Stop Agenda 21. Action Kit Workbook #2. Produced by the American Policy Center. americanpolicy.org/kit

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1 Stop Agenda 21 Action Kit Workbook #2 Produced by the American Policy Center americanpolicy.org/kit

2 Designed and produced by: The American Policy Center Graphics by Commissioner Richard Rothschild Copyright 2013 by the American Policy Center For more copies of this workbook please visit: 1

3 Introduction to Workbook #2 The battle to stop Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development is raging across the nation. Local residents and national organizations have taken up the battle cry to expose and defeat the most insidious assault on American freedoms ever devised. It is done in secret, behind closed doors, using a language specifically designed to hide the true intent. But Americans are starting to figure it out and take action. As a result, in the past two years those opposing what looked like a done deal are having incredible success in exposing, and in cases, stopping the policy. These are baby steps, to say the least, but steps forward none the less, especially considering the rich, powerful forces who are working to force Sustainable Development in every level of government and in every community in the nation. In 2011, to help activists and local citizens fight back, the American Policy Center created the Stop Agenda 21 Action Kit. It contains everything we could possibly think of to educate and to supply desperately needed tools to help elevate the fight. Hundreds have purchased the kits and have shared the information with thousands more. But the battle is progressing and changing rapidly as proponents of Agenda 21, like ICLEI and The American Planning Association (APA), organize boot camps to train their planners and allies in the local governments on how to counter our efforts against them. They changed their planning language after we told citizens which words and labels to watch for; they changed the names of programs as we expose them; and they changed tactics. Above all, they ve worked over time to attack us as fringe radicals and conspiracy theorists, simply because we ve quoted the very programs they have written. So, it is necessary to keep up with this changing battle. And it is vital to change our own tactics and perhaps counter theirs. In an effort to keep the Action Kit up to date and vital for the fight, this new Stop Agenda 21 Work Book #2, contains new information, new tactics for fighting back, and new documents uncovered to help you draw a straight line from the UN s Agenda 21 right down to your local government. The path is obvious. The danger is clear. 2

4 Connecting the Dots From the United Nations to your state government Proponents of Sustainable Development constantly tell us that their plans are just local. And they deride those who accuse them of imposing an international agenda. Kooks. Fringe Fanatics. Conspiracy Theorists. These are just some of the labels they pin on those fighting to expose Agenda 21. Moreover, they sarcastically ask, how can an obscure twenty year old document be a threat to local policy? Tsk Tsk. Well, let s take just one example and follow it through the process. Let s get acquainted with the Earth Charter. If Agenda 21 is the blue print the Earth Charter is the manifesto. The Earth Charter is an international declaration, which calls for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society for the 21st century. It is a soft law document as opposed to a treaty (just like Agenda 21), backed by the United Nations. It has been launched onto the world stage through a UN operation called the Earth Charter Initiative, as the UN is quietly building up a grass-roots movement made up of organizations and individuals to bring its ideas and principles into national government and local communities. This is being carried out through various Task Force groups, volunteer networks of supporters who are working to implement the charter into different areas of life including business, education and religion. The Fundamental Message of the Earth Charter The Earth Charter is around 2400 words long and contains sixteen principles. The preamble states that the world is becoming increasingly interdependent and fragile and calls for a sustainable global society. It states that the dominant patterns of production and consumption are causing environmental devastation and warns about overpopulation, the widening gap between rich and poor, the extinction of species and depletion of the world s resources. It goes on to call for the emergence of a global civil society and states that our environmental, economic, political, social, and spiritual challenges are interconnected. The underlying philosophy of the Charter is a pagan one, whereby Mother Earth and nature are to be worshiped, and as such it opposes the Judeo-Christian belief that God is separate from his creation and man has dominion over the Earth. 3

5 This is the exact philosophy behind the purpose of Agenda 21, and in fact, the documents go hand in hand, much like the American Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution are inseparable as our nation s founding documents. One, the Declaration, provides the philosophy behind the nation, the other, the Constitution, outlines the way it is to be implemented. So too are the Earth Charter and Agenda 21. One, the Earth Charter, describes the philosophy, and Agenda 21 describes how is will be achieved. History of the Earth Charter The idea of an Earth Charter originated out of the 1987 World Commission on Environment and Development, but the moves towards drafting the Earth Charter began in earnest in 1994 when Mikhail Gorbachev, as president of Green Cross International, and Maurice Strong, chairman of the Earth Council, joined forces to draft the Earth Charter as a civil society initiative, with funding from the government of the Netherlands. In late 1996 the Earth Charter Commission, co-chaired by Gorbachev and Strong was formed to oversee the drafting process, and a draft was presented at the Rio+5 Forum in 1997, where world leaders met to review their progress on the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. The final text of the Earth Charter was agreed at a meeting of the Earth Charter Commission at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris in March 2000, and the Charter was formally launched on 29th June 2000 at The Peace Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands Since its launch, over 4500 organizations have endorsed the Charter, including international bodies such as UNESCO and the World Conservation Union, the 2001 U.S. Conference on Mayors, various government bodies, faith-based groups and youth organizations. The Ark of Hope The original copy of the Earth Charter has been placed in a specially constructed Ark of Hope, a 49 inch (124.5cm) by 32 inch (81.3cm) by 32" (81.3cm) wooden chest that is built to resemble the Biblical Ark of the Covenant, but contains occult symbolism. The Ark of Hope was launched by Steven C. Rockefeller at an event called For Love of Earth, a celebration of the Earth Charter that took place on 9 September 2001 at Shelburne Farms, Vermont. The Ark is taken on tour each year across parts of the world to promote the Earth Charter, visiting hundreds of schools and universities. Implementation at the local level So how is all of that a threat from local government. Study carefully the three documents following these pages. The first is the Earth Charter. Read it carefully to understand the full impact of such a document, if implemented in your community or state laws. The second document is the ICLEI Charter. Note ICLEI s mission. To build and serve a worldwide movement of local governments to achieve tangible improvements in global sustainability with special focus on environmental conditions through cumulative local actions. And then look at ICLEI s statement of Principles, those goals it is organized to implement in its 4

6 cumulative local actions. The Association shall promote, and ask its individual members to adopt, the following EARTH CHARTER Principles to guide LOCAL action. In other words, communities that join ICLEI for its local planning guidance are AGREEING TO ENFORCE THE EARTH CHARTER ON OUR HOME TOWN. But, say your local officials, we aren t imposing international policy its all local. Well, take a look at the third document. This is taken from the government website of the state of Washington, Department of the Ecology. Notice two things. First in paragraph 3, it quotes Our Common Future. This was the special report from the Brundtland Commission This was the 1987 UN Commission on Environmental and Development, chaired by Gro Harlem Brundland, Vice President of the World Socialist Party. In that report the term Sustainable Development was first coined. And the report was the precursor to Agenda and the Earth Charter. The Washington state government document describes the Earth Charter as a reference document. In other words, the Earth Charter is being used by the government of the state of Washington as a guideline for state environmental and development policy. Can the dots be connected any more clearly? This is a direct link from UN international Agenda 21 policy and American state government. That state government, using the Earth Charter as a guideline, passes regulations down to the local communities to enforce environmental a d development policy. That s how it works in every federal, state and local policy today across the nation. 5

7 T H E E A R T H C H A R T E R P R E A M B L E We stand at a critical moment in Earth's history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise. To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny. We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations. Earth, Our Home Humanity is part of a vast evolving universe. Earth, our home, is alive with a unique community of life. The forces of nature make existence a demanding and uncertain adventure, but Earth has provided the conditions essential to life's evolution. The resilience of the community of life and the well-being of humanity depend upon preserving a healthy biosphere with all its ecological systems, a rich variety of plants and animals, fertile soils, pure waters, and clean air. The global environment with its finite resources is a common concern of all peoples. The protection of Earth's vitality, diversity, and beauty is a sacred trust. The Global Situation The dominant patterns of production and consumption are causing environmental devastation, the depletion of resources, and a massive extinction of species. Communities are being undermined. The benefits of development are not shared equitably and the gap between rich and poor is widening. Injustice, poverty, ignorance, and violent conflict are widespread and the cause of great suffering. An unprecedented rise in human population has overburdened ecological and social systems. The foundations of global security are threatened. These trends are perilous but not inevitable. The Challenges Ahead The choice is ours: form a global partnership to care for Earth and one another or risk the destruction of ourselves and the diversity of life. Fundamental changes are needed in our values, institutions, and ways of living. We must realize that when basic needs have been met, human development is primarily about being more, not having more. We have the knowledge and technology to provide for all and to reduce our impacts on the environment. The emergence of a global civil society is creating new opportunities to build a democratic and humane world. Our environmental, economic, political, social, and spiritual challenges are interconnected, and together we can forge inclusive solutions. Universal Responsibility To realize these aspirations, we must decide to live with a sense of universal responsibility, identifying ourselves with the whole Earth community as well as our local communities. We are at once citizens of different nations and of one world in which the local and global are linked. Everyone shares responsibility for the present and future well-being of the human family and the larger living world. The spirit of human solidarity and kinship with all life is strengthened when we live with reverence for the mystery of being, gratitude for the gift of life, and humility regarding the human place in nature. We urgently need a shared vision of basic values to provide an ethical foundation for the emerging world community. Therefore, together in hope we affirm the following interdependent principles for a sustainable way of life as a common standard by which the conduct of all individuals, organizations, businesses, governments, and transnational institutions is to be guided and assessed.

8 T H E E A R T H C H A R T E R P R I N C I P L E S I. RESPEC T AND CARE F OR THE COMMU NITY O F LIFE 1. Respect Earth and life in all its diversity. a. Recognize that all beings are interdependent and every form of life has value regardless of its worth to human beings. b. Affirm faith in the inherent dignity of all human beings and in the intellectual, artistic, ethical, and spiritual potential of humanity. 2. Care for the community of life with understanding, compassion, and love. a. Accept that with the right to own, manage, and use natural resources comes the duty to prevent environmental harm and to protect the rights of people. b. Affirm that with increased freedom, knowledge, and power comes increased responsibility to promote the common good. 3. Build democratic societies that are just, participatory, sustainable, and peaceful. a. Ensure that communities at all levels guarantee human rights and fundamental freedoms and provide everyone an opportunity to realize his or her full potential. b. Promote social and economic justice, enabling all to achieve a secure and meaningful livelihood that is ecologically responsible. 4. Secure Earth's bounty and beauty for present and future generations. a. Recognize that the freedom of action of each generation is qualified by the needs of future generations. b. Transmit to future generations values, traditions, and institutions that support the long-term flourishing of Earth's human and ecological communities. In order to fulfill these four broad commitments, it is necessary to: II. ECOLO GICAL INTEGR ITY 5. Protect and restore the integrity of Earth's ecological systems, with special concern for biological diversity and the natural processes that sustain life. a. Adopt at all levels sustainable development plans and regulations that make environmental conservation and rehabilitation integral to all development initiatives. b. Establish and safeguard viable nature and biosphere reserves, including wild lands and marine areas, to protect Earth's life support systems, maintain biodiversity, and preserve our natural heritage. c. Promote the recovery of endangered species and ecosystems. d. Control and eradicate non-native or genetically modified organisms harmful to native species and the environment, and prevent introduction of such harmful organisms. e. Manage the use of renewable resources such as water, soil, forest products, and marine life in ways that do not exceed rates of regeneration and that protect the health of ecosystems. f. Manage the extraction and use of non-renewable resources such as minerals and fossil fuels in ways that minimize depletion and cause no serious environmental damage. 6. Prevent harm as the best method of environmental protection and, when knowledge is limited, apply a precautionary approach. a. Take action to avoid the possibility of serious or irreversible environmental harm even when scientific knowledge is incomplete or inconclusive. b. Place the burden of proof on those who argue that a proposed activity will not cause significant harm, and make the responsible parties liable for environmental harm. c. Ensure that decision making addresses the cumulative, long-term, indirect, long distance, and global consequences of human activities. d. Prevent pollution of any part of the environment and allow no build-up of radioactive, toxic, or other hazardous substances. e. Avoid military activities damaging to the environment. 7. Adopt patterns of production, consumption, and reproduction that safeguard Earth's regenerative capacities, human rights, and community well-being. a. Reduce, reuse, and recycle the materials used in production and consumption systems, and ensure that residual waste can be assimilated by ecological systems. b. Act with restraint and efficiency when using energy, and rely increasingly on renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. c. Promote the development, adoption, and equitable transfer of environmentally sound technologies

9 T H E E A R T H C H A R T E R d. Internalize the full environmental and social costs of goods and services in the selling price, and enable consumers to identify products that meet the highest social and environmental standards. e. Ensure universal access to health care that fosters reproductive health and responsible reproduction. f. Adopt lifestyles that emphasize the quality of life and material sufficiency in a finite world. 8. Advance the study of ecological sustainability and promote the open exchange and wide application of the knowledge acquired. a. Support international scientific and technical cooperation on sustainability, with special attention to the needs of developing nations. b. Recognize and preserve the traditional knowledge and spiritual wisdom in all cultures that contribute to environmental protection and human well-being. c. Ensure that information of vital importance to human health and environmental protection, including genetic information, remains available in the public domain. III. SOCI AL AND ECONO MIC JU STICE 9. Eradicate poverty as an ethical, social, and environmental imperative. a. Guarantee the right to potable water, clean air, food security, uncontaminated soil, shelter, and safe sanitation, allocating the national and international resources required. b. Empower every human being with the education and resources to secure a sustainable livelihood, and provide social security and safety nets for those who are unable to support themselves. c. Recognize the ignored, protect the vulnerable, serve those who suffer, and enable them to develop their capacities and to pursue their aspirations. 10. Ensure that economic activities and institutions at all levels promote human development in an equitable and sustainable manner. a. Promote the equitable distribution of wealth within nations and among nations. b. Enhance the intellectual, financial, technical, and social resources of developing nations, and relieve them of onerous international debt. c. Ensure that all trade supports sustainable resource use, environmental protection, and progressive labor standards. d. Require multinational corporations and international financial organizations to act transparently in the public good, and hold them accountable for the consequences of their activities. 11. Affirm gender equality and equity as prerequisites to sustainable development and ensure universal access to education, health care, and economic opportunity. a. Secure the human rights of women and girls and end all violence against them. b. Promote the active participation of women in all aspects of economic, political, civil, social, and cultural life as full and equal partners, decision makers, leaders, and beneficiaries. c. Strengthen families and ensure the safety and loving nurture of all family members. 12. Uphold the right of all, without discrimination, to a natural and social environment supportive of human dignity, bodily health, and spiritual well-being, with special attention to the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities. a. Eliminate discrimination in all its forms, such as that based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, language, and national, ethnic or social origin. b. Affirm the right of indigenous peoples to their spirituality, knowledge, lands and resources and to their related practice of sustainable livelihoods. c. Honor and support the young people of our communities, enabling them to fulfill their essential role in creating sustainable societies. d. Protect and restore outstanding places of cultural and spiritual significance. IV. DEMOC RACY, NONVIO LENCE, AND P EACE 13. Strengthen democratic institutions at all levels, and provide transparency and accountability in governance, inclusive participation in decision making, and access to justice. a. Uphold the right of everyone to receive clear and timely information on environmental matters and all development plans and activities which are likely to affect them or in which they have an interest. b. Support local, regional and global civil society, and promote the meaningful participation of all interested individuals and organizations in decision making. c. Protect the rights to freedom of opinion, expression, peaceful assembly, association, and dissent. d. Institute effective and efficient access to administrative and independent judicial procedures, including remedies - 3 -

10 T H E E A R T H C H A R T E R and redress for environmental harm and the threat of such harm. e. Eliminate corruption in all public and private institutions. f. Strengthen local communities, enabling them to care for their environments, and assign environmental responsibilities to the levels of government where they can be carried out most effectively. 14. Integrate into formal education and life-long learning the knowledge, values, and skills needed for a sustainable way of life. a. Provide all, especially children and youth, with educational opportunities that empower them to contribute actively to sustainable development. b. Promote the contribution of the arts and humanities as well as the sciences in sustainability education. c. Enhance the role of the mass media in raising awareness of ecological and social challenges. d. Recognize the importance of moral and spiritual education for sustainable living. 15. Treat all living beings with respect and consideration. a. Prevent cruelty to animals kept in human societies and protect them from suffering. b. Protect wild animals from methods of hunting, trapping, and fishing that cause extreme, prolonged, or avoidable suffering. c. Avoid or eliminate to the full extent possible the taking or destruction of non-targeted species. 16. Promote a culture of tolerance, nonviolence, and peace. a. Encourage and support mutual understanding, solidarity, and cooperation among all peoples and within and among nations. b. Implement comprehensive strategies to prevent violent conflict and use collaborative problem solving to manage and resolve environmental conflicts and other disputes. c. Demilitarize national security systems to the level of a non-provocative defense posture, and convert military resources to peaceful purposes, including ecological restoration. d. Eliminate nuclear, biological, and toxic weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. e. Ensure that the use of orbital and outer space supports environmental protection and peace. f. Recognize that peace is the wholeness created by right relationships with oneself, other persons, other cultures, other life, Earth, and the larger whole of which all are a part. T H E W A Y F O R W A R D As never before in history, common destiny beckons us to seek a new beginning. Such renewal is the promise of these Earth Charter principles. To fulfill this promise, we must commit ourselves to adopt and promote the values and objectives of the Charter. This requires a change of mind and heart. It requires a new sense of global interdependence and universal responsibility. We must imaginatively develop and apply the vision of a sustainable way of life locally, nationally, regionally, and globally. Our cultural diversity is a precious heritage and different cultures will find their own distinctive ways to realize the vision. We must deepen and expand the global dialogue that generated the Earth Charter, for we have much to learn from the ongoing collaborative search for truth and wisdom. Life often involves tensions between important values. This can mean difficult choices. However, we must find ways to harmonize diversity with unity, the exercise of freedom with the common good, short-term objectives with long-term goals. Every individual, family, organization, and community has a vital role to play. The arts, sciences, religions, educational institutions, media, businesses, nongovernmental organizations, and governments are all called to offer creative leadership. The partnership of government, civil society, and business is essential for effective governance. In order to build a sustainable global community, the nations of the world must renew their commitment to the United Nations, fulfill their obligations under existing international agreements, and support the implementation of Earth Charter principles with an international legally binding instrument on environment and development. Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace, and the joyful celebration of life. O R I G I N O F T H E E A R T H C H A R T E R The Earth Charter was created by the independent Earth Charter Commission, which was convened as a follow-up to the 1992 Earth Summit in order to produce a global consensus statement of values and principles for a sustainable future. The document was developed over nearly a decade through an extensive process of international consultation, to which over five thousand people contributed. The Charter has been formally endorsed by thousands of organizations, including UNESCO and the IUCN (World Conservation Union). For more information, please visit

11 ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability Founded 1990 as the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives Charter Charter Revision 2011 approved by the ICLEI Council on 21 October, 2011 Revised and approved by consensus by IOMC on 1 June 2011 Revised and approved by consensus by Executive Committee on 6 June 2011 Page 1 of 12

12 Charter The Charter serves as the primary statute of the association. Article 1. Name, Seat and Mandate Charter Name ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability (hereafter referred to as the Association ) was established as an international local government association in the year From its founding until 31 December 2003, the Association bore the name International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). Charter Seat The Association s seat shall be the location of its international headquarters (World Secretariat). Charter Mission The Association s Mission shall be to build and serve a worldwide movement of local governments to achieve tangible improvements in global sustainability with special focus on environmental conditions through cumulative local actions. Charter General Mandate The Association shall build an active and committed municipal membership of local spheres of government (local and regional governments and authorities) as well as international, regional, national and sub-national local-government associations. Charter Work Mandate To support its members, the Association shall: (a) mobilize and provide support to local-level initiatives that address specific priority problems of local and global significance; (b) help develop and strengthen local capacity and expertise; (c) support networking among and exchange of experiences between local governments, especially between developing and industrialized countries; (d) work with groups of local governments and partner organizations in order to research, develop, pilot and implement local initiatives for sustainability; (e) function as a clearinghouse for information, and as a training center, on local sustainable development and environmental policies and programs; (f) provide technical support services and consultancy to aid the implementation of local sustainable development and environmental policies and programs; (g) evaluate and report on the impacts of local actions; Page 4 of 12

13 (h) work with private corporations and research institutes to develop and exchange environmental knowledge and appropriate environmental technologies; (i) promote the role of local government as a necessary innovator and implementer of sustainable development and environmental policy; (j) campaign for meaningful policy making authority for, and adequate resourcing of, local governments; and (k) raise and dispense of funds to fulfill the purposes of the Association. Charter Representation Mandate The Association shall serve as an international representative for its members and program participants by providing advocacy before national and international governments, agencies and organizations and multilateral bodies to increase their understanding and support for local sustainable development and environmental protection activities. Through such advocacy, the Association will work to achieve an effective division of responsibilities and resources for sustainable development and environmental protection between the various spheres of government. Charter Principles The Association shall promote, and ask its individual members to adopt, the following Earth Charter Principles to guide local action: (1) Respect Earth and life in all its diversity. (2) Care for the community of life with understanding, compassion, and love. (3) Build democratic societies that are just, participatory, sustainable, and peaceful. (4) Secure Earth s bounty and beauty for present and future generations. (5) Protect and restore the integrity of Earth s ecological systems, with special concern for biological diversity and the natural processes that sustain life. (6) Prevent harm as the best method of environmental protection and, when knowledge is limited, apply a precautionary approach. (7) Adopt patterns of production, consumption, and reproduction that safeguard Earth s regenerative capacities, human rights, and community well-being. (8) Advance the study of ecological sustainability and promote the open exchange and wide application of the knowledge acquired. (9) Eradicate poverty as an ethical, social, and environmental imperative. (10) Ensure that economic activities and institutions at all levels promote human development in an equitable and sustainable manner. (11) Affirm gender equality and equity as prerequisites to sustainable development and ensure universal access to education, health care, and economic opportunity. (12) Uphold the right of all, without discrimination, to a natural and social environment supportive of human dignity, bodily health, and spiritual well-being, with special attention to the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities. Page 5 of 12

14 (13) Strengthen democratic institutions at all levels, and provide transparency and accountability in governance, inclusive participation in decision making, and access to justice. (14) Integrate into formal education and life-long learning the knowledge, values, and skills needed for a sustainable way of life. (15) Treat all living beings with respect and consideration. (16) Promote a culture of tolerance, nonviolence, and peace. The Association shall develop, and encourage its members to use, a framework for measuring performance in the area of sustainable development and environment. Article 2. The Association and its Members Charter 2.1 Definitions Association : The ICLEI Association is composed of the entirety of all its Members and is governed by the Council, the Global Executive Committee and Regional Executive Committees; Members : The members of the Association are public authorities from local spheres of government as stipulated in Article 2.2; Council : The Council represents ICLEI s global membership by way of representative democracy. It is the supreme decision-making and oversight body of the global association. The Council is regulated in Article 3; Regional Executive Committee : The Regional Executive Committee is the regional representation and policy-making body of the Members of the Association in a given region as defined by the By-Laws. The Regional Executive Committees are regulated in Article 4.2; Global Executive Committee : The Global Executive Committee is the representation of the Members of the Association at global level. The Global Executive Committee is regulated in Article 4.3. Community : A Community is a group of Members of the Global Association who share a specific set of features and goals. Termination : Termination is the cessation of all business, service and administrative relationships with the Global Association and its Affiliates. Page 6 of 12

15 Charter 2.2 Eligibility for Membership Members of the Association shall be local spheres of government (local and regional governments and authorities), as defined in the particular country, and international, regional, national and sub-national associations of such municipal governments and authorities, which support the Association s mission, mandate and principles as stated in the Charter. In case of doubt the Global Executive Committee determines the eligibility for membership of a type of government or authority in a country. Charter Obtaining Membership Membership may be requested by submitting an application, through which process the Charter is explicitly accepted, and paying an annual dues fee. The Global Executive Committee reviews applications and accepts or rejects the application according to criteria specified in the By-Laws. Membership becomes effective with acceptance in writing by the Association and receipt of the first annual (12-month period) dues fee. Charter Termination of Membership A Member may terminate membership by notifying the Association in writing. Membership can also be terminated by the Association if the requirements for membership are not met. Membership expires with the end of the period for which the membership fee has been paid. Charter 2.5 Obligations of Members Members shall pay an annual dues fee. The membership dues structure and procedures shall be regulated in the By-Laws. Further obligations of membership shall be regulated in the By- Laws. Charter 2.6 Opportunities of Membership The Association shall offer Members access to opportunities for networking, peer-topeer learning, innovation, and participation in programs to enhance their performance The Association shall organize and facilitate Communities of Members and/or their political leaders, planners and other representatives. Article 3. Council Charter 3.1 Mandate and powers of the Council The Council represents ICLEI s global membership by way of representative democracy. It is the supreme decision-making and oversight body of the global association The Council shall: (a) have sole power to amend or revise this Charter; (b) elect members to the ICLEI Global Executive Committee; (c) establish directions for the Association and adopt the ICLEI Strategic Plan; Page 7 of 12

16 What is Sustainability? These web pages on sustainability are designed to provide the necessary framework for understanding sustainability. Their purpose is to help individuals, businesses, and government learn how to turn the concepts of sustainability into action. In 1987 the World Commission on Environment and Development, known as "the Brundtland Commission, issued the "Our Common Future" report and defined sustainability as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." The "Our Common Future" report called for a new charter to guide the transition to sustainable development. The resulting Earth Charter, finalized in 2000, earned global consensus. Today, it is used internationally as a reference document in peace negotiations, government processes, community development, and as an educational framework. According to the Earth Charter, we must work together to create a global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Toward this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations. The three pillars of sustainability include the environment, social equity, and the economy. A strong resilient economy depends upon a vibrant and equitable society which in turn relies on a vigorous flourishing environment. The balance of the three pillars leads to prosperity and peace for future generations. The stacked model represents one view of the sustainability framework. It attempts to demonstrate that a healthy environment provides the foundation for life. The economy is placed in the center to illustrate its key role in creating and maintaining an equitable society and a healthy environment: Copyright Washington State Department of Ecology. See

17 Meet The Planners The APA The American Planning Association (APA) is one of the largest planning groups in the United State, with chapters in at least 47 states and 100,000 members and over 16,000 certified planners operating in nearly every American city. From its early urban planning roots, the APA transformed itself into one of the nation s leading proponents of Smart Growth and Sustainable Development. HUD and other federal agencies paid the APA to create the, Growing Smart Legislative Guidebook. This massive 1500 page compilation of boilerplate legislation and planning practices that operationalizes the principles of United Nations Agenda 21 as implemented though the now disbanded President s Council on Sustainable Development. Today, the APA is one of the main forces in the nation to implement Agenda 21 policies through what it calls local planning. 7

18 The American Planning Association and its Faulty Handbook by Tom DeWeese With great fanfare, the American Planning Association (APA) reported results of a recent survey the group conducted, ( Planning America: Perceptions and Priorities ) showing that the anti- Agenda 21 crowd is slim. Said the report, only 6% of those surveyed expressed opposition to Agenda 21, while 9% expressed support for Agenda 21 and 85%, the vast majority of respondents, don t know about Agenda 21. Typically, APA is using the survey to formulate the image that opponents to Agenda 21/ Sustainable Development are just a lunatic fringe with no standing and of no consequence in the real world. They continue to portray Agenda 21 as simply a 20 year old idea, and just a suggestion that planners and local governments might consider. However, a closer look at the full survey, plus some additional APA reports reveal some interesting, and in some cases, astounding facts. 8

19 First the survey: It was designed to show support for Planning. This has become an obsession with the planning community because Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development have become the center of protests by property owners and those who feel government has grown too big and powerful. So the APA has launched a series of efforts to fight back. These include conducting a boot camp to train their legions of planners across the nation on how to deal with anti-agenda 21 protestors. According to the APA, the findings of the Survey reveal that: Only one-third believe their communities are doing enough to address economic situations; Very few Americans believe that market forces alone (the free market) improve the economy or encourage job growth; 84 % feel that their community is getting worse or staying the same; Community planning is seen as needed by a wide majority of all demographics; and of course, that 85% of Americans just don t know enough to hold an opinion about Agenda 21. Those are pretty astounding findings. Looks like these honest planners have their fingers on the pulse of the nation. And as the APA constantly reminds us in their materials, there is no hidden agenda, (as in Agenda 21). 9

20 Astounding perhaps, until you look at the actual questions asked in the survey. For example, Finding #4: Community planning is seen as needed by a wide majority of all demographics (79% agree; 9% disagree; and 12% don t know). Wow! But here is the actual question that was asked: Generally, do you agree or disagree that your community could benefit from a community plan as defined above? The definition provided in order to answer the question was this: Community planning is a process that seeks to engage all members of a community to create more prosperous, convenient, equitable, healthy and attractive places for present and future generations. Asking the question in that manner is akin to holding up a picture of Marilyn Monroe along with one of Rosy O Donnell and asking which one would they want to date. Give me the pretty one please says 79%. In fact, in some actual planning meetings they do just that hold up a picture of downtown depicting decaying, dreary buildings verses one of a shining, beautiful utopia, and they literally say, which one do you want? If the answer is (of course) the pretty one, then, YES, the community supports planning! Talk about a dumbed down process. Moreover, as the American Planning Association adamantly denies any connection to the United Nations policy of Agenda 21 and its planning programs, how strange it is then, 10

21 that the APA definition of planning is almost identical to the definition used by the UN to define Sustainable Development. Compare: UN Definition: Development that meets the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The UN further defines Agenda 21: Effective execution of Agenda 21 will require a profound reorientation of all human society, unlike anything the world has ever experienced. Such a forced policy would certainly engage all members of a community whether they want to be or not. The UN calls it a redeployment of human resources. Other than semantics, there is no difference in the APA s and the UN s definitions of planning. The planners definition uses an interesting term, equitable. The UN also uses such a term in describing Agenda 21 Social Equity. And that is translated into another term: Social Justice. It means redistribution of wealth. Is that what the local planners have in mind for their community development? It s obvious that the APA is playing word games with its surveys and definitions of planning. No wonder such an overwhelming majority answer in the affirmative to such questions. And, yes, maybe a lot of Americans don t know what Agenda 21 really is. However, if the APA asked real questions that gave a solid clue as to the planning they actually have in mind, I m quite sure they would get a much different response whether the person answering had ever heard of Agenda 21 or not. For example, here are some sample questions that could help the APA take the real pulse of the community if they wanted to be honest: 11

22 Real questions planners should ask: How do the citizens feel about planning policy that dictates the size of their yard and forces high density developments where one practically sits on top of their neighbors? Do they still support such Planning? How do the citizens feel about planning that enforces the creation of public transportation with a limited number of riders yet could cost taxpayers so much money that it would be literally cheaper to buy each potential rider a brand new Rolls Royce, even when the chauffeur is thrown in for good measure? Do they still support such Planning? How do they feel about planning that enforces limits on energy use and forces up energy costs? What if that included forcing residents to replace their appliances with more energy efficient ones to meet Planning Standards? Do they still support such Planning? How do the citizens feel about Planning that forces cars to share the road with bicycles and foot traffic, even as Planners narrow the streets, deliberately making it harder to drive? Do they still support such Planning? How do the citizens feel about Planning that forces tax payers to pay for plug-in stations for electric cars that hardly anyone wants or uses, for the specific purpose of forcing people to buy them? Do they still support such Planning? How do the citizens feel about Planning that creates non-elected boards, councils and regional governments to enforce their policies, which actually diminish the power of the officials they elected, severely reducing citizen input into policy? Do they still support such Planning? Ask the questions in this manner instead of trying to whitewash them into sounding like innocent, non-intrusive local ideas for community development. Ask the questions so that they reflect the consequences of the plans, and then see if the 85% now are so eager to ignore the effects of Agenda 21. The reality is that Americans across the nation are now openly protesting such policies as they are being enforced in communities everywhere. They are directly tied to the stated goals of Sustainable Development, the official policy of Agenda 21. And that is why a twenty year old suggestion has become the focal point of attacks on local planning. Planners are shocked that people are opposed to such attacks on their private property and their pocketbooks, and they are doing everything possible to label such Americans as fringe conspiracy theorists. The survey is part of that effort. In fact, the APA survey follows a barrage of news articles, obviously contrived by the public relations firm hired by APA, to again, paint its image as just a group of honest 12

23 planners trying to do their jobs while being unjustly attacked by fringe radicals. Such convenient reports have suddenly appeared on the front page of the New York Times, Washington Post, Wisconsin Watch, Mother Jones and the Southern Poverty Law Center, to name a few. It s interesting to note that most of these stories name me as the perpetrator. As mentioned, the APA has organized a boot camp to train their planners how to combat we nasty protestors. Through its new training, the APA downplays revealing details of the plan, instead, suggesting ways to make their presentations merely conversations with the community, using empathy, and terms that are non-technical. Obviously APA believes the protestors are just simpleminded and unable to see their wisdom. One shouldn t be so upset over losing control of their property, their business or their farm. There s a higher good at stake here, after all. And so, to accomplish that task of dumbed- down planning, (and in fact, hiding its real purpose) the APA is going to great lengths to change the words. For example, the APA has issued to its members a Glossary for the Public that suggests what words should no longer be used in public meetings when discussing planning, because they make the opposition see red. So the planners should not use words like collaboration and consensus, or public visioning, or even Smart Growth. The Glossary provides specific language and tactics to be used to defuse protests. Stay on message, it says. The following phrases may be useful to help you frame your message in a way that is 13

24 positive and inclusive, when transitioning to a local example, or to stay on message during public meetings where critics may attempt to distract from the agenda or topic at hand. And here is the language they suggest: Plans and planning are time-tested ways for communities and neighborhoods to create more options and choices for their residents In other words, we ve always had planning, so what s the problem? Such public meetings that the APA is so worried about being disrupted are not public at all. They are consensus meetings, run by professional facilitators, trained in psychology to use stealth to direct the audience into a pre-determined direction for a pre- determined outcome. Anyone asking questions outside the well-controlled box is labeled a protestor. And yes, we are protesting that! It is not how things are to be done in a free society, especially when your own property is at stake. Yes, there has been planning throughout the history of America. Many communities have come up with efficient ways to deal with water use and waste disposal, and to assure that factories weren t built next door to private homes, and so forth. And no one is protesting that! Our fight is with planning that is specifically designed to curtail energy use, drive up costs, control private property and development and building literally dictating a change in our lives and even changing the very structure of our system of government. One of the tools the APA uses to enforce planning is through the International Code Council (ICC), an international set of standards based on a one size fits all set of regulations. The ICC also develops the International Energy Conservation Code, a model for energy efficiency code. And it develops a standard for Accessible And Usable Building Facilities. Each of these codes is aimed at cutting back energy use, controlling private property use, and, in short, enforcing sustainable development. Where was the concept of sustainable development first introduced and perfected as an agenda for development? Oh yes, in Agenda 21. There is no room for discussion, reason or consideration for exceptional local situations. The APA brings these codes and others into the community planning as a pre- packaged deal inflicting the community with (yes) foreign regulations. And yes, dedicated Americans protest that this is not local government or planning, but the enforcement of an international (UN) agenda. We further find similar pre-packaged regulations coming from federal agencies, including the EPA (which openly admits that some of its grant programs are designed to impose Agenda 21) the Forest Service (which admits that its policies on forest conservation are coming from the UN s Brundtland Commission on Global Governance), as well as polices from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Department of Transportation, to name a few. 14

25 And so it goes. Government in the U.S., at all levels, is happily moving forward with such plans, using the ground troops supplied by the American Planning Association in every community. It s happening fast, and is all-pervasive. And as people are being run over by such plans, some are trying to slow down the runaway freight train by standing in the tracks and yelling stop! They of course are the ones labeled as fringe nuts. However, as the APA does everything it can to so label our movement, a shocking new report provides new evidence that the sustainable polices advocated by APA in the cities the policy known as Smart Growth is wrong headed and really pretty dumb. And where does such a report appear? Here s the real shocker. It was published in the Journal of the American Planning Association in an article entitled Does Urban Form Really Matter. It is an analysis of Smart Growth polices in the United Kingdom which shows that the compact city controls don t work. Says the report, The current planning policy strategies for land use and transportation have virtually no impact on the major long-term increases in resource and energy consumption. They will generally tend to increase costs and reduce economic competitiveness. Continues the report, Claims of compaction will make cities more sustainable have been debated for some time, but they lack conclusive supporting evidence as to the environmental and, particularly, economic and social effects. 15

26 There you have it. Right out of the pages of the APA s own Journal, the very policies that they are forcing on communities across the nation, are wrong. Forcing mass migration into cities where people are to live in high density buildings, or homes on lots so close together that the dog can t squeeze between houses, have no effect on the environment. But as I have stated in articles and speeches across the nation, such planning creates an artificial shortage of land, causing housing costs to go up. It doesn t cut down on energy use or protect the environment. It s a useless intrusion in the lives of honest Americas. And that is exactly why we are protesting Agenda 21. It is wrong. The premise is wrong. The facts as presented by the APA and other planners, are wrong. It is wrong for our nation. Wrong for property owners. Wrong for future generations. In the 1970s, author Richard Bach, who wrote the classic book, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, also wrote a second book entitled, Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah. In the book, a Messiah, as he was forced to come up with answers to the problems of life, consulted the Messiah s Handbook. All he had to do was open the book and it would miraculously turn open to the very page containing the answer he sought. He stumbled through his adventures, following the handbook. But finally, in the end, as he consulted it a final time, the page read simply, Everything in this book may be wrong. 16

27 There is only one right approach for a community to come together to discuss and solve common problem: open discussion, honest debates and votes, and above all, a full concentration on the protection of private property rights as the ultimate decider. The American Planning Association needs a new handbook! Glossary for the Public What follows is an exact copy of the American Planning Association s Glossary for the Public, which it distributed to its members to teach them how to use different words to hide the true intent of their planning programs. Of special interest, take a good look at the opening line in which the APA tells its people BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY TO THE PUBLIC! Read this document carefully. It is raw evidence of the evil that is slithering into your local government. It exposes the new language and tactics you will face. Use it openly. Expose it. Here s a legitimate question for your fellow citizens, even if they don t agree with your opposition to Agenda 21: Do you trust a government and its policies that are enforced through lies and stealth? Is that how you want your government to run? This document proves that is what they are doing. What is wrong with Sustainable Development if they have to hide it from the public? 17

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