Ten Key Values
en
Espaņol
Ecological Wisdom
Human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of
nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain an ecological balance
and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities
and our planet. We support a sustainable society that utilizes resources
in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from
the practices of our generation. To this end we must have agricultural
practices that replenish the soil; move to an energy efficient economy;
and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.
Grassroots Democracy
We must develop systems that allow and encourage us to control the
decisions that affect our lives. We must ensure that representatives
will be fully accountable to the people who elected them. We must
encourage and assist the "mediating institutions" - family,
neighborhood organizations, church group, voluntary association, ethnic
club - to recover some of the functions now performed by the government.
We must learn the best insights from American traditions of civic
vitality, voluntary action and community responsibility.
Social Justice
All persons should have the rights and opportunity to benefit
equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment.
We must consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and
society at large, barriers such as racism and class oppression, sexism
and heterosexism, ageism and disability, which act to deny fair
treatment and equal justice under the law. We must encourage
people to commit themselves to lifestyles that promote their own health.
We must have a community controlled education system that effectively
teaches our children academic skills, ecological wisdom, social
responsibility and personal growth. We must resolve personal and
intergroup conflicts without just turning them over to lawyers and
judges.
Nonviolence
It is essential that we develop effective
alternatives to our current patterns of violence at all levels, from the
family and the streets, to nations and the world. We will work to
demilitarize our society and eliminate weapons of mass destruction,
without being naive about the intentions of other governments. We
recognize the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in
helpless situations. We promote nonviolent methods to oppose practices
and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward
lasting personal, community and global peace.
Decentralization
Centralization of wealth and power contributes to social and
economic injustice, environmental destruction, and militarization.
Therefore, we support a restructuring of social, political and economic
institutions away from a system that is controlled by and mostly
benefits the powerful few, to a democratic, less bureaucratic system.
Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual
and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all
citizens.
Community Based Economics
We must design our work structures to encourage employee ownership and
workplace democracy. We must develop new economic activities and
institutions that will allow us to use our new technologies in ways that
are humane, freeing, ecological and accountable and responsive to
communities. We must establish some form of basic economic security, open
to all. We must restructure our patterns of income distribution to reflect
the wealth created by those outside the formal monetary economy: those who
take responsibility for parenting, housekeeping, home gardens, community
volunteer work, etc. We must restrict the size and concentrated power of
corporations without discouraging superior efficiency or technological
innovation.
Feminism
We must replace the cultural ethics of dominance and control with more
cooperative ways of interacting. We must encourage people to care about
persons outside their own group. We must promote the building of
respectful, positive and responsible relationships across the lines of
gender and other divisions. We must learn to respect the
contemplative inner part of life as much as the outer activities. We
should remember that the process determining decisions and actions is just
as important as the outcome we achieve.
Respect for
Diversity
We believe it is important to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual,
religious and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of
respectful relationships across these lines. We believe the many diverse
elements of society should be reflected in our organizations and
decision-making bodies, and we support the leadership of people who have
been traditionally closed out of leadership roles. We acknowledge and
encourage respect for other life forms and the preservation of
biodiversity.
Personal and Global
responsibility
We encourage individuals to act to improve their personal well being and,
at the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social harmony. We
seek to join with people and organizations around the world to foster
peace, economic justice, and the health of the planet. We have the right
to question any authority, and to follow our own conscience.
Future Focus and
Sustainability
Our actions and policies should be motivated by long-term goals. We seek
to protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of or
"unmaking" all waste we create, while developing a sustainable
economics that does not depend on continual expansion for survival. We
must encourage such values as simplicity. We must counter-balance the
drive for short-term profits by assuring that economic development, new
technologies, and fiscal policies are responsible to future generations
who will inherit the results of our actions. Our overall goal is not
merely to survive, but to share lives that are truly worth living. We must
make the quality of life, rather than open ended economic growth, the
focus of our future thinking. We encourage everyone to see the dignity and
intrinsic worth in all of life, and to take the time to understand and
appreciate themselves, their community and the magnificent beauty of this
world.
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