We are a growing number of people who want our voices heard in local and global decision-making. We represent individuals, community groups, and non-governmental organizations (NGO) of the United Nations toward empowering all people to participate in our planet's sustainable future.
We believe in humanity and the future. We help organize and network small discussion groups which are held in communities all over the world. These groups come together to discuss issues of importance to them, and each is called a "Local People's Assembly (LPA)". Generally the discussions address global issues with actions taken at the local level. Overall themes of the dialogues are based on the values and principles of the Earth Charter, which are: Respect and Care for the Community of Life; Ecological Integrity; Economic and Social Justice; and Democracy, Non-Violence and Peace (http://www.earthcharter.org).
Local People's Assemblies come together for a variety of reasons. For example, one group began when people living on the same floor of a high rise in a major city meet to discuss what to do in case of an earthquake. The became friends, shared food and thoughts, and deepened their trust for one another. Over time this group met monthly and decided to contact others in their building and throughout their neighborhood. They created flyers about emergency evacuation, shared information about what supplies would be useful, spoke at schools about what to do when, and produced a theatre dramatization to inspire others (these folks were particularly artistic!). They contacted social service organizations and local government workers and created a network that eventually benefitted thousands of families.
Another group got started when they needed to build a community well to provide potable drinking water. Other groups formed in tree planting to prevent deforestation. Elsewhere, a small group of women got together to discuss cooking, and eventually created a community food bank and provided hot meals for the hungry.
Each of these groups uses the principles of the Earth Charter. Each group works with other organizations for positive community action. And each group addresses global issues at the local level.
Local People's Assemblies are members of the Global People's Assembly, which was born in Samoa in 2000 when international representatives met and made the commitment to work together for the well-being of our precious planet. We continue to meet annually at the UN during the Department of Public Information (DPI) meetings every September.
In 2008 the UN DPI meeting will be held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris while the UN World Headquarters building in New York undergoes renovations.
The United Nations will be a powerful entity that goes beyond the nation-state boundaries when it represents the voices of the people. The United Nations is made up of nation-states, but most decisions affects life beyond national borders. We live in an interdependent world, and it is up to the empowered people to use our voices in global decision making. We must speak up in support of wise decisions that support a sustainable future. We must speak out against injustice. We must be sure our voices are heard so global decision makers will support humanity and a sustainable future and not the greed of a few.
Our world is facing critical issues - global warming, wars, extreme poverty, depletion of our natural resources - more than any one person can face! Yet people throughout the world are joining together to work for the betterment of humanity. From the grassroots, war torn villages, the halls of higher learning, and large-minded corporations, individuals are coming together to create positive change toward a sustainable way of living.
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Thank you for all your work for a sustainable, peaceful planet!!
Susan J. Zipp, Editor
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