Earth Charter Initiative Handbook

1. Climate Change Project—to promote use of the Earth Charter’s ethical framework in the internationalclimate change negotiations on a post-Kyoto Agreement.2. Endorsement by UN Agencies—to seek recognition and use of the Earth Charter by UNESCO, UNEP,UNDP, and the UN regional economic commissions.3. UDHR Project—to further collaboration between the Earth Charter Initiative and the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights.YouthThe Earth Charter Youth Initiative (ECYI) is a bold and dynamic action-oriented youth network thatpromotes the principles of the Earth Charter. The ECYI is active in over 70 countries and continues togrow rapidly, with more than 40 Earth Charter Youth Groups (ECYGs) around the world. ECYGs organizelocal sustainability and peace building projects that are inspired and guided by the Earth Charter. Diverseindividual members seek to embody the Earth Charter’s principles in their daily lives, share the Charter withothers, and participate in local action projects, as well as global decision-making processes.A Youth Task Force (YTF) has been established, led by the elected 12-person Youth Leadership Team,the two Youth Representatives on the Earth Charter International Council, and the International YouthCoordinator. The goal of the YTF is to inspire, engage and empower young people to live, love, and takeaction based on the values and principles embedded in the Earth Charter.The Youth Task Force embraces the Vision for the Earth Charter Initiative as set forth by the InternationalCouncil and aspires to achieve its special Mission to: “Inspire hope within and through the global ECYInetwork that positive change is possible. Support youth in embodying, promoting, and applying theprinciples of the Earth Charter in an effort to bring about a just, sustainable, and peaceful world.”The YLT strategy is to model and then support the decentralized creation of engaged Action Teams thatimplement Earth Charter-inspired projects in all sectors at the regional and global levels. The current YLT(2007-2009), has established thematic Action Teams and projects in:• Education• Media• The United NationsFollowing their lead, others can start Action Teams in Business and Religion, for example. Furthermore,two internal Action Teams have been formed:• Communications and Networking• Resource Mobilization and PartnershipsFinally, in order to promote expansion of the ECYI network, five regional Action Teams have been formed:• Africa and the Middle East• Asia and the PacificEarth Charter InitiativeHANDBOOK |27|