Here you'll find a sampling of video related to the Earth Charter, including Parliament panels and talks and interviews with Mary Evelyn Tucker.
For more video related to the Earth Charter, see our full Earth Charter YouTube playlist or go to the Earth Charter International YouTube channel.
In this webinar, we aim to clarify the link between ecological civilizations and education. To do so, this panel will address the following questions: What does the term Ecological Civilization mean? How do you imagine the kind of education that fosters ecological civilizations? What are some specific examples of what is currently being done, or what could be done, towards this vision in the context of education?
Earth Charter International hosted a webinar on “East and West Dialogue on Ecological Civilization” on February 6. The event featured Mary Evelyn Tucker, Jinfeng Zhou, Zhihe Wang, and Julia Kim. Amanda Bennett and Sifan Jiang moderated. In this webinar we continued the conversation tackling the following questions: What does an Ecological Civilization look like? What are some good examples paving the way towards this vision and how can we scale up these efforts? What are some additional paths and driving forces to building these just, sustainable and peaceful societies?
This Webinar session organized to remember the launch of the Earth Charter on 29 June 2000 and its purpose, had the intention to address the following questions: What do we mean by ecological civilizations? 2. What are some of the good practices in the effort of using and implementing the Earth Charter or implementing the SDGs? Particularly, what are some examples of emerging efforts towards planetary well-being and of building ecological civilizations? 3. What are the relationships between the SDGs and the Earth Charter? 4. What are the necessary actions we need to take to significantly accelerate our response to address the pressing challenges and build ecological civilizations? How can the Earth Charter be used in the context of a possible planetary system collapse and the possibilities to a great transition towards an ecological civilization? Moderated by Joan Anderson, International Office of Public Information, Soka Gakkai. Speakers: Kazuo Takahasi (Japan); Evon Ganeson (Malaysia); Olivia Tyler (Australia); Mirian Vilela (Brazil/Costa Rica) - Executive Director, Earth Charter International; Song Li (PRChina) - Member ECI Council; Michael Bracken (USA- Member ECI Council).
Moderated by Akpezi Ogbuigwe (Nigeria) is a respected and high-profile expert in transformational change in higher education in Africa, environmental law, environmental education, and climate change education. She leads the Star Advantage Network. Her International Career saw her in various leadership positions with the United Nations where she was among other things head of the Environment Education Programme of UNEP for a number of years. She is a Board Member of the Earth Charter International. Speakers: Jeremy Lent (UK/USA) is an author and speaker. His latest book,” The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find Our Place in the Universe”, offers a solid foundation for an integrative worldview that could lead humanity to a sustainable, flourishing future. Laura Restrepo (Colombia) is Coordinator of special projects in Climate Reality Latin America, co-founder and co-facilitator of the Colombian National Platform for Children and Youth. She is an Earth Charter Young Leader. Ricardo Young (Brazil) is a businessperson and entrepreneur, chair of Ethos Institute for Business and Social Responsibility (a major association of companies in Brazil committed to sustainability) and former president of the Brazilian Association of Franchising. He is a member of the ECI Council.
The session addressed the following questions among others: - What is the uniqueness of Earth, our Home and shared planet? - What needs to take place in the realm of education to better respond to the challenges and needs of the current time? - What are some of the efforts to reorient education towards a more ecologically literate civilization? - What is the role of values and ethics in education to help us face our current challenges? Speakers: 1. Victoria Ibiwoye (Nigeria): Founder, OneAfricanChild Foundation, and who as part of the launch of the UNESCO SDG4Youth network. 2. Bernard Combes (France): Programme Specialist, Education for Sustainable Development, Education Sector, Unesco 3. Sam Crowell (USA): Member of ECI Council and faculty, the ECI Center for Education for Sustainable Development and co-author of “Emergent Teaching: A Path of Creativity, Significance; Transformation.” 4. Leonardo Boff (Brazil): Theologian, philosopher writer, member of the Earth Charter Commission and author of over 70 books including “Essential Care an Ethics of Human Nature” and “Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor.” Moderated by: Mirian Vilela, ECI Executive Director
Grian Cutanda of the Avalon Project; Tonia Moya of Green Cross Sweden; Alide Roerink of Worldconnectors. Topics include: climate change and the mass extinction of species; eco-anxiety; youth movements; and mitigation through personal commitment to action.
With: Satish Kumar, Indian British activist and speaker, co-author, Transformative Learning: Reflections on 30 Years of Head, Heart, and Hands at Schumacher College and Lynne Twist, co-founder of the Pachamama Alliance and founder of The Soul of Money Institute, USA. Moderated by: Mirian Vilela, Earth Charter International Executive Director.
Dr. Tucker recalls the extraordinary time when the Earth Charter was drafted and how exciting it was when the Earth Charter principles and the specifics of world religions were synergizing. She observes that the consultation and drafting process identified some of the common values across cultures and religions, despite the differences, including different cultural expressions of ethics. For her, the Earth Charter document represents one of the most integrated visions for the way forward, breaking disciplinary silos and bringing together the dimensions of cosmology, ecology, justice, democracy, and peace. Dr. Tucker reflects on the notion of the “Earth Community,” and she cites present-day examples to demonstrate how “interdependence” leads to “responsibility.” Reflecting on Pope Francis’ two latest encyclicals, as clear and wonderful contributions to our current times, Dr. Tucker concludes that they can be seen as continuity with and further development of the Earth Charter.
Listen to the podcast here.
Dr. Tucker recalls the extraordinary time when the Earth Charter was drafted and how exciting it was when the Earth Charter principles and the specifics of world religions were synergizing. She observes that the consultation and drafting process identified some of the common values across cultures and religions, despite the differences, including different cultural expressions of ethics. For her, the Earth Charter document represents one of the most integrated visions for the way forward, breaking disciplinary silos and bringing together the dimensions of cosmology, ecology, justice, democracy, and peace. Dr. Tucker reflects on the notion of the “Earth Community,” and she cites present-day examples to demonstrate how “interdependence” leads to “responsibility.” Reflecting on Pope Francis’ two latest encyclicals, as clear and wonderful contributions to our current times, Dr. Tucker concludes that they can be seen as continuity with and further development of the Earth Charter.
On 22 October 2020 a conversation between David Orr, Sam Crowell and Mirian Vilela took place. Some of the questions addressed were: 1. What is the purpose of education to the current times? 2. Can education be envisioned as a driver for a more caring, just and sustainable world? 3. How would you envision the futures of education? What is the kind of education that is needed “as if the Planet matters”? 4. What will be the inevitable major changes in education practice in the next 10 to 20 years?
Speakers: Mary Evelyn Tucker, Meijun Fan, and Karenna Gore; Moderator: Andrew Schwartz. This Webinar was organized as a collaborative effort between the Earth Charter International, University for Peace, Pace Center for Green Sci-Teck and Development, the Institute of Ecological Civilization, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), and the Center for Process Studies.
Speakers: Mary Evelyn Tucker, Meijun Fan, and Karenna Gore; Moderator: Andrew Schwartz. This Webinar was organized as a collaborative effort between the Earth Charter International, University for Peace, Pace Center for Green Sci-Teck and Development, the Institute of Ecological Civilization, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), and the Center for Process Studies.
Dr. Kusumita Pedersen, Professor Emerita of Philosophy and Religious Studies at St. Francis College, follows Mary Evelyn Tucker's talk at the 2015 Parliament of the World's Religions in a panel presentation on the Earth Charter. She sets the Earth Charter within the larger context of a search for global ethics, tracing its connections to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1993 Declaration Towards a Global Ethic. Pedersen additionally defines “worldview” and “moral exclusion” as they are relevant to the Earth Charter.
Richard Clugston, former coordinator of the Sustainability and Global Affairs program at the Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminary, concludes the panel “The Earth Charter and the New UN Development Agenda.” He provides an overview of the evolution of UN negotations that led to the Sustainable Development Goals and uses the Earth Charter as an assessment framework to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the Sustainable Development Goals. Throughout the talk, Clugston emphasizes the need to rethink economic systems within a context of flourishing ecological systems.
(See talk by Mary Evelyn Tucker for panel description)
(See talk by Mary Evelyn Tucker for panel description)
Mary Evelyn Tucker presents the Earth Charter, a civil society document that integrate ecology, justice, and peace and represents a global movement from independence to interdependence. After a brief history of the Earth Charter, Tucker discusses her participation in drafting the Preamble and the need for humans to think in deep time.
An interview conducted by Douglas Williamson of Earth Charter International on March 11, 2013 with Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim during their visit to the Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development in Costa Rica. The interview ranges on subject but is concerned with religions, the Earth Charter, cosmology, care, and universal citizenship. Also watch short clips of this interview.
Mary Evelyn Tucker gives an address on Threads of Sustainability at Gandhi Ashram. She draws out three points from the Earth Charter: reverence, gratitude, and humility. Tucker emphasizes how our journey requires a natural knowing and references the migrating red knot sandpipers as an example of how nature will guide us towards wisdom.
Prof. Mary Evelyn Tucker, Founder of the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale, opens a panel on the Earth Charter at the Parliament of the World's Religions 2009 in Melbourne and gives an introduction to the main themes of this international declaration.
Prof. Mary Evelyn Tucker, Founder of the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale, opens a panel on the Earth Charter at the Parliament of the World's Religions 2009 in Melbourne and gives an introduction to the main themes of this international declaration.
Mary Evelyn Tucker discusses the teachings of Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. and their relation to the Earth Charter. Tucker highlights the idea that humanity is capable of embracing long-term, radical change and suggests that humans are at a critical point in their history, one in which the recognition of humanity as being part of a living and unique Earth community is vital. Tucker continues to discuss the Earth Charter, its relation to Satyagraha, and the incorporation of principles of nonviolence, democracy, and peace in its body.
