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== * '''Preamble''' == |
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We, the peoples of Earth: |
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gratefully acknowledging that Mother Earth gives us life, nourishes and teaches us ,, |
and provides us with all that we need to live well; |
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recognizing that Mother Earth is an indivisible community of diverse and ,, |
interdependent beings with whom we share a common destiny and to whom we ,, |
must relate in ways that benefit Mother Earth; |
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acknowledging that by attempting to dominate and exploit Mother Earth and other ,, |
beings, humans have caused severe destruction, degradation and disruption of the ,, |
life-sustaining communities, processes and balances of Mother Earth which now ,, |
threatens the wellbeing and existence of many beings; |
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conscious that this destruction is also harmful to our inner wellbeing and is offensive ,, |
to the many faiths, wisdom traditions and indigenous cultures for whom Mother ,, |
Earth is sacred; |
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acutely conscious of the critical importance and urgency of taking decisive, collective ,, |
action to prevent humans causing climate change and other impacts on Mother ,, |
Earth that threaten the wellbeing and survival of humans and other beings; |
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accepting our responsibility to one another, future generations and Mother Earth to ,, |
heal the damage caused by humans and to pass on to future generations values, ,, |
traditions, and institutions that support the flourishing of Mother Earth; |
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convinced that in order for communities of humans and other beings to flourish we ,, |
must establish systems for governing human behavior that recognize the inalienable ,, |
rights of Mother Earth and of all beings that are part of her; |
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convinced that the fundamental freedoms and rights of Mother Earth and of all ,, |
beings should be protected by the rule of law, and that the corresponding duties of ,, |
human beings to respect and defend these rights and freedoms should be enforced ,, |
by law; |
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proclaim this Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth to complement the ,, |
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to serve as a common standard by which ,, |
the conduct of all human beings, organizations, and cultures can be guided and ,, |
assessed; and |
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pledge ourselves to cooperate with other human communities, public and private ,, |
organizations, governments, and the United Nations, to secure the universal and ,, |
effective recognition and observance of the fundamental freedoms, rights and duties ,, |
enshrined in this Declaration, among all the peoples, cultures and states of Earth. |
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== * '''Article 1. Fundamental rights, freedoms and duties''' == |
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(1) Mother Earth is an indivisible, self-regulating community of interrelated beings each ,, |
of whom is defined by its relationships within this community and with the Universe ,, |
as a whole. Fundamental aspects of these relationships are expressed in this ,, |
Declaration as inalienable rights, freedoms and duties. |
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(2) These fundamental rights, freedoms and duties arise from the same source as ,, |
existence and are inherent to all beings, consequently they are inalienable, cannot ,, |
be abolished by law, and are not affected by the political, jurisdictional or ,, |
international status of the country or territory within which a being exists. |
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(3) All beings are entitled to all the fundamental rights and freedoms recognized in this ,, |
Declaration without distinction of any kind, such as may be made between organic, ,, |
living beings and inorganic, non-living beings, or on the basis of sentience, kind, ,, |
species, use to humans, or other status. |
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(4) Just as human beings have human rights, other beings may also have additional ,, |
rights, freedoms and duties that are specific to their species or kind and appropriate ,, |
for their role and function within the communities within which they exist. |
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(5) The rights of each being are limited by the rights of other beings to the extent ,, |
necessary to maintain the integrity, balance and health of the communities within ,, |
which it exists. |
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== * '''Article 2. Fundamental rights of Mother Earth''' == |
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Mother Earth has the right to exist, to persist and to continue the vital cycles, ,, |
structures, functions and processes that sustain all beings. |
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== * '''Article 3. Fundamental rights and freedoms of all beings''' == |
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Every being has: |
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(a) the right to exist; |
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(b) the right to habitat or a place to be; |
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(c) the right to participate in accordance with its nature in the ever-renewing ,, |
processes of Mother Earth; |
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(d) the right to maintain its identity and integrity as a distinct, self-regulating being; |
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(e) the right to be free from pollution, genetic contamination and human ,, |
modifications of its structure or functioning that threaten its integrity or healthy ,, |
functioning; and |
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(f) the freedom to relate to other beings and to participate in communities of beings ,, |
in accordance with its nature. |
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== * '''Article 4. Freedom of animals from torture and cruelty''' == |
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Every animal has the right to live free from torture, cruel treatment or punishment by ,, |
human beings. |
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== * '''Article 5. Freedom of animals from confinement and removal from habitat''' == |
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(1) No human being has the right to confine another animal or to remove it from its ,, |
habitat unless doing so is justifiable with reference to the respective rights, duties ,, |
and freedoms of both the human and other animal concerned. |
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(2) Any human being that confines or keeps another animal must ensure that it is free ,, |
to express normal patterns of behavior, has adequate nourishment and is protected ,, |
from injury, disease, suffering and unreasonable fear, pain, distress or discomfort. |
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== * '''Article 6. Fundamental duties of human beings''' == |
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Human beings have a special responsibility to avoid acting in violation of this ,, |
Declaration and must urgently establish values, cultures, and legal, political, economic ,, |
and social systems consistent with this Declaration that: |
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(a) promote the full recognition, application and enforcement of the freedoms, rights ,, |
and duties set out in this Declaration; |
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(b) ensure that the pursuit of human wellbeing contributes to the wellbeing of ,, |
Mother Earth, now and in the future; |
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(c) prevent humans from causing harmful disruptions of vital ecological cycles, ,, |
processes and balances, and from compromising the genetic viability and ,, |
continued survival of other species; |
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(d) ensure that the damage caused by human violations of the freedoms, rights and ,, |
duties in this Declaration is rectified where possible and that those responsible ,, |
are held accountable for restoring the integrity and healthy functioning of ,, |
affected communities; and |
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(e) enable people to defend the rights of Mother Earth and of all beings. |
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== * '''Article 7. Protection of the law''' == |
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Every being has – |
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(a) the right to be recognised everywhere as a subject before the law; |
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(b) the right to the protection of the law and to an effective remedy in respect of ,, |
human violations or attacks on the rights and freedoms recognized in this ,, |
Declaration; |
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(c) the right to equal protection of the law; and |
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(d) the right to equal protection against any discrimination by humans in violation of ,, |
this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination. |
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== * '''Article 8. Human education''' == |
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(1) Every human being has the right to be educated about Mother Earth and how to live ,, |
in accordance with this Declaration. |
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(2) Human education must develop the full potential of human beings in a way that ,, |
promotes a love of Mother Earth, compassion, understanding, tolerance and ,, |
affection among all humans and between humans and other beings, and the ,, |
observance of the fundamental freedoms, rights and duties in this Declaration. |
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== * '''Article 9. Interpretation''' == |
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(1) The term “being” refers to natural beings which exist as part of Mother Earth and ,, |
includes a community of other beings and all human beings regardless of whether or ,, |
not they act as a corporate body, state or other legal person. |
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(2) Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or ,, |
person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the ,, |
destruction of any of the rights and freedoms in it. |
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(3) Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as restricting the recognition of other ,, |
fundamental rights, freedoms or duties of all or specified beings. |
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World People's Summit on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth: |
== * '''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJAq4jurD_c Cormac Cullinan Speech]''' == |
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Democracy Now! April 22, 2010: |
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