She muses

Today is July 4, Independence Day for those in the United States.
Independence was a bold rallying cry in 1776.
Today, we are faced with the necessity of inter-dependence.

The following are 4 Declarations of Interdependence:

1. World Affairs Conference (1975)
2. Women of Color Resource Center (2004)
3. David Suzuki Foundation team for the UN Earth Summit in Rio (1992)
4. Women & Sustainable Development (2005)

World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, 1975
A Declaration of Interdependence
Henry Steel Commager

When in the course of history the threat of extinction confronts mankind, it is necessary for the people of the United States to declare their interdependence with the people of all nations and to embrace those principles and build those institutions which will enable mankind to survive and civilization to flourish.

Two centuries ago our forefathers brought forth a new nation; now we must join with others to bring forth a new world order. On this historic occasion it is proper that the American people should reaffirm those principles on which the United States of America was founded, acknowledge the new crises which confront them, accept the new obligations which history imposes upon them, and set for the causes which impel them to affirm before all peoples their commitment to a Declaration of Interdependence.

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that the inequalities and injustices which afflict so much of the human race are the product of history and society, not of God or nature; that people everywhere are entitled to the blessings of life and liberty, peace and security and the realization of their full potential; that they have an inescapable moral obligation to preserve those rights for posterity; and that to achieve these ends all the peoples and nations of the globe should acknowledge their interdependence and join together to dedicate their minds and their hearts to the solution of those problems which threaten their survival.

Let us then join together to vindicate and realize this great truth that mankind is one, and as one will nobly save or irreparably lose the heritage of thousands of years of civilization. And let us set forth the principles which should animate and inspire us if our civilization is to survive.

WE AFFIRM that the resources of the globe are finite, not infinite, that they are the heritage of no one nation or generation, but of all peoples, nations and of posterity, and that our deepest obligation is to transmit to that posterity a planet richer in material bounty, in beauty and in delight than we found it. Narrow notions of national sovereignty must not be permitted to curtail that obligation.

WE AFFIRM that the exploitation of the poor by the rich, and the weak by they strong violates our common humanity and denies to large segments of society the blessings of life, liberty and happiness. We recognize a moral obligation to strive for a more prudent and more equitable sharing of the resources of the earth in order to ameliorate poverty, hunger and disease.

WE AFFIRM that the resources of nature are sufficient to nourish and sustain all the present inhabitants of the globe and that there is an obligation on every society to distribute those resources equitably, along with a corollary obligation upon every society to assure that its population does not place upon Nature a burden heavier than it can bear.

WE AFFIRM our responsibility to help create conditions which will make for peace and security and to build more effective machinery for keeping peace among the nations. Because the insensate accumulation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons threaten the survival of Mankind we call for the immediate reduction and eventual elimination of these weapons under international supervision. We deplore the reliance on force to settle disputes between nation states and between rival groups within such states.

WE AFFIRM that the oceans are the common property of mankind whose dependence on their incomparable resources of nourishment and strength will, in the next century, become crucial for human survival, and that their exploitation should be so regulated as to serve the interests of the entire globe, and of future generations.

WE AFFIRM that pollution flows with the waters and flies with the winds, that it recognizes no boundary lines and penetrates all defenses, that it works irreparable damage alike to Nature and to Mankind _ threatening with extinction the life of the seas, the flora and fauna of the earth, the health of the people in cities and the countryside alike _ and that it can be adequately controlled only through international cooperation.

WE AFFIRM that the exploration and utilization of outer space is a matter equally important to all the nations of the globe and that no nation can be permitted to exploit of develop the potentialities of the planetary system exclusively for its own benefit.

WE AFFIRM that the economy of all nations is a seamless web, and that no one nation can any longer effectively maintain its processes of production and monetary systems without recognizing the necessity for collaborative regulation by international authorities.

WE AFFIRM that in a civilized society, the institutions of science and the arts are never at war and call upon all nations to exempt these institutions from the claims of the chauvinistic nationalism and to foster that great community of learning and creativity whose benign function it is to advance civilization and the health and happiness of mankind.

WE AFFIRM that a world without law is a world without order, and we call upon all nations to strengthen and to sustain the United Nations and its specialized agencies, and other institutions of world order, and to broaden the jurisdiction of the World Court, that these may preside over a reign of law that will not only end wars but end as well that mindless violence which terrorizes our society even in times of peace.

We can no longer afford to make little plans, allow ourselves to be the captives of events and forces over which we have no control, consult our fears rather than our hopes. We call upon the American people, on the threshold of the third century of their national existence, to display once again that boldness, enterprise, magnanimity and vision which enabled the founders of our Republic to bring forth a new nation and inaugurate a new era in human history. The fate of humanity hangs in the balance. Throughout the globe, hearts and hopes wait upon us. We summon all Mankind to unity to meet the great challenge.

Declaration of Interdependence
by Women of Color Resource Center; 6/24, 2004
When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for the people to dissolve the political bands which have tied them to an immoral government, and instead to acknowledge the bands that connect them with the people of the world, a basic respect for the dignity of all humanity requires that they should state the causes which impel them to declare their interdependence.

We hold these truths to be self-evident:
* That all people are created equal and interdependent; that all life on this planet exists interdependently; that the future of all people requires that they live with respect for one another and for this earth.
* That all people are endowed by their very humanity with certain universal, inalienable, and indivisible rights; that among these rights are the rights to life, liberty, clean air, clean water, food, shelter, consensual intimacy, education, health care, political participation, cultural expression, peace, justice and the pursuit of happiness.
* That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these unalienable rights, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish their government and to institute a new government that promotes the security, dignity, happiness, and human rights of all. When a long series of abuses in foreign and domestic policies subject the peoples of the world to greater fear, physical threat, environmental destruction, and despotism, it is the right of the people–indeed, their duty–to throw off the offending government and to provide new safeguards for the future security of all.

Such has been the patient sufferance of the residents of the United States of America, and the current circumstances now compel the people to alter their former systems of government. The history of the current President of the United States, George W. Bush, is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over its citizens and over foreign nations and peoples…

In every stage of these oppressions we have voiced disapproval. Our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A president whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. President George W. Bush has been deaf to the voice of justice and consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity of a new government.

We, therefore, the people of the United States of America, in the good of the interdependent people of the world, solemnly publish and declare that we are — and of right ought to be — free people; that the president’s unilateral and independent actions have blighted our interdependent futures; and that we are absolved from all allegiance to a nation ruled by George W. Bush. As a free people, we break our binds to the Bush Crown by declaring our common cause with the citizens of this world in the pursuit of peace, justice, and human rights for all. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of each other, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our security in this world we all inhabit, and our honor.

*The Women of Color Resource Center will be spending this Fourth of July commemorating our vision for a different, brighter America with the “Declaration of Interdependence.” Join us this year in declaring our common cause with the people of this world — uniting for global peace, justice and human rights for all.

Five members of the David Suzuki Foundation team wrote the following
Declaration of Interdependence in 1992 for the United Nations’ Earth Summit in Rio de Janiero

this we know
We are the earth, through the plants and animals that nourish us.
We are the rains and the oceans that flow through our veins.
We are the breath of the forests of the land, and the plants of the sea.
We are human animals, related to all other life as descendants of the firstborn cell.
We share with these kin a common history, written in our genes.
We share a common present, filled with uncertainty.
And we share a common future, as yet untold.
We humans are but one of thirty million species
weaving the thin layer of life enveloping the world.
The stability of communities of living things depends upon this diversity.
Linked in that web, we are interconnected-
using, cleansing, sharing and replenishing the fundamental elements of life.
Our home, planet Earth, is finite; all life shares its resources and the energy from
the sun, and therefore has limits to growth.
For the first time, we have touched those limits.
When we compromise the air, the water, the soil and the variety of life,
we steal from the endless future to serve the fleeting present.

this we believe
Humans have become so numerous and our tools so powerful
that we have driven fellow creatures to extinction, dammed the great rivers,
torn down ancient forests, poisoned the earth, rain and wind, and ripped holes in the sky.

Our science has brought pain as well as joy; our comfort is paid for by the
suffering of millions.
We are learning from our mistakes, we are mourning our vanished kin,
and we now build a new politics of hope.
We respect and uphold the absolute need for clean air, water and soil.
We see that economic activities that benefit the few while shrinking the
inheritance of many are wrong.
And since environmental degradation erodes biological capital forever,
full ecological and social cost must enter all equations of development.
We are one brief generation in the long march of time; the future is not ours to erase.
So where knowledge is limited, we will remember all those who will walk after us,
and err on the side of caution.

this we resolve
All this that we know and believe must now become the foundation of the way we live.
At this turning point in our relationship with Earth,
we work for an evolution: from dominance to partnership;
from fragmentation to connection; from insecurity, to interdependence.

A Declaration of Interdependence
from Women and Sustainable Development

When in the Course of Human Events, it becomes necessary to create a new bond among the peoples of the earth, connecting each to the other, undertaking equal responsibilities under the laws of nature, a decent respect for the welfare of humankind and all life on earth requires us to Declare our Interdependence.

We recognize that humankind has not woven the web of life; we are but one threat within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. Whatever befalls the earth befalls also the family of the earth.

We are concerned about the wounds and bleeding sores of the naked body of the earth; the famine; the poverty; the children born into hunger and disease; the destruction of forests and fertile lands; the chemical and nuclear accidents; the wars and deaths in so many parts of the world.

It is our belief that man’s dominion over nature parallels the subjugation of women in many societies, denying them sovereignty over their lives and bodies. Until all societies truly value women and the environment, their joint degradation will continue.

Women’s views on economic justice, human rights, reproduction and the achievement of peace must be heard at local, national, and international forums, wherever policies are made that could affect the future of life on earth. Partnership among all peoples is essential for the survival of the planet. If we are to have a common future, we must commit ourselves to preserve the natural wealth of our earth for future generations.

As women we accept our responsibility and declare our intention to:
Link with others – young and old, women and men, people of all races, religions, cultures and political beliefs – in a common concern for global survival;
Be aware of our private, public and working lives of actions we can take to safeguard our food, fresh water, clean air and quality of life;

Make women’s collective experiences and value judgements equal to the experiences and value judgements of men when policies are made that affect our future and future generations;

Expose the connections between environmental degradation, greed, uncontrolled militarism and technology devoid of human values. Insist that human and ecological values take absolute precedence when decisions are made in national affairs;

Change government, economic and social policies to protect the well-being of the most vulnerable among us and to end poverty and inequality;
Work to dismantle nuclear and conventional weapons, build trust among peoples and nations, and use all available international institutions and networks to achieve common security for the family of earth.

We also declare that, whenever and wherever people meet to decide the fate of the planet, it is our intention to participate on an equal footing, with full and fair representation, equivalent to our number and kind on earth.

Drawn from the words and philosophies of: the drafters of the U.S. Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776); Chief Seattle to President Franklin Pierce (1855); Wangari Maathai, founder, Green Belt Movement, and Chair, National Council of Women of Kenya (1988); The UN Population Fund (1988); Women’s Foreign Policy Council; The World Commission on Environment and Development (1987); Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders Global Survival Conference, Oxford (April 1988).