Earth Day - Furthering Peace, Justice and the Care of our Planet
by Donna Thomson
The Beginning
The founder of Earth Day, John McConnell, was born in 1915 and has been actively involved in projects promoting harmony and oneness throughout the world since the 1930s. At the1969 National UNESCO Conference, Mr. McConnell proposed an Earth Day - "to celebrate Earth's life and beauty and to alert earthlings to the need for preserving and renewing the threatened ecological balances upon which all life on Earth depends." The value of such a day promoting a common day of awareness and action around the world was agreed to and so the first Earth Day was held on March 21, 1970.
A Special Time of Year
The March (or Vernal) Equinox was chosen for Earth Day. This is the one special day internationally where the sun crosses the equator, resulting in 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night, worldwide. It symbolises the balance of nature and the equilibrium sought on Earth, as well as the theme of new beginnings that the first day of Spring brings.
"The vernal equinox calls on all mankind to recognize and respect Earth's beautiful systems of balance, between the presence of animals on land, the fish in the sea, birds in the air, mankind, water, air, and land. Most importantly there must always be awareness of the actions by people that can disturb this precious balance." - Margaret Mead
In 2007, Earth Day will officially be celebrated on March 20 at 8:07 PM EDT (Eastern Daylight Time) or 12:07 UTC March 21 (Greenwich, England), so that all people can focus on the love for their planet in unity.
The Peace Bell
The official recognition of Earth Day a ceremony at the United Nations, where the Peace Bell is rung at the moment Spring begins. This is followed by silent prayer/contemplation - a time for heartfelt commitment to think and act as Earth Trustees. Leaders from around the world have come together at this time to participate in this ceremony, while other locations around the world join in with the ringing of bells locally.
The Peace Bell was a gift from Japan, made from coins given by school children to further peace on our planet. It is housed in a wooden frame and the solid base was contributed by Israel. The bell has the inscription in Japanese: "Long Live Absolute World Peace."
Becoming a Trustee of the Earth
We all need to consider ourselves Earth Trustees, as individuals, institutions and community groups. As the Earth Magna Charta (www.earthsite.org) states:
"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."
Taking an Earth Trustee view means looking at your daily choices at home, in the garden, at work, when travelling, while shopping, and in the other activities you participate in, to reflect the values promotes by Earth Day.
Could you recycle more, start composting, choose more environmentally-friendly travel alternatives, plant more trees, or even create more awareness or take action in your local community or worldwide via your own website, and so on? It is a peaceful message to spread - one of unity, thoughtfulness and compassion for the Earth and all she provides us with.
People and institutions are encouraged to implement the Earth Trustee Agenda and ideas from the Earth Magna Charta in their own way to help people and the planet. The Charta can be read at www.earthsite.org.
The Next Generation
Perhaps one of the best gifts you can give the planet and the future of its people, is the education of the children who follow our path. By adopting the Earth Trustee principles, we can teach our children to become responsible stewards of the Earth. We can inspire the children to promote the growth of trees, flowers, food crops, as well as being on the lookout for causes of pollution. Fred Burrous (from the Red Cross) initiated a Young Earth Trustee program, where he told children, "Do something: pick up trash, recycle, plant flowers, smile, and you will qualify as a Young Earth Trustee."
Peaceful Willow, as a community organisation, values the message that Earth Day promotes as it matches our own goals perfectly - that of oneness, community aid, and a sustainable and peaceful planet. Together, let's see ourselves as Earth Trustees and take care of our home while we can.