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 "The
world of tomorrow is not foreordained
to be either good or bad...rather it will
be what we make it. In these 77 theses
I have tried to present the essentials
ideas needed to achieve a historic global
change - from mindless exploitation, with
increasing danger of worldwide catastrophe,
to the peaceful nurture of our home, Planet
Earth" -- John McConnell
John
McConnell, the founder of the original
Earth Day, created many significant projects
and campaigns for a more peaceful, just
and sustainable world including a 1957
Star of Hope proposal, calling
for peaceful international cooperation
for space exploration; Meals For Millions
to feed refugees in 1962, and the Minute
For Peace campaign to bring the world
together in a moment of silence for peace
in 1963. He wrote several blueprints for
a better world, including an original
Earth Charter document in 1979,
and a comprehensive plan for a better
world entitled, 77 Theses On the Care
of the Earth: A Guide for Earth Trustees
- Principles and Policies that will foster
the peaceful nurture and care of the planet
Earth in 1985.
John
McConnell established the first Earth
Day celebration in 1970 and he and Margaret
Mead formed the Earth Society Foundation
to promote Earth Day and the idea that
ordinary citizens can become Earth Trustees
to care for the planet. The popular Earth
Flag that has come to symbolize the environmental
movement was also designed by John McConnell
in 1968. In
1995, he drafted the Earth Magna Charta,
which incorporated the goals and policies
of his earlier documents and programs
to create a more hopeful future for us
all. "Let every
individual and institution now think and
act as a responsible trustee of Earth,
seeking choices in ecology, economics
and ethics that will provide a sustainable
future, eliminate pollution, poverty and
violence, awaken the wonder of life and
foster peaceful progress in the human
adventure." A true visionary,
McConnell continued to tirelessly spread
his ideas for a better world throughout
his 97 years.
EarthSite.org
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