First Published - August 3, 2003

Open Letter To:

• Kings, Queens, Heads of State, Presidents, Leaders of the World

• Religious Leaders of the World

• All Citizens of the World who must take charge if the Leaders will not

Freedom, Prosperity and Justice are Human Rights that are Gifts from God.

Dear Esteemed Heads of State and to Esteemed Heads of Religious Groups:

It is presumed that you make the best possible effort to lead well.  However, I respectfully suggest that some things are not working as they should in this world.  Here are some respectful observations and suggestions for your consideration.

There are poor, hungry, sick, underpaid workers and exploited individuals in every country in the world.  Some citizens bear the hatred and sting of prejudice and injustice in their own countries.  Legal systems often do not provide Justice with an even hand for the wealthy and for the poor.  Corruption and Crime go unchecked even though the criminals are well known in the society.  Drug Dealing, Prostitution and Gambling feed funds into mainstream society to be laundered by Banks and Businesses.  Governments often support one Religion while persecuting and harassing minority Religions.

These difficulties are not limited to any particular part of the world or to any particular country.  The problems are similar in all parts of the world, in every language and in every culture.  There seems to be an underlying belief that if some people are kept down, there will be a cheap source of labor.  Another belief seems to be that the “have nots” are to blame for their own situation after being denied education, proper food, clean water, shelter and medical care.  

War, and especially Civil War is more expensive than Peace.  The People and resources lost can never be replaced.  The cost in treasure and damage to the land is wasted and could be better used to maintain Justice and Peace.  Differences must be solved with due process and the orderly following of "Just" Laws.  Leaders and rival Political Parties must put the Good of the People and Civil Order ahead of their personal ambition for leadership and/or power.  No person lives more than a handful of years.  Each must seek to leave the Planet and their People in a better condition.  History will not be kind to tyrants.

Those who rule by tyranny and terror will not be able to take treasure with them when they die.  Power won through fear and assassination ends with death, or sooner, when people depose bad leaders.  Evil may not hide in today's world of international media and instant imaging by satellites.

All in Society are at risk if any in a Society are denied Justice and Equity.

·      Viruses and germs do not care if a person is rich or poor.  The wealthy in society often put the poor in charge of cleaning their homes, preparing their food and caring for their children.  If the maid and cook are sick is the family safe?

·      There are leper prostitutes in some countries today.  Isn’t it reasonable to assume that some of the clients will become infected and spread that infection to their wives and to their children.

·      Whole Societies are being decimated by the AIDS Virus.  Thousands of children are without parents or grandparents to care for them or to pass on the Culture of the Country .  Governments must step in and place orphaned children into Boarding Schools so they may be protected, educated, trained and made productive citizens instead of a generation lost to the streets of prostitution, crime and wretched conditions.

·     Corrupt Politicians, Officials, Police, Judges and Business Persons take bribes from criminal syndicates only to find that it is never enough because soon the criminals are dictating policy, murdering judges, legislators and honest individuals.

·     Government Officials take payoffs from International Corporations and then grant the Corporations the right to strip mine, pollute and siphon off the Natural Resources of the country using underpaid and exploited local workers.

·     Slave wages allow companies to come into a country and to work the local residents long hours for very little compensation and no benefits.  The companies have also left behind thousands of jobless individuals in their former countries.  The overall result is financial instability and economic crisis in both countries.  

As the Leaders of your Countries, Cultures and Societies, you can make changes with the stroke of a pen.  You do not have to wait years or decades for change.  You are “In Charge."  It is your Privilege and Responsibility to Rule.  Your decisions can change the Law and the Customs within your country overnight.  One example is the wages paid to workers.  You, as the Leaders, can make it Law that there is a Minimum Wage that must be paid to a laborer, skilled worker or professional.  Workers may, of course, earn more at any level.  The Minimum Wage is the lowest wage that may be paid to a worker in a particular category.  Is it equitable that an unskilled beginning worker in America makes $5.25 per hour of his life at work while America’s neighbor to the south in Mexico may be legally paid $0.47 per hour for doing a high tech job?  Is it equitable that a worker in China can be paid only about $1.00 per day for a ten hour day?  Is it equitable that a skilled Doctor in the Russian Federation should be paid $5,000.00 per year while Doctors in America make $200,000.00 for doing the same work?  As Leaders, you can establish a Minimum Wage in your country with a stroke of a pen.

An International Minimum Wage can be as high as the wages paid in America or in Germany.  Benefits, such as Vacations, Health Care and a Safe Work Environment, are also necessary.  People are still crawling through holes underground and dragging four thousand pound carts by hand for mining in some countries.  Those individuals have no protection when they become ill from the dust in mines.  They have wages so low that savings are impossible and there is no retirement fund.

Please consider the advantages of ruling and governing with Equity and Justice at all levels of Society.  Higher wages will be spent for all of the things people need and want.  Domestic industries will be required to fill those needs and desires.  The Rich will not be drained or become broke.  The Rich will become richer.  It is the top of the society who will build the new manufacturing facilities and reap the profits from meeting the new demand for goods and services in the domestic market.

Every Nation has the Right to Print and Distribute Currency to meet the needs of its domestic economy.  The Currency is backed by the Good Faith and Resources of the Country.  Governments should supply the additional funds to pay higher wages to Businesses for a transition period of three to five years.  Only businesses that provide higher wages should receive assistance.

Consider the advantages of educating your populations.  The entire society is elevated as literacy improves and increases.  Education should be Free at all levels because it is an investment in your country's future.  Children without uniforms or from poor families should not be barred from schools.  The Government should supply uniforms and books to school children as readily as it supplies uniforms and guns for the army.  No country should have an army with new boots while their children have no shoes.  No country should have an army with automatic weapons and bullets while the children have no books, paper or pens with which to work.  No country should have an army that is well fed and transported with trucks and tanks while the general population must carry crushing burdens to market on their backs or walk miles for clean water.  No Army should have land mines to plant while there is wheat to be planted so people will not have to go without loaves of bread.  Defense is important but inequity and injustice will eventually cause the army to have to fight its own people.      Professional Education, Vocational Education, Education as an Engineer or in the Arts should be provided to individuals based on Merit and Natural Talent.  

The Armies in each country drain resources.  Armies are necessary but they should be put to work building and rebuilding infrastructure of the country.  The Armies are already being fed, clothed, housed and paid.  They are an organized force that can be used to build roads, dig wells, build schools, build public buildings, put in proper sewers and sanitation systems, provide power grids, construct airports etc.  Such use of Armies allows individual soldiers to learn real job skills that may be used in the civilian sector.  The Armies will not be competing with the civilian sector if they are used to build and to rebuild infrastructure.

Armies in a country that has been torn by Civil War should not trade guns for dollars and the promise of jobs.  The armies should be continued but the guns should be replaced with tools for construction and for reconstruction of the country.  Most of the soldiers have been in service for many years.  Their homes have been destroyed and their families are dead or scattered.  Turning such men out without direction or with limited resources but no job will lead to dissatisfaction, idleness and anarchy.  It is better to keep the men in their units but to give those units constructive projects and jobs for which they receive just compensation.  The men can settle in the communities with income to feed the local economy.  Their work on construction projects will enhance the quality of life and the stability of the Community.

Those men who wish to return to their own community should be allowed to return.  They can get jobs with local units in their own communities.

The former military units can be transformed into local police, construction companies, sanitation work units, agricultural cooperatives, trucking companies, harvesting brigades, live stock companies, and into similar productive organization units that are needed in the society.  Unit Commanders are respected and the men are accustomed to following their orders.  The military units can gradually transform into civilian companies doing civilian projects.  The commanders can transform into managers and supervisors.

Governments, where dowries are customary, should establish a maximum dowry to prevent female infanticide because poor families are not able to pay the customary dowry for their girls to marry.  The government should pay the dowry for every girl who marries because wives and mothers are the backbone of the family which in turn stabilizes the Culture and Society of a Country.  Government paid dowries would prevent families from putting themselves in financial ruin to save face.  Government paid dowries would help to eliminate discrimination and "Class" distinctions which have no place in a modern society.

An unjust Society will not continue indefinitely.  Modern History has shown that Tyrants can no longer abuse their populations in secret.  The World will isolate and eventually move to correct abuses.  Evil and Corrupt leaders can lie, cheat and steal for a time but eventually they will be removed by their own people or with the help of other Nations.  The People will not be denied.  Individuals with nothing to lose are most likely to cause revolution.

Societies that keep their people at the subsistence level with minimal education and opportunities are most easily destabilized from political upheaval.  

As Leader of your country, you have the power to stop Religious fighting as "Destructive to the Civil State."  Riots and murder among rival Religious Groups have contributed to widespread destruction of lives and property in Lebanon, Ireland, Palestine/Israel, Eastern Europe, African Nations, and in many other parts of the World.  

Religious/Political Leaders who sow the seeds of hatred and intolerance against other Religions and Nations will soon be exposed as Evil Doers who violate God's Basic Command against idol worship by allowing their own images to be paraded as idols for worship.  Leaders who encourage their children and young people to sin by murdering others will be judged for their evil twisting of their religious leadership into offices of death and destruction.  Leaders who create false "Holy Wars" and encourage children to die as Martyrs will be shown as cowards as they refuse to Martyr themselves for the false cause.

Individuals who "Martyr" themselves as suicide bombers help the opposition and weaken their own movements.

• The individuals who are willing to kill themselves for their beliefs are the most dedicated and religious of their movement.  

  • They should become the next leaders of their Religious Group.  Instead they die and leave less fervent individuals in charge. 

  • Those in charge who encouraged the sacrifice of the Faithful have succeeded in eliminating their opposition within the Faith.

  • The overall result is that all of the most fervent and dedicated die and only the lukewarm are left

  • Moderates will prevail "The Meek will inherit the Earth"

  • The most dedicated voices will be silenced and the cowards will speak for the movement

• The suicide bombers create "Martyrs" for the other side.  All of the innocents who have been killed by the suicide bomber are Martyrs because they were innocents.

• Suicide bombers are not remembered.  They are forgotten and ignored by history as "nuts" and as "fanatics"

  • Those who were Martyred by the suicide bombers are remembered and have Memorials built to their Memories for all to see.

• The Martyrs of the Age, who have been killed by the foolish and misguided, become Inspirations for all People who love Freedom and Democracy to Fight against ignorance and tyrants who seek to advance themselves by using the gullible as puppets and as disposable cannon fodder.

Governments benefit from Religious Practices.  Religions of the world all teach that is better to do good than to do evil.  Most Religions teach respect for authority, kindness, good citizenship, tolerance, support of the poor, compassion for the needy, and fellowship.  Most Religions are formed into congregations or assemblies that are well organized.  The Religious Organizations are an excellent way for governments to provide education and social programs for their populations.  Religious Groups can communicate to the entire population very quickly.  Most Religions teach that is necessary to be patient and to suffer in this life to have a better after-life.  Such self-sacrifice usually serves governments well as things get tough.

All governments must speak out against the evils of Slavery of all kinds.  Those countries which engage in slavery or who allow slavers to operate in their countries must be boycotted and isolated from the World Community.  Countries who allow the enslavement of women and/or of children for the sex trades must be reminded that such behavior is a Crime Against Humanity.  Women are the Keepers of Culture and Civilization within every society.  Children must be cherished and protected because they are the future of every country.

Individuals who would use women or children for their own profit or base lust must be punished by the society and by the World.  The women and the children have more value as productive citizens and as contributors to the Culture then they would as slaves for the profit of criminals and degenerates.

Additional examples are not necessary.  Everyone with any intelligence knows the problems.  Please use the Power within your hands to make changes immediately.  History will remember you as a Hero.

Sincerely yours,

 

His Eminence The Patriarch Dr. Chief

 

Alexander Swift Eagle Justice

D.D., Ph.D., J.D. -Theologian, Academician

Metropolitan/Archbishop and Member of the Imperial Holy Orthodox Synod of the Holy Orthodox Church of All Russia and Appointed Chief Patriarch for United States of America - California, Mexico and for ALL Latin American Countries.

Metropolitan/Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Native Americans and President of the College of Bishops of the Mexican National Catholic Church 

Metropolitan/Archbishop of the Holy Orthodox Native American Catholic Archdiocese and Chief Patriarch of the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Holy Orthodox Native American Catholic Church

(AKA - Keepers of Creation Church)

 

I would like to remind you of the wonderful work that has been done by the United Nations Committees to outline solutions to many of the inequities and injustices around the world. 

United Nations

This site contains the most comprehensive collection of translations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948. Over 285 different language versions are available in HTML, PDF and graphical forms.

http://www3.itu.int/udhr/index.htm

 Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Preamble

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in cooperation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, therefore,

The General Assembly,

Proclaims this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article I

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8

Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11

1.     Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.

2.     No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13

1.     Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State.

2.     Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14

1.     Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.

2.     This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15

1.     Everyone has the right to a nationality.

2.     No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16

1.     Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.

2.     Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.

3.     The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17

1.     Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.

2.     No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20

1.     Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

2.     No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21

1.     Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.

2.     Everyone has the right to equal access to public service in his country.

3.     The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22

Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23

1.     Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.

2.     Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.

3.     Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.

4.     Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25

1.     Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

2.     Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26

1.     Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.

2.     Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.

3.     Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27

1.     Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.

2.     Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29

1.     Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.

2.     In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.

3.     These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30

Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

 

UNITED NATIONS

The 1994 Draft
Declaration of Principles on

HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

On 16 May 1994, an international group of experts on human rights and environmental protection convened at the United Nations in Geneva and drafted the first-ever declaration of principles on human rights and the environment.

The Geneva group assembled at the invitation of the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund--in cooperation with the Association mondiale pour l'école instrument de paix and the Société suisse pour la protection de l'environnement- -on behalf of Madame Fatma Zohra Ksentini, Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment for the United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities.

As U.N. Special Rapporteur, Mme Ksentini has since 1989 presided over a study of the connections between human rights and the environment. Mme Ksentini's final report to the Sub-Commission is due in August 1994. The final report will include the Draft Declaration produced at the Geneva Meeting of Experts.

The Draft Declaration is the first international instrument that comprehensively addresses the linkage between human rights and the environment. It demonstrates that accepted environmental and human rights principles embody the right of everyone to a secure, healthy and ecologically sound environment. The Draft Declaration describes the environmental dimension of established human rights, such as the rights to life, health and culture. It also describes the procedural rights, such as the right to participation, necessary for realization of the substantive rights.

The Draft Declaration also describes duties that correspond to the rights--duties that apply to individuals, governments, international organizations and transnational corporations.

 

DRAFT DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES ON

HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Preamble

Guided by the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action of the World Conference of Human Rights, and other relevant international human rights instruments,

Guided also by the Stockholm Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, the World Charter for Nature, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Agenda 21: Programme of Action for Sustainable Development, and other relevant instruments of international environmental law,

Guided also by the Declaration on the Right to Development, which recognizes that the right to development is an essential human right and that the human person is the central subject of development,

Guided further by fundamental principles of international humanitarian law,

Reaffirming the universality, indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights,

Recognizing that sustainable development links the right to development and the right to a secure, healthy and ecologically sound environment,

Recalling the right of peoples to self-determination by virtue of which they have the right freely to determine their political status and to pursue their economic, social and cultural development,

Deeply concerned by the severe human rights consequences of environmental harm caused by poverty, structural adjustment and debt programmes and by international trade and intellectual property regimes,

Convinced that the potential irreversibility of environmental harm gives rise to special responsibility to prevent such harm,

Concerned that human rights violations lead to environmental degradation and that environmental degradation leads to human rights violations,

THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES ARE DECLARED:

Part I

1. Human rights, an ecologically sound environment, sustainable development and peace are interdependent and indivisible.

2. All persons have the right to a secure, healthy and ecologically sound environment. This right and other human rights, including civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights, are universal, interdependent and indivisible.

3. All persons shall be free from any form of discrimination in regard to actions and decisions that affect the environment.

4. All persons have the right to an environment adequate to meet equitably the needs of present generations and that does not impair the rights of future generations to meet equitably their needs.

Part II

5. All persons have the right to freedom from pollution, environmental degradation and activities that adversely affect the environment, threaten life, health, livelihood, well-being or sustainable development within, across or outside national boundaries.

6. All persons have the right to protection and preservation of the air, soil, water, sea-ice, flora and fauna, and the essential processes and areas necessary to maintain biological diversity and ecosystems.

7. All persons have the right to the highest attainable standard of health free from environmental

8. All persons have the right to safe and healthy food and water adequate to their well-being.

9. All persons have the right to a safe and healthy working environment.

10. All persons have the right to adequate housing, land tenure and living conditions in a secure, healthy and ecologically sound environment. 

11 . All persons have the right not to be evicted from their homes or land for the purpose of, or as a consequence of, decisions or actions affecting the environment, except in emergencies or due to a compelling purpose benefiting society as a whole and not attainable by other means. All persons have the right to participate effectively in decisions and to negotiate concerning their eviction and the right, if evicted, to timely and adequate restitution, compensation and/or appropriate and sufficient accommodation or land.

12. All persons have the right to timely assistance in the event of natural or technological or other human-caused catastrophes.

13. Everyone has the right to benefit equitably from the conservation and sustainable use of nature and natural resources for cultural, ecological, educational, health, livelihood, recreational, spiritual or other purposes. This Includes ecologically sound access to nature.

Everyone has the right to preservation of unique sites, consistent with the fundamental rights of persons or groups living in the area.

14. Indigenous peoples have the right to control their lands, territories and natural resources and to maintain their traditional way of life. This includes the right to security in the enjoyment of their means of subsistence.

Indigenous peoples have the right to protection against any action or course of conduct that may result in the destruction or degradation of their territories, including land, air, water, sea-ice, wildlife or other resources.

Part III

15. All persons have the right to information concerning the environment. This includes information, howsoever compiled, on actions and courses of conduct that may affect the environment and information necessary to enable effective public participation in environmental decision-making. The information shall be timely, clear, understandable and available without undue financial burden to the applicant.

16. All persons have the right to hold and express opinions and to disseminate ideas and information regarding the environment.

17. All persons have the right to environmental and human rights education.

18. All persons have the right to active, free, and meaningful participation in planning and decision-making activities and processes that may have an impact on the environment and development. This includes the right to a prior assessment of the environmental, developmental and human rights consequences of proposed actions.

19. All persons have the right to associate freely and peacefully with others for purposes of protecting the environment or the rights of persons affected by environmental harm.

20. All persons have the right to effective remedies and redress in administrative or judicial proceedings for environmental harm or the threat of such harm.

Part IV

21. All persons, individually and in association with others, have a duty to protect and preserve the environment.

22. All States shall respect and ensure the right to a secure, healthy and ecologically sound environment. Accordingly, they shall adopt the administrative, legislative and other measures necessary to effectively implement the rights in this Declaration.

These measures shall aim at the prevention of environmental harm, at the provision of adequate remedies, and at the sustainable use of natural resources and shall include, inter alia,

 

• collection and dissemination of information concerning the environment
• prior assessment and control, licensing, regulation or prohibition of activities and substances potentially harmful to the environment;
• public participation in environmental decision-making;
• effective administrative and judicial remedies and redress for environmental harm and the threat of such harm;
• monitoring, management and equitable sharing of natural resources;
• measures to reduce wasteful processes of production and patterns of consumption;
• measures aimed at ensuring that transnational corporations, wherever they operate, carry out their duties of environmental protection, sustainable development and respect for human rights; and
• measures aimed at ensuring that the international organizations and agencies to which they belong observe the rights and duties in this Declaration.

23. States and all other parties shall avoid using the environment as a means of war or inflicting significant, long-term or widespread harm on the environment, and shall respect international law providing protection for the environment in times of armed conflict and cooperate in its further development.

24. All international organizations and agencies shall observe the rights and duties in this Declaration.

Part V

25. In implementing the rights and duties in this Declaration, special attention shall be given to vulnerable persons and groups.

26. The rights in this Declaration may be subject only to restrictions provided by law and which are necessary to protect public order, health and the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.

27. All persons are entitled to a social and international order in which the rights in this Declaration can be fully realized.

 

An effort is being made to form Religious Organizations and Denominations into a Global Religious Community which fosters mutual Respect and Cooperation.

 

  The United Religions Initiative Charter

http://www.uri.org/abouturi/charter/

 

The United Religions Initiative (URI) is a growing global community dedicated to promoting enduring, daily interfaith cooperation, ending religiously motivated violence and creating cultures of peace, justice and healing for the Earth and all living beings.

Working on all continents and across continents, people from different religions, spiritual expressions and indigenous traditions are creating unprecedented levels of enduring global cooperation. Today, at its birth, people’s hopes are rising with visions of a better world. It is a world where the values and teachings of the great wisdom traditions guide people’s service, where people respect one another’s beliefs, and where the resourcefulness and passion of people working together bring healing and a more hopeful future to the Earth community. The URI, in time, aspires to have the visibility and stature of the United Nations.

Since June 1996 thousands of people have shared their visions and worked together to create the URI. It is an organization for global good rooted in shared spiritual values. People from many different cultures and perspectives have worked to create an organization that is inclusive, non-hierarchical and de-centralized; one that enhances cooperation, autonomy and individual opportunity. This co-creative work offered by people of many cultures has produced a unique organization composed of self- organizing groups which operate locally and are connected globally.

The URI’s Charter has been spoken into being by a myriad of voices from around the world. Its essential spirit, values and vision are expressed in the Preamble, Purpose and Principles. Taken together, they inspire, ground and guide all URI activity. The Charter includes:

Preamble – the call that inspires us to create the URI now and continue to create it everyday;

Purpose – the statement that draws us together in common cause;

Principles – the fundamental beliefs that guide our structure, decisions and content;

Organization design – the way we organize to enhance cooperation and magnify spirit;

Guidelines for Action – an action agenda to inspire and guide our worldwide URI community.

The global URI organization will be born in June 2000. You are warmly invited to participate in the birth and the growth of the URI and become part of this extraordinary force for good in the world. This Charter is your invitation to participate in its on-going creation. Welcome!

THE PREAMBLE, PURPOSE AND PRINCIPLES

Preamble

We, people of diverse religions, spiritual expressions and indigenous traditions throughout the world, hereby establish the United Religions Initiative to promote enduring, daily interfaith cooperation, to end religiously motivated violence and to create cultures of peace, justice and healing for the Earth and all living beings.

We respect the uniqueness of each tradition, and differences of practice or belief.

We value voices that respect others, and believe that sharing our values and wisdom can lead us to act for the good of all.

We believe that our religious, spiritual lives, rather than dividing us, guide us to build community and respect for one another.

Therefore, as interdependent people rooted in our traditions, we now unite for the benefit of our Earth community.

We unite to build cultures of peace and justice.   

We unite to heal and protect the Earth.

We unite to build safe places for conflict resolution, healing and reconciliation.

We unite to support freedom of religion and spiritual expression, and the rights of all individuals and peoples as set forth in international law.

We unite in responsible cooperative action to bring the wisdom and values of our religions, spiritual expressions and indigenous traditions to bear on the economic, environmental, political and social challenges facing our Earth community.

We unite to provide a global opportunity for participation by all people, especially by those whose voices are not often heard.

We unite to celebrate the joy of blessings and the light of wisdom in both movement and stillness.

We unite to use our combined resources only for nonviolent, compassionate action, to awaken to our deepest truths, and to manifest love and justice among all life in our Earth community.

Purpose

The purpose of the United Religions Initiative is to promote enduring, daily interfaith cooperation, to end religiously motivated violence and to create cultures of peace, justice and healing for the Earth and all living beings.

Principles

1. The URI is a bridge-building organization, not a religion.

2. We respect the sacred wisdom of each religion, spiritual expression and indigenous tradition.

3. We respect the differences among religions, spiritual expressions and indigenous traditions.

4. We encourage our members to deepen their roots in their own tradition.

5. We listen and speak with respect to deepen mutual understanding and trust.

6. We give and receive hospitality.

7. We seek and welcome the gift of diversity and model practices that do not discriminate.

8. We practice equitable participation of women and men in all aspects of the URI.

9. We practice healing and reconciliation to resolve conflict without resorting to violence.

10. We act from sound ecological practices to protect and preserve the Earth for both present and future generations.

11. We seek and offer cooperation with other interfaith efforts.

12. We welcome as members all individuals, organizations and associations who subscribe to the Preamble, Purpose and Principles.

13. We have the authority to make decisions at the most local level that includes all the relevant and affected parties.

14. We have the right to organize in any manner, at any scale, in any area, and around any issue or activity which is relevant to and consistent with the Preamble, Purpose and Principles.

15. Our deliberations and decisions shall be made at every level by bodies and methods that fairly represent the diversity of affected interests and are not dominated by any.

16. We (each part of the URI) shall relinquish only such autonomy and resources as are essential to the pursuit of the Preamble, Purpose and Principles.

17. We have the responsibility to develop financial and other resources to meet the needs of our part, and to share financial and other resources to help meet the needs of other parts.

18. We maintain the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct, prudent use of resources, and fair and accurate disclosure of information.

19. We are committed to organizational learning and adaptation.

20. We honor the richness and diversity of all languages and the right and responsibility of participants to translate and interpret the Charter, Articles, Bylaws and related documents in accordance with the Preamble, Purpose and Principles, and the spirit of the United Religions Initiative.

21. Members of the URI shall not be coerced to participate in any ritual or be proselytized.

Organization design

The URI is an organization where people act from their deepest values and claim their right and responsibility to do extraordinary things to serve interfaith cooperation on a local and a global level. The URI is made up of groups of people all over the world who take many different kinds of actions to serve a common purpose.

Individuals, associations or organizations seeking membership in the URI shall create a Cooperation Circle (CC) or join an existing Cooperation Circle. Groups are called Cooperation Circles because they are created by people who come together to initiate acts of interfaith cooperation. Every URI Circle determines its own unique purpose, membership, and ways of making decisions that are relevant and consistent with the Preamble, Purpose and Principles. If a Cooperation Circle chooses to coordinate its efforts with other Cooperation Circles, it may decide to form a Multiple Cooperation Circle (MCC). If two or more Multiple Cooperation Circles wish to coordinate efforts they may form a Multi-Multiple Cooperation Circle (MMCC). See diagram on page 8.

To provide initial stability and interfaith diversity, Cooperation Circles must have at least seven (7) members who represent at least three (3) different religions, spiritual expressions or indigenous traditions.

Rights of Members

Each URI Circle has the right:

·        to organize in any manner and around any issue or activity which is relevant to and consistent with the Preamble, Purpose and Principles;

·        to determine its own process of governance and decision-making that is in accordance with the Preamble, Purpose and Principles;

·        to choose to combine with or join any other URI Circles;

·        to participate in the selection of Trustees to serve on the Global Council;

·        to use the name “United Religions Initiative” and its related names, abbreviations, logos, and images so long as they are used in furtherance of and in accordance with the Preamble, Purpose and Principles of the URI;

·        to review and accept, on behalf of the URI, applications for membership from individuals, organizations and associations seeking to join in pursuit of the Purpose.

Responsibilities of Members

Each URI Circle accepts responsibility:

·        to act in accordance with the Preamble, Purpose and Principles;

·        to determine its own process of governance and decision-making that is in accordance with the Preamble, Purpose and Principles;

·        to take actions to encourage and ensure that its own members act in accordance with the Preamble, Purpose and Principles;

·        to actively use its best efforts to achieve the Purpose in accordance with the Principles;

·        to adhere to the by-laws and operating procedures as they evolve in the life of the URI;

·        to communicate best practices and stories and highlights of activities with other parts of the URI;

·        to develop financial resources to meet its own needs;

·        to share financial and other resources to help meet the needs of other Circles;

·        to pay any dues and/or offer such appropriate contribution as the Global Council may establish;

·        to keep accurate and current records of its members, financial transactions and activities;

·        to indemnify and hold the Trustees, the United Religions Initiative, its employees  and representatives, harmless from any liabilities arising out of or in any way caused by a URI Circle’s breach of any provision of the Articles, by-laws or operating procedures.

Application for Membership

Individuals, associations, and organizations may form their own Cooperation Circle and may apply for membership directly to the Global Council or to an existing MCC or MMCC.

Affiliates

Individuals, associations and organizations who value and support the URI Preamble, Purpose and Principles may become Affiliates. Affiliates desire to be informed of and to participate in the work of the URI but do not desire to have the rights and responsibilities of membership. Affiliates may be asked to pay a fee and/or offer such appropriate contribution as the Global Council may establish in order to participate in URI activities and the communication network. Affiliates may apply to the Global Council or to URI Cooperation Circles.   

The Global Council

The purpose of the Global Council (GC) is to support the Membership in making real the vision and values of the Preamble, Purpose and Principles. The Global Council’s central spirit is not one of control, but rather one of service informed by deep listening to the hopes and aspirations of the whole URI community. The Global Council will inspire and support the URI worldwide community in cooperative global action. It is envisioned that their deliberations will be tempered with tenderness for one another and for the Earth community. It is envisioned that their actions will reflect a yearning to help people of the URI fulfill their aspirations to be a positive force for peace, justice, and healing in the world.

The Global Council is responsible to develop financial and other resources to meet the needs of the URI, Inc. The Global Council will accept eligible applicants for membership to the URI and manage the affairs of the URI, Inc.

Global Council Trustees

The term Trustee signifies that trustees carry the trust for the URI world membership. The Trustees of the URI will be exemplars who manifest the vision and values of the Preamble, Purpose and Principles, and who will model leadership and service by their actions. They will have a deep commitment to serve the whole of the URI community.

Composition of the Global Council

·        A maximum of twenty four (24) trustees elected by the world membership through elections in eight (8) regions.

·        A maximum of twelve (12) trustees selected at-large by the GC to meet the need for greater diversity or a particular expertise.

·        A maximum of three (3) trustees designated from among the members of a Transition Advisory Committee composed of members of the current URI Board of Directors. The Transition Advisory Committee will remain in place until June 2005.

·        One (1) Trustee shall be the Founding Trustee to honor the unique role of the URI founder.

·        One (1) Trustee shall be the Executive Trustee to ensure that the URI staff is represented.

Selection Process for Trustees

To ensure that there are people from diverse geographic perspectives on the Global Council, 24 seats will be filled through an election process. URI Circles within a geographic region can select up to three (3) trustees from among the eight (8) regions listed below. The regions are: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, North America, and the Pacific. The eighth (8) region is a non-geographic region that includes URI Circles that are multi-regional in composition.

To ensure optimum diversity and to meet the need for particular expertise at the GC, twelve (12) seats will be filled by appointment by the GC.

Trustees are chosen every two years to serve on the GC.

Models of reflection, meditation and prayer which deepen understanding of the qualities of leadership which embody service and spiritual wisdom are encouraged as part of every governance selection process.

Global Assembly

A Global Assembly of all the Members of the URI is planned to take place every two years at a place designated by the Global Council. The Global Assembly will be a vibrant gathering where people deepen their experience of living into the Preamble, Purpose, and Principles as a global community. The Global Assembly will magnify everyone’s capacity to carry forward their dreams and initiatives, address visions of collective actions for service in the world, and give voice to collective hopes and aspirations. The Global Assembly will align strengths and call forth unprecedented cooperation. The Global Assembly will celebrate the totality of the URI and offer opportunities to give and receive hospitality, to share work, and to offer help to each other.

GUIDELINES FOR ACTION

In light of the essentially self-organizing nature of the URI which gives members freedom to choose what they want to do, the following Agenda for Action is offered as guidance for URI activities. Inspired by a Javanese phrase, Memayu Hayuning Bawano, which when translated means "to work for the safety, happiness and welfare of all life," the URI seeks to serve as a moral voice and a source of action grounded in contemplation in each of the following areas:

Sharing the Wisdom and Cultures of Faith Traditions – actions to promote dialogue, education and kinship among the diverse religions and spiritual traditions of the world.

Nurturing Cultures of Healing and Peace – actions to develop cultures in which all people can live without fear of violence.

Rights and Responsibilities – actions to uphold human rights.

Ecological Imperatives – actions to uphold the welfare and healing of the entire Earth community.

Sustainable Just Economics – actions to bring a spiritual perspective to the tremendous gap between rich and poor.

Supporting the Overall URI – local, regional and global actions to support all URI activities.

These ideas and suggestions are Respectfully offered in the hope that you Kings, Queens, Heads of State, Presidents, and Leaders of the World will use the great power that has been placed in your hands to make immediate changes for the Good of your People and for Future Generations.

Please contact me if I may be of help in any way.  My usual office hours are Tuesday – Thursday, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, California Time.  My Toll Free Number is: 1-866-795-5062.   E-Mail: chancellor1@education-1.net