices the human family makes now. Our world has become increasingly crowded, interdependent and fragile. We share on this planet, with all creatures great and small, a mutual destiny dependent upon the choices we make that will either link us unequivocally to the systems of natural laws, and a sustainable future of ecological and economic well-being, or to the perpetual violation of those laws that will result in continued unnecessary suffering and hardship. We are one family, one ecosystem, inseparable and mutually dependent. How we will continue to forge ahead laying the foundation for a sustainable future must be guided by the following “Statement of Principles” for the Web of Life, Ecological Sovereignty, Indigenous Healthcare, Ecological Agriculture, Sustainable Development, and Social and Economic Justice. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare “Peace with Nature” and acknowledge our responsibility to the greater web of life, to one another, and to future generations.

PRINCIPLES:

I. THE WEB OF LIFE

1. We recognize that all life is interdependent and every form thereof has intrinsic value regardless of its economic worth to human beings.
2. We acknowledge that with the right to utilize natural resources in every generation comes the responsibility to prevent environmental harm for future generations.
3. We believe it is imperative to pass along to future generations those values, traditions, and institutions that support and respect the flourishing of life in all it’s grandeur and diversity.

II. ECOLOGICAL SOVEREIGNTY

1. We promote environmental education to foster bio-literacy that seeks to connect the youth of the world to their biological heritage and ecology.
2. We promote the establishment of biodiversity conservation including, but not limited to, biological corridors for species diversification, national biodiversity inventories for environmental education, safeguards for biosphere preserves including marine areas, wild lands, forests, wetlands, soils, and water.
3. We promote programs designed to restore and protect degraded ecosystems and the recovery of endangered species.
4. We support scientifically proven natural resource utilization technologies that do not result in the degradation or depletion of either non-renewable or renewable resources. We affirm that when current scientific research is inadequate or incomplete concerning the sustainable uses of natural resources, the “precautionary principle” shall apply.
5. We reject environmental pollution as a necessary cost of human civilization and support technology that prevents any and all downstream negative environmental impacts.
6. We support governmental regulations designed to implement ecological sovereignty throughout the world.

III. INDIGENOUS HEALTHCARE

1. We support consciousness-based healthcare that integrates mind, body, and environment into a holistic framework.
2. We acknowledge the healing power of nature and that the body has the inherent ability to establish, maintain and restore it’s own health. The healing process in nature is ordered and intelligent. The physician’s role is to facilitate and augment this process, to act to identify and remove obstacles to health and recovery and to help the creation of a healthy internal and external environment.
3.  We support treating the whole person as health and disease are conditions of the whole organism, involving a complex interaction of physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, and social factors.
4. We acknowledge the first responsibility of healthcare is to do no harm. The generation of symptoms are, in fact, an expression of the life force attempting to heal itself. Therapeutic actions should be complementary to and synergistic with this process. Treating symptoms while ignoring the underlying cause interferes with the natural healing process.
5. We support preventative medicine as the highest ideal of the healthcare professional with the goal to prevent the onset of disease and disorder in the organism.
6. We support the traditional long-term doctor/patient relationship based upon knowledge and experience. The physician’s role should be to educate and encourage the patient to take responsibility for health. As health is predicated upon many external conditions, the patient should be guided to look beyond immediate symptoms to address the underlying causes of disease.

IV. ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE

1. We support agriculture that produces abundant organically-grown food without depleting the earth’s resources or polluting its environment.
2. We support organic agriculture with natural fertilizers and we reject the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides or any other toxic soil treatments that, in the long run, results in a degraded soil environment.
3. We support conservation tillage systems that replicate natural systems for organic crop production and drought-resistant soil management practices.
4. We reject the genetic modification of seeds as a violation of natural law and the sovereignty of nature.
5. We accept biological models and reject industrial models of agriculture that are energy intensive.
6. We support information intensive farming models with emphasis on cyclical processes, farms as ecosystems and not factories, multi-culture plant diversity, and soil conservation methodologies. We reject energy-intensive and mono-culture agriculture practices that over time degrade natural systems.
7. We support soil conservation practices that minimize water runoff and the use of less water intensive crops.
8. We support agriculture practices that address the cumulative, long-term, long-distance, and global consequences of such practices.

V. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

1. We recognize that natural law governs the universe without problems and that human civilization must learn to live according to the system of nature’s laws organized for the proliferation of life.
2. We recognize the interdependence of all life and that each and every part is a stitch in the tapestry of life and that no part should be sacrificed for future generations to satisfy the needs of the present generation.
3. We recognize that when human beings learn from nature’s design, or Bio-mimicry, all waste will become food within the ecological footprint, pollution will become nonexistent, and energy-efficiency will be automatic.
4. We believe the human family has arrived at the understanding that the relationship between the spiritual and the material is porous and thus nature can no longer be considered an isolated commodity for economic exploitation.
5. We accept responsibility for the consequences of our past mistakes as we seek to develop now, and in the future, sustainable design principles based upon natural law.
6. We believe that human design for development should rely on natural energy flows derived from sustainable and non-toxic resources.
7. We accept that human beings are not qualified to manage natural systems and therefore our primary responsibility lies in setting goals and standards designed to protect the integrity and sovereignty of natural systems crucial to all life.

VI. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE

1. We support government and institutions that establish laws for the protection and benefit of citizens based upon the sustainable principles of natural law.
2. We believe that all people, regardless of socio-economic status, have a right to potable water, clean air, wholesome food security, uncontaminated soil, safe, non-toxic shelter, and safe sanitation.
3. We support the rights of indigenous peoples to fulfill their aspirations within their own cultural and linguistic traditions.
4. We promote the equitable distribution of natural resources within all nations and among all peoples. Wealthy nations have a responsibility to help impoverished nations develop their economies utilizing clean and sustainable resources.
5. We promote the active participation of women in all aspects of economic, political, civil, social, and cultural life as full and equal partners, decision makers, leaders, and beneficiaries regardless of religious affiliation.
6. We support the rights of all people to have access to information, freedom of assembly, and dissent without fear of retribution.
7. We support the protection of animals against abuse, cruelty, and suffering in any capacity. All animals, whether domestic or wild, deserve protection from unnecessary suffering.
8. We support the elimination of biological, nuclear, and other toxic weapons of mass destruction world-wide.
9. We recognize that a true and lasting peace among peoples can only come about by declaring peace with nature and ceasing the assault on natural law.