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<DIV><FONT size=2>Dear friends,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>queridas amigas (español abajo)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>as you know, yesterday was the opening day of the UN
Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on
Development. We are sharing with you the speech of the President of the General
Assembly, Father Miguel D'Escoto. We are including also a link to the speech in
various languages and in that same link you can find the opening address by the
UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki Moon. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Greetings,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Ana</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>Link to the speech in various languages: <A
href="http://www.un.org/ga/econcrisissummit/stt_day24.shtml"
eudora="autourl">http://www.un.org/ga/econcrisissummit/stt_day24.shtml</A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Queridas amigas,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>como ustedes saben, ayer comenzó la Conferencia de Naciones
Unidas sobre la Crisis Financiera y Económica y su Impacto en el desarrollo. Les
estamos enviando el discurso del Presidente de la Asamblea General, Padre Miguel
D'Escoto. Está en inglés pero incluimos un link para poder leerlo en español.
también incluimos un link para acceder a ese discurso en varios idiomas. En ese
mismo link tienen acceso al discurso de apertura del Secretario General de
Naciones Unidas, Ban Ki Moon, que también está en español.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Saludos,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Ana</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT size=3>Link para ver el Statement en español : </FONT><A
href="http://www.un.org/ga/econcrisissummit/statements/pga_opening_es.pdf"
eudora="autourl"><FONT
size=3>http://www.un.org/ga/econcrisissummit/statements/pga_opening_es.pdf</FONT></A><FONT
size=3> <BR><BR>Link para verlo en todos los idiomas: </FONT><A
href="http://www.un.org/ga/econcrisissummit/stt_day24.shtml"
eudora="autourl"><FONT
size=3>http://www.un.org/ga/econcrisissummit/stt_day24.shtml</FONT><BR></A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT face=ATHandleOldstyle color=#163a3d size=4><FONT
face=ATHandleOldstyle color=#163a3d size=4><FONT face=ATHandleOldstyle
color=#163a3d size=4>
<P align=left>United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic
Crisis and its Impact on Development</P></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT
face=ATHandleOldstyle color=#163a3d size=3><FONT face=ATHandleOldstyle
color=#163a3d size=3><FONT face=ATHandleOldstyle color=#163a3d size=3>
<P align=left>New York </FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT face=ATHandleOldstyle
color=#163a3d size=2><FONT face=ATHandleOldstyle color=#163a3d size=2><FONT
face=ATHandleOldstyle color=#163a3d size=2>24-26 </FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT
face=ATHandleOldstyle color=#163a3d size=3><FONT face=ATHandleOldstyle
color=#163a3d size=3><FONT face=ATHandleOldstyle color=#163a3d size=3>june
</FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT face=ATHandleOldstyle color=#163a3d size=2><FONT
face=ATHandleOldstyle color=#163a3d size=2><FONT face=ATHandleOldstyle
color=#163a3d size=2>2009</P></FONT></FONT></FONT><I><FONT face=Univers-Oblique
color=#163a3d size=1><FONT face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d size=1><FONT
face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d size=1>
<P align=left><FONT size=3>Opening Session Address of </FONT><FONT size=3>H.E.
Miguel D’escoto Brockmann, President of The United Nations General
Assembly</FONT></P></I></FONT></FONT></FONT><B><FONT face=Univers-Bold
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Bold color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Bold
color=#163a3d>
<P align=left><FONT size=3>My dear Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers for
Foreign Affairs, Excellencies, Mr. Secretary-General, Brothers and </FONT><FONT
size=3>Sisters all, </FONT></B></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>We, the representatives of States and Governments of
the world, are meeting at the United Nations because </FONT><FONT size=3>we are
going through a most singular moment in human history when our common future is
at stake. We are citizens of </FONT><FONT size=3>different nations, and the same
time, we are citizens of the planet; we all have multiple and interdependent
relationships </FONT><FONT size=3>with each
other.</FONT></P></FONT></FONT></FONT><B><FONT face=Univers-Bold
color=#bb9442><FONT face=Univers-Bold color=#bb9442><FONT face=Univers-Bold
color=#bb9442>
<P align=left><FONT size=3>NOAH’S ARK THAT SAVES US
ALL</FONT></P></B></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d>
<P align=left><FONT size=3>At this critical moment, we must all join our efforts
to prevent the global crisis, with its myriad faces, from turning into a
</FONT><FONT size=3>social, environmental and humanitarian tragedy. The
challenges of the various crises are all interconnected and oblige us
</FONT><FONT size=3>all, as representatives of the peoples of the Earth, to
declare our responsibility one to another, and that together, with great
</FONT><FONT size=3>hope, we will seek inclusive solutions. What better place
than this United Nations General Assembly Hall to do so. This is </FONT><FONT
size=3>the hall of world democratic inclusiveness par excellence, the
Headquarters of the G-192. Obviously, each State has the </FONT><FONT
size=3>option of determining its level of participation, in accordance with the
importance it attaches to the topic of each meeting. </FONT><FONT size=3>It is
neither humane nor responsible to build a Noah’s Ark only to save the existing
economic system, leaving the vast majority </FONT><FONT size=3>of humanity to
their fate and to suffer the negative effects of a system imposed by an
irresponsible but powerful minority. </FONT><FONT size=3>We must take decisions
that affect us all collectively to the greatest extent possible, including the
broad community of </FONT><FONT size=3>life and our common home, Mother
Earth.</FONT></P></FONT></FONT></FONT><B><FONT face=Univers-Bold
color=#bb9442><FONT face=Univers-Bold color=#bb9442><FONT face=Univers-Bold
color=#bb9442>
<P align=left><FONT size=3>OVERCOMING THE PAST AND BUILDING THE
FUTURE</FONT></P></B></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d>
<P align=left><FONT size=3>First of all, we must overcome an oppressive past and
forge a hopeful future. It must be acknowledged that the current economic
</FONT><FONT size=3>and financial crisis is the end result of an egoistical and
irresponsible way of living, producing, consuming and establishing </FONT><FONT
size=3>relationships among ourselves and with nature that involved systematic
aggression against Earth and its ecosystems </FONT><FONT size=3>and a profound
social imbalance, an analytical expression that masked a perverse global social
injustice. In my opinion, we </FONT><FONT size=3>have reached the final
frontier. We seem to have reached the end of the road travelled thus far, and if
we continue along this </FONT><FONT size=3>way, we could arrive at the same
destiny which has already befallen the dinosaurs. </FONT><FONT size=3>Therefore,
controls and corrections of the existing model, while undoubtedly necessary, are
insufficient in the medium and </FONT><FONT size=3>long term. Their inherent
ability to address the global crisis has proven to be weak. Stopping at controls
and corrections of </FONT><FONT size=3>the model would demonstrate a cruel lack
of social sensitivity, imagination and commitment to the establishment of a just
</FONT><FONT size=3>and lasting peace. Egotism and greed cannot be corrected.
They must be replaced by solidarity, which obviously implies radical
</FONT><FONT size=3>change. If what we really want is a stable and lasting
peace, it must be absolutely clear that we must go beyond controls </FONT><FONT
size=3>and corrections of the existing model to create something that strives
towards a new paradigm of social coexistence. </FONT><FONT size=3>From this
perspective, it is essential to seek what the Earth Charter calls
“</FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT><I><FONT face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Oblique
color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>a sustainable way of
life</FONT></I></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT
size=3>”. This implies a shared </FONT><FONT size=3>vision of the values and
principles promoting a particular way of inhabiting this world that guarantees
the well-being of </FONT><FONT size=3>present and future generations. As great
as the danger we all face from the convergence of these various problems is, the
</FONT><FONT size=3>opportunity for salvation that the global crisis is helping
us or forcing us to discover is even greater. </FONT><FONT size=3>We have built
a globalized economy. Now is the time to create globalized policy and ethics
based on the many cultural </FONT><FONT size=3>experiences and traditions of our
peoples.</FONT></P></FONT></FONT></FONT><B><FONT face=Univers-Bold
color=#bb9442><FONT face=Univers-Bold color=#bb9442><FONT face=Univers-Bold
color=#bb9442>
<P align=left><FONT size=3>MOTHER EARTH AND GLOBAL
ETHICS</FONT></P></B></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d>
<P align=left><FONT size=3>A new ethic assumes a new way of seeing. In other
words, a different vision of the world also creates a different ethic, a
</FONT><FONT size=3>new way for us to relate. </FONT><FONT size=3>The viewpoint
that comes to us from the so-called earth sciences, that the Earth is contained
within a vast, complex and </FONT><FONT size=3>evolving cosmos, must be
incorporated. This Mother Earth, the term approved by the General Assembly this
past 22 April, </FONT><FONT size=3>is alive. Mother Earth regulates herself,
maintaining the subtle equilibrium among the physical, chemical and biological
in </FONT><FONT size=3>such a way that life is always favoured. She produces a
unique community of life from which the community of human life </FONT><FONT
size=3>— humanity — emerged, as the aware and intelligent part of the Earth
herself. This contemporary concept agrees with the </FONT><FONT size=3>ancestral
vision of humanity and of the native peoples for whom the Earth always was and
is venerated as Mother, Magna </FONT><FONT size=3>Mater, Inana, Tonantzín, as
the Náhuatl of my country, Nicaragua, call it, or Pacha Mama, as the Aymaras in
Bolivia name it. </FONT><FONT size=3>There is a growing awareness that we are
all sons and daughters of Earth and that we belong to her. As President Evo
</FONT><FONT size=3>Morales has reminded us many times, she can live without us,
but we cannot live without her. Our mission as human </FONT><FONT size=3>beings
is to be the guardians and caretakers of the vitality and integrity of Mother
Earth. Unfortunately, because of our </FONT><FONT size=3>excessive consumption
and wastefulness, Earth has exceeded by 40 per cent her capacity to replace the
goods and services </FONT><FONT size=3>she generously offers us. </FONT><FONT
size=3>This vision of the living Earth is attested to by the astronauts who,
from their spacecraft, acknowledged in wonder that Earth </FONT><FONT size=3>and
humanity constituted a single reality. They were experiencing what is known as
the “overview effect”, the perception </FONT><FONT size=3>that we are so united
with the Earth that we ourselves are the Earth: the Earth that feels, thinks,
loves and worships. </FONT><FONT size=3>This perspective gives rise to respect,
veneration and a sense of responsibility and care for our common home, attitudes
</FONT><FONT size=3>that are extremely urgent in the face of the current general
degradation of nature. From this new perspective a new ethic is </FONT><FONT
size=3>born. A new way for us to relate with all those who live in our human
abode and with the nature that surrounds us. Today, </FONT><FONT size=3>ethics
are either global or they are not
ethics.</FONT></P></FONT></FONT></FONT><B><FONT face=Univers-Bold
color=#bb9442><FONT face=Univers-Bold color=#bb9442><FONT face=Univers-Bold
color=#bb9442>
<P align=left><FONT size=3>AXIOMS OF AN ETHICS OF THE COMMON
GOOD</FONT></P></B></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d>
<P align=left><FONT size=3>The first affirmation of this global ethic consists
in declaring and safeguarding the common good of the Earth and humanity.
</FONT><FONT size=3>We will start with the assumption that the community of
peoples is imultaneously a community of common goods. </FONT><FONT
size=3>These cannot be appropriated privately by anyone and must serve the life
of all in present and future generations and the </FONT><FONT size=3>community
of other living beings. </FONT><FONT size=3>The common good of humanity and the
Earth is characterized by </FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT><I><FONT
face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Oblique
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>universality
</FONT></I></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT size=3><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d>and </FONT></FONT></FONT><I><FONT face=Univers-Oblique
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d>freedom</I></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT
face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>. That is to say, all persons,
peoples </FONT><FONT size=3>and the community of life must be universally
involved. No one and nothing can be excluded from this global common
</FONT><FONT size=3>good. Furthermore, by its nature, it is freely offered to
all and therefore, cannot be bought or sold nor be an object of competition.
</FONT><FONT size=3>Moreover, it must be continuously available to all,
otherwise the common good would no longer be common. </FONT><FONT size=3>What
are the fundamental goods that constitute the common good of humanity and the
</FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT><I><FONT face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Oblique
color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>Earth</FONT></I></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT
face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>? The first is undoubtedly
</FONT><FONT size=3>the Earth itself. Who does the Earth belong to? The Earth
belongs, not to the powerful who appropriate its goods and services,
</FONT><FONT size=3>but to all the ecosystems that make up the whole. It is a
gift of the universe that arose out of our Milky Way from an </FONT><FONT
size=3>ancestral sun which disappeared long ago which was at the origin of our
sun around which the Earth revolves as one of its </FONT><FONT size=3>planets.
By virtue of the fact that it is alive and generated all living beings, it has
dignity (dignitas Terra). This dignity demands </FONT><FONT size=3>respect and
veneration and endows it with rights: the right to be cared for, protected and
maintained in a condition where </FONT><FONT size=3>it is able to continue
producing and reproducing lives. </FONT><FONT size=3>We still need to recognize
that the globalized means of production, in their industrial voracity, have in
large measure devastated </FONT><FONT size=3>the Earth and thus have also
damaged the common good of Earth and humanity. We must urgently seek other paths
that are </FONT><FONT size=3>more humane and more favourable towards life: the
paths of justice and solidarity which lead to peace and happiness. </FONT><FONT
size=3>Next we have the Earth’s biosphere as the common heritage of all life,
with humanity as its guardian. It belongs to the </FONT><FONT size=3>common good
of humanity and the Earth, as stated at the 1972 United Nations Conference on
the Human Environment: </FONT><FONT size=3>“the natural resources of the earth,
including the air, water, land flora and fauna and especially representative
samples of </FONT><FONT size=3>natural ecosystems”. </FONT><FONT size=3>Water,
oceans and forests in particular belong to the common good of humanity and the
Earth. Water is a natural resource </FONT><FONT size=3>that is common, essential
and for which there is no substitute, and all have the right of access to it
independent of the costs </FONT><FONT size=3>involved in its collection,
storage, purification and distribution, which will be borne by governments and
society. Therefore, </FONT><FONT size=3>the eagerness to privatize it and turn
it into merchandise that can bring in plenty of money is of great concern to us.
Water is </FONT><FONT size=3>life, and life is sacred and should not be traded.
This Assembly wishes to support efforts to conclude an International Water
</FONT><FONT size=3>Covenant for collective management that will guarantee this
vital resource to all. </FONT><FONT size=3>The same can be said of forests,
especially tropical and sub-tropical forests, where the greatest biodiversity
and humidity </FONT><FONT size=3>necessary to Earth’s vitality are concentrated.
The forests prevent climate change from making life on the planet impossible
</FONT><FONT size=3>by capturing major amounts of carbon dioxide. Without
forests there would be no life and no biodiversity. The oceans serve
</FONT><FONT size=3>as the great repository of life, regulate the climate and
balance the physical and chemical base of the Earth. Forests and </FONT><FONT
size=3>oceans pose questions of life, not just the environment. </FONT><FONT
size=3>The Earth’s climates belong to the common good of humanity and the Earth.
General Assembly resolution 43/53 of 6 </FONT><FONT size=3>December 1988 on
“Protection of global climate for present and future generations of mankind”
recognizes that climates </FONT><FONT size=3>are a common concern of mankind
since “climate is an essential condition which sustains life on earth”. The
Intergovernmental </FONT><FONT size=3>Panel on Climate Change, best known by its
English acronym IPCC, believes that “climate change affects humanity
</FONT><FONT size=3>as a whole and should be confronted within a global
framework of shared responsibility”. </FONT><FONT size=3>But the greatest common
good of humanity and the Earth is humanity as a whole. It has supreme intrinsic
value and represents </FONT><FONT size=3>an end in itself. It is part of the
kingdom of life, highly complex, capable of consciousness, sensitivity,
intelligence, </FONT><FONT size=3>creative imagination, love and openness to
All. In all cultures the clear perception exists that humanity bears an
inviolable </FONT><FONT size=3>dignity. Those who wage war and build instruments
of death that can eliminate human life from the face of the Earth and
</FONT><FONT size=3>severely damage the biosphere are committing crimes against
humanity. </FONT><FONT size=3>Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, we must
wait no longer. We must proceed without delay to the complete abolition
</FONT><FONT size=3>of nuclear weapons, not simply their reduction or
non-proliferation. A standard of zero tolerance for nuclear weapons must
</FONT><FONT size=3>be established urgently and decisions in this area can no
longer be deferred. We are living at a propitious time for this and </FONT><FONT
size=3>we must not fail to take advantage of it. Neither can the world continue
to tolerate the obscenity of ever more astronomical </FONT><FONT size=3>arms
spending while offering absurdly low amounts to lift half of humanity from
inexcusable levels of poverty that, furthermore, </FONT><FONT size=3>are a time
bomb against all societies. Violence creates violence, and keeping people hungry
and at sub-human levels </FONT><FONT size=3>of existence is the worst form of
violence.</FONT></P></FONT></FONT></FONT><B><FONT face=Univers-Bold
color=#bb9442><FONT face=Univers-Bold color=#bb9442><FONT face=Univers-Bold
color=#bb9442>
<P align=left><FONT size=3>STRATEGIES FOR OVERCOMING THE
CRISIS</FONT></P></B></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d>
<P align=left><FONT size=3>At this time in history, with the global crisis and
for the sake of the common good of the Earth and humanity, we must take
</FONT><FONT size=3>collective short- and medium-term action to keep society
functioning on the one hand, and to set a foundation for new </FONT><FONT
size=3>forms of sustainable living on the other. Five essential elements could
give coherence to new initiatives that seek to construct </FONT><FONT
size=3>alternatives and to guide the many practices that will be discussed over
the next few days in the General Assembly. </FONT><FONT size=3>First: the
responsible and </FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT><I><FONT face=Univers-Oblique
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>sustainable use
</FONT></I></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT
size=3>of limited natural resources. This means moving beyond exploitation and
</FONT><FONT size=3>strengthening a relationship of respect and synergy with
nature. </FONT><FONT size=3>Second: putting the
</FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT><I><FONT face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Oblique
color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>economy </FONT></I></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT
face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>back in its proper place in
society as a whole by abandoning the reductionist vision which had </FONT><FONT
size=3>made it the main focus of human coexistence. The economy should respect
values but not be a source of values; it should </FONT><FONT size=3>be seen as
the activity that lays the foundation for the physical, cultural and spiritual
life of all human beings on the planet, </FONT><FONT size=3>while respecting
social and environmental norms. </FONT><FONT size=3>Third: to spread
</FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT><I><FONT face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Oblique
color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>democracy </FONT></I></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT
face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>to all social relations and
institutions. It should not only be applied and strengthened in the political
</FONT><FONT size=3>arena, with a new definition of the State and of
international organizations, but also extended to the spheres of economics,
</FONT><FONT size=3>culture and the relationship between men and women so that
it becomes a universal value and democracy is permanent. </FONT><FONT
size=3>Fourth: to build a </FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT><I><FONT
face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Oblique
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>minimum
ethos </FONT></I></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>on the basis of multicultural exchange and the
philosophical and religious traditions of </FONT><FONT size=3>peoples, so that
they can participate in defining the common good of humanity and the Earth and
in developing new values. </FONT><FONT size=3>Fifth: to strengthen a
</FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT><I><FONT face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Oblique
color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>spiritual vision
</FONT></I></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT
size=3>of the world that does justice to man’s search for a transcendent meaning
of life, of </FONT><FONT size=3>the creative work of human beings and of our
brief appearance on this small planet. </FONT><FONT size=3>Personal, social and
planetary well-being can only be achieved if these five essential elements are
made real. This is made </FONT><FONT size=3>possible by an economy that makes
sufficient and decent provision for the whole community, where human beings live
in harmony </FONT><FONT size=3>with each other, with nature and with the Whole
of which we are a part. These are the foundations for a
</FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT><I><FONT face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Oblique
color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>biocivilization </FONT></I></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT
face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d size=3>which gives a central role to life, the
Earth and humanity, whose citizens are sons and daughters of joy rather than of
need.</P></FONT></FONT></FONT><B><FONT face=Univers-Bold color=#bb9442><FONT
face=Univers-Bold color=#bb9442><FONT face=Univers-Bold color=#bb9442>
<P align=left><FONT size=3>FOUR FUNDAMENTAL ETHICAL
PRINCIPLES</FONT></P></B></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d>
<P align=left><FONT size=3>All these challenges cannot be adequately addressed
unless we change our minds and our hearts and create space for the
</FONT><FONT size=3>emergence and development of other essential aspects of the
human being. The exclusive and excessive use of instrumental </FONT><FONT
size=3>analytical reasoning in modern times has made us deaf to the call of the
Earth and insensitive to the cries of the </FONT><FONT size=3>oppressed who
constitute the vast majority of humanity. In the innermost part of our human
nature we are beings of love, </FONT><FONT size=3>solidarity, compassion and
sharing. This is why we must enhance our analytical reasoning with sensitive,
emotional and </FONT><FONT size=3>heartfelt reasoning, which is the source of
the values mentioned. </FONT><FONT size=3>The common good of humanity and the
Earth is a dynamic reality that is constantly evolving. Four ethical principles
are </FONT><FONT size=3>important for keeping it alive and open to further
development. </FONT><FONT size=3>The first ethical principle is
</FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT><I><FONT face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Oblique
color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>respect. </FONT></I></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT
face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>Every being has intrinsic value
and can serve the good of humanity if guided not by </FONT><FONT size=3>purely
utilitarian ethics, such as those which predominate in the current socioeconomic
system, but rather by a feeling of </FONT><FONT size=3>mutual belonging,
responsibility and conservation of existence. </FONT><FONT size=3>The second is
</FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT><I><FONT face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Oblique
color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>care</FONT></I></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT
face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>. Care implies a non-aggressive
attitude to reality, a loving attitude which repairs past harm and avoids
</FONT><FONT size=3>future harm and, at the same time, extends into all areas of
individual and social human activity. If there had been sufficient </FONT><FONT
size=3>care, the current financial and economic crisis would not have occurred.
Care is intrinsically linked to maintaining </FONT><FONT size=3>life, because
when there is no care, life weakens and disappears. The oriental expression of
care is </FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT><I><FONT face=Univers-Oblique
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT
size=3>compassion</FONT></I></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>, which is </FONT><FONT size=3>so needed these days
when much of humanity and the Earth itself are being battered and crucified in a
sea of sufferings. </FONT><FONT size=3>In a market society which is driven more
by competition than cooperation, there is a cruel lack of compassion towards all
</FONT><FONT size=3>suffering beings in society and in nature. </FONT><FONT
size=3>The third principle is collective </FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT><I><FONT
face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Oblique
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT
size=3>responsibility</FONT></I></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>. We are all dependent on the environment and
interdependent. Our actions </FONT><FONT size=3>can be beneficial or harmful for
life and for the common good of the Earth and humanity. The many crises now
occurring </FONT><FONT size=3>are largely the result of a lack of responsibility
in our collective projects and practices which has led to a global imbalance
</FONT><FONT size=3>in markets and in the Earth system. </FONT><FONT size=3>The
fourth principle is </FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT><I><FONT face=Univers-Oblique
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Oblique color=#163a3d><FONT
size=3>cooperation</FONT></I></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>. If we do not all cooperate, we are not going to
emerge stronger from the current </FONT><FONT size=3>crises. Cooperation is so
essential that in the past it enabled our anthropoid ancestors to make the jump
from animality to </FONT><FONT size=3>humanity. When they had food, they did not
eat individually but brought everything to share with everyone in the group in
</FONT><FONT size=3>cooperation and solidarity. What was essential in the past
is still essential in the present. </FONT><FONT size=3>Lastly, there is a belief
which pertains to the common good of humanity, a belief that comes from
spiritual traditions and is </FONT><FONT size=3>affirmed by contemporary
cosmologists and astrophysicists, that behind the whole universe, every being,
every person, every </FONT><FONT size=3>event and even our current crisis, there
is a fundamental energy at work, mysterious and ineffable, which is also known
as the </FONT><FONT size=3>nurturing source of all being. We are sure that this
nameless energy will also act in this time of chaos to help us and empower
</FONT><FONT size=3>us to overcome selfishness and take the action needed so
there is no catastrophe, but an opportunity for creating and generating
</FONT><FONT size=3>new forms of coexistence, innovative economic models and a
higher sense of living and living
together.</FONT></P></FONT></FONT></FONT><B><FONT face=Univers-Bold
color=#bb9442><FONT face=Univers-Bold color=#bb9442><FONT face=Univers-Bold
color=#bb9442>
<P align=left><FONT size=3>CONCLUSION: THIS IS NOT A TRAGEDY BUT A
CRISIS</FONT></P></B></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light
color=#163a3d>
<P align=left><FONT size=3>In conclusion, I would like to place on record my
deep conviction that the current scenario is not a tragedy but a crisis.
</FONT><FONT size=3>Tragedy has a bad outcome, with an Earth that is damaged,
but can continue without us. Crisis purifies us and forces us to </FONT><FONT
size=3>grow and find ways to survive that are acceptable for the whole community
of life, human beings and the Earth. The pain </FONT><FONT size=3>we now feel is
not the death rattle of a dying man but the pain of a new birth. So far we have
fully exploited material capital, </FONT><FONT size=3>which is finite, and now
we have to work with spiritual capital, which is infinite, because we have an
infinite capacity to love, </FONT><FONT size=3>to live together as brothers and
to penetrate the mysteries of the universe and the human heart. </FONT><FONT
size=3>As we all have our origin in the heart of the great red stars where the
elements that form us were forged, it is clear that </FONT><FONT size=3>we were
born to shine our light and not to suffer. And we will shine our light again —
that is my strong expectation — in a </FONT><FONT size=3>planetary civilization
which is more respectful of Mother Earth, more inclusive of all people and with
more solidarity with the </FONT><FONT size=3>poorest, which is more spiritual
and full of reverence for the splendour of the universe and which is much
happier. </FONT><FONT size=3>With these words, our discussions at this very
important Conference on the world financial and economic crisis have begun. In
</FONT><FONT size=3>providing a context for these issues, I wish to emphasize
that we will have to set aside all selfish attitudes if we are to take advantage
</FONT><FONT size=3>of the opportunities that the current crisis offers. Such
attitudes only seek to preserve a system which seems to benefit a </FONT><FONT
size=3>minority and clearly has disastrous consequences for the vast majority of
the inhabitants of the planet. We must arm ourselves </FONT><FONT size=3>with
SOLIDARITY and COOPERATION in order to make a qualitative leap forward to a
future of peace and well-being. </FONT><FONT size=3>Allow me, dear brothers and
sisters, to conclude this reflection with the words of the Holy Father, Pope
Benedict XVI, for </FONT><FONT size=3>this Conference:
</FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT><I><FONT face=Univers-LightOblique
color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-LightOblique color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-LightOblique color=#163a3d><FONT size=3>“I invoke upon all of the
Conference participants, as well as those responsible for public life and the
fate of the planet, the </FONT><FONT size=3>spirit of wisdom and human
solidarity, so that the current crisis may become an opportunity, capable of
favouring greater </FONT><FONT size=3>attention to the dignity of every human
being and the promotion of an equal distribution of decisional power and
resources, </FONT><FONT size=3>with particular attention to the unfortunately
ever-growing number of poor”.</FONT></P></I></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT
face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d><FONT
face=Univers-Light color=#163a3d size=3>
<P>Thank you very much.</P></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Ana Agostino<BR>ICAE<BR>International Council for Adult
Education<BR>General Secretariat<BR>18 de Julio 2095 - Apto 301<BR>11200
Montevideo - Uruguay<BR>Tel/fax: 005982 409 79 82<BR>E-mail: <A
href="mailto:ana@icae.org.uy">ana@icae.org.uy</A> <BR><A
href="http://www.icae.org.uy">www.icae.org.uy</A><BR></DIV>
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