Declaration
of the
Sacred Earth Gathering
The
planet earth is in peril as never before. With
arrogance and presumption, humankind has
disobeyed the laws of the Creator which are
manifest in the divine natural order.
The
crisis is global. It transcends all national,
religious, cultural, social, political, and
economic boundaries. The ecological crisis is a
symptom of the spiritual crisis of the human
being, arising from ignorance [greed, lack of
caring, and human weakness]. Brackets
indicate that consensus was not reached on this
wording.
The
responsibility of each human being today is to
choose between the forces of darkness and the
force of light. We must therefore transform our
attitudes and values, and adopt a renewed
respect for the superior law of Divine Nature. Alternative
reading: "the superior law of the Divine
manifest in nature and the created order."
Nature
does not depend on human beings and their
technology. It is human beings who depend on
nature for survival. Individuals and governments
need to evolve "Earth Ethics" with a
deeply spiritual orientation or the earth will
be cleansed [of all destructive forces].
We
believe that the universe is sacred because all
is one. We believe in the sanctity and the
integrity of all life and lifeforms. We affirm
the principles of peace and nonviolence in
governing human behavior towards one another and
all life.
We
view ecological disruption as violent
intervention into the web of life. Genetic
engineering threatens the very fabric of life.
We urge governments, scientists, and industry to
refrain from rushing blindly into genetic
manipulation.
We
call upon all political leaders to keep a
spiritual perspective when making decisions. All
leaders must recognize the consequences of their
actions for the coming generations.
We
call upon our educators to motivate the people
towards harmony with nature and peaceful
coexistence with all living beings. Our youth
and children must be prepared to assume their
responsibilities as citizens of tomorrow's
world.
We
call upon our brothers and sisters around the
world to recognize and curtail the impulses of
greed, consumerism, and disregard of natural
laws. Our survival depends on developing the
virtues of simple living and sufficiency, love
and compassion with wisdom.
We
stress the importance of respecting all
spiritual and cultural traditions. We stand for
preservation of the habitats and lifestyle of
indigenous people and urge restraint from
disrupting their communion with nature.
The
World Community must act speedily with vision
and resolution to preserve the earth, nature,
and humanity from disaster. The time to act is
now. Now or never.
NOTE:
The Declaration above was created for and
supported by the many indigenous, religious,
political, and NGO leaders who participated in
the Sacred Earth Gathering for two days
preceding the Earth Summit (UNCED) in 1992. They
had come to Rio from throughout the world to be
a witness for spiritual perspectives on
ecological issues and decision making midst the
highly politicized atmosphere of this United
Nations summit conference. The presence and
contribution of the indigenous leaders at the
Summit was strongly supported by Maurice Strong,
Secretary-General of the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development, who
noted in his opening remarks, June 3, 1992, that:
We
are reminded by the Declaration of the Sacred
Earth Gathering, which met here last weekend,
that the changes in behavior and direction
called for here must be rooted in our deepest
spiritual, moral, and ethical values. We must
reinstate in our lives the ethic of love and
respect for the Earth, which traditional
peoples have retained as central to their
value systems. This must be accompanied by a
revitalization of the values common to all of
our principal religious and philosophical
traditions. Caring, sharing, cooperation with
and love of each other must no longer be seen
as pious ideals, divorced from reality, but
rather as the indispensable basis for the new
realities on which our survival and well-being
must be premised.
This article was excerpted from the book:
Sourcebook
of the World's Religions
edited
by Joel Beversluis.
Reprinted with permission of the publisher New
World Library, Novato, California, USA 94949. ©2000. www.newworldlibrary.com.
Info/Order
this book.
About the Authors
The Declaration was created
for and supported by the many indigenous, religious, political, and NGO
leaders who participated in the Sacred Earth Gathering for two days
preceding the Earth Summit (UNCED) in 1992. The Gathering was
cosponsored by the Manitou Foundation in cooperation with the
Organization for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement, a
Japanese-based NGO. The Gathering was followed by the Wisdom Keepers
Convocation, which met from June 1-14 at a secluded location near Rio. A
sacred fire, drumbeat, and prayers from many indigenous and religious
traditions continued twenty-four hours a day for the duration of the
Summit, seeking to bring enlightenment to its meetings and decisions.
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