Volume 7, Number 2 - February 5, 2002

A New "State Religion" for Planet Earth

Globalization Update
The United States is experiencing a loss of sovereignty comparable to a young smoker who has been beguiled into believing that each puff he takes from a cigarette is giving him only satisfaction and pleasure. Reaching mid-life he realizes that the pleasure was short lived and now he is faced with the reality of a habit which, at the very least is debilitating, but which may end his life in a most unpleasant manner. The process of globalization may well achieve the same results for the "nation-states" that the cigarette habit achieves for the smoker. The term "nation-state" is being spoken more frequently by politicians and news media anchors, signaling the approach of a precancerous emphysema for the world from its new-world-order habit.

The addiction to the United Nations agenda is manifest in a multi page questionnaire titled: the "National Reporting Template: Time-Fixed Targets." This "Template" will be used to determine the compliance level of the "nation-states" (United States) at the tenth anniversary of the 1992 Rio Summit, commonly known more for its report: "Agenda 21." This conference, to be held in South Africa in August of 2002, will likely receive only cursory coverage by the main-stream media. Obtaining information useful in assessing the direction of the conference and U. S. participation will be left to the inquisitive individual and alternative news media.

A how-to guide, "GUIDELINES for NCSD [National Council on Sustainable Development] RIO+10 ASSESSMENT," a web page sponsored by The Earth Council, contains information laying out the reporting process for the "nation-states" i.e. United States. Item III on the how to guide is "TOOLS FOR THE ASSESSMENT." Due to space limitations The Mustard Seed will examine item III A. "National Reports" and item III E. "The Earth Charter."

III TOOLS FOR THE ASSESSMENT

A. National Reports

B. Agenda 21

C. Other International Environmental Agreements

D. The Commitments of the United Nations Habitat and Social Summits

E. The Earth Charter

A: National Reports

The 2002 report will be the United States' second report to the United Nations detailing its compliance with the United Nations agenda. The first report was issued by the United States in 1997 - the five year anniversary of Agenda 21 and is available at the web address: <http://www.earthsummit2002.org/es/national-resources/default.htm> A sampling from the multi page questionnaire reflects an air of superiority.

The following are examples of the questions:

1.3 Promoting Gender Equality

Has your country developed and issued a strategy of changes necessary to eliminate constitutional, legal and administrative, cultural, behavioral, social and economic obstacles to women's full participation in sustainable development and public life?

Women 2000 Agenda 21- 24.2. c

Target Met?

1.) If yes: a.) How and When?

b.) What was the impact?

c.) How was it measured?

2.) If not: Why not?

Each question sites the source or authority. The preceding question sites Agenda 21 paragraph 24.2 as the authorizing authority. Various United Nations "plans of action" and assorted documents are applied for other questions in the "Template".

Under the heading of education the United Nations asks:

5.2 Education

Has your country sought to develop broad-based education programmes that promote and strengthen respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development, promote the values of tolerance, responsibility and respect for the diversity and rights of others, and provide training in peaceful conflict resolution, in recognition of the United Nations Decade for Human Rights Education (1995- 2005)?

The target group for this question is: Entire Populations

The time frame for implementation that is expected by the UN is 1995-2005, and the source or authority is the World Summit for Social Development Pg. 22

Target Met?

1.) If yes: a.) How and When?

b.) What was the impact?

c.) How was it measured?

2.) If not: Why not?

Compliance with the preceding question will require the teaching of global ethics rather than the ethics of the parent. An examination of the current government school curriculum will reveal that the foundation for the new ethic is in place.

The United States will answer willingly all the questions that the United Nations puts forth. Not because there is a threat but because the United States is the primary builder of the UN system, and the US must set the pace for the other "nation states".

The Earth Charter is the last item on the "Tools for the Assessment" list. The Earth Charter was proposed for the 1992 Earth Summit but the document was not ready. Ten years have passed and the time is right for the unveiling.

The Earth Charter will not be officially unveiled until the 10th anniversary of the Earth Summit begins in August. The paper used for the official copy was made from papyrus reed. The vessel that houses the Charter has been dubbed the "Ark of Hope". Its purpose appearance, and transport have purposefully been given an air of religious zeal.

The proponents of the Earth Charter speak openly about their zeal for the new "Global Ethic" which is spelled out in the Earth Charter. Steven C. Rockefeller a proponent with deep pockets delivered a speech on Sept. 29, 2001 at Tampa, Florida titled: "The Earth Charter: Building a Global Culture of Peace".

Mr. Rockefeller states:

Effective international and cross-cultural collaboration requires a new global ethic. We urgently need a shared vision of basic values that will provide a basis for world wide partnership and an ethical foundation for the emerging world community. The mission of the Earth Charter initiative is to help establish such a foundation. The Earth Charter endeavors to make clear that in the final analysis the problems the world faces are ethical ones. If we are to create a secure world and better future for all, we must revise our idea of the good life and our understanding of right conduct, and we must do this together as global citizens.

Quoting The Global News Number 462 dated November 18, 2001

".... according to one of its promoters, Mikhail Gorbachev, [the Earth Charter] will replace the Ten Commandments and is the base of the 'new ethics for a new world', and will be presented/displayed to the international community for its definitive acceptance in the World-wide Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), in Johannesburg, South Africa, the next September (2002)."

The "Ark of Hope," hand crafted in Vermont from a single plank of sycamore from a tree in Germany, will be the means of housing the Charter during its travel from Vermont and will also serve as a display case during the auspicious unveiling at the Earth Summit + 10. The Ark (which bears a striking resemblance to the Ark of the Covenant in size and construction) is lifted by sliding two poles (one on either side) through a set of eyelets attached to each corner of the box. The poles are said to represent unicorn horns - there purpose is to ward off evil spirits. The description is found in many articles written about the Ark of Hope. One web site that incorporates photos and various articles is http://www.geocities.com/mevlevi2000/earth_charter_ark.htm. The Mustard Seed is in no way connected with this web-site. The site was discovered during research for this newsletter.

Quoting the Global News:

"....one of the "rules" of the Charter is the one to implant in the world 'sustainable patterns of reproduction (human) and consumption'...."

This quote makes clear the intent to manage the human population, i.e. the number of children you may bear.

The Charter will be presented to the General Assembly of the United Nations, to be approved as an International Convention, "if this is approved," the UN will later add "....a Protocol that puts .... countries (under) its mandates...."

This is not a reference to freedom of choice. Compliance will not be on a voluntary basis.

The Mustard Seed hopes that the skeptical reader, complacent in the thought that this is just some pie in the sky and will never happen in the good ole USA, will have that complacency shattered by the following quote:

Steven C. Rockefeller, September, 29, 2001, Tampa, Florida, "The Earth Charter Community Summits"

"I also want to recognize that a city in Florida, Sanibel, was the first U.S. city to endorse the Earth Charter. Congratulations go to Mayor Nola Theiss for her leadership in this initiative, which led to endorsement by the Florida League of Cities. As many of you know, last June, the mayors of Burlington, Vermont, and Berkeley, California, led the U.S. Conference of Mayors to endorse the Earth Charter at their annual meeting in Detroit."

Efforts are now under way to have Vermont Town Meetings vote on endorsement of the Earth Charter. When will your community have its vote? Or will you have an opportunity to vote once the UN General Assembly makes its decision?

In the image below, participants form a "sacred circle" around the Ark of Hope to offer prayers and worship to Gaia's Earth Charter.

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