Bahá’í World/Volume 31/World Summit on Sustainable Development
 | The text below this notice was generated by a computer, it still needs to be checked for errors and corrected. If you would like to help, view the original document by clicking the PDF scans along the right side of the page. Click the edit button at the top of this page (notepad and pencil icon) or press Alt+Shift+E to begin making changes. When you are done press "Save changes" at the bottom of the page. |
World Summit on — Sustainable Development
Held from 26 August to 4 September 2002 in fo/mrmtxbmg, Saul}; Afiim, 1/1: World Summit on Smtainqble Developmrm 10/15 dedicated to evaluating progrm Since [992} Eart/j Summit mid dtfining new xlmn’gicsfor llr/Iit’I/iflg smtaitmbi/igl.
n Rio dc Janeiro, Brazil, there stands a five—meter—high, hour—
glass—shaped sculpture that contains soil From some 150 nations.
Called the Peace Monument, the sculpture is a symbol of peo— ple’s connection both to their environment and to each other‘ T hat connection is eloquently summarized in the monument’s inscription, from the writings of Bahé’u‘lléh: “the earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens."
The Peace Monument was inaugurated in 1992, when repre— sentatives from governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGOS) gathered in Rio de Janeiro for the Earth Summit,‘ 3 land— mark conference to assess global issues surrounding the environment and sustainable development. Thar summit drew the international community one step closer to the realization of the goal of the interconnectedness and ultimate unity of the planet. The Bahé'l’ International Community was deeply engaged in both preparation beforehand and meetings at the summit.
Ten years later, the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, South Africa, was held to judge progress
‘ Formally known as the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.
107
108 THE BAHA’f WORLD 2002—2003
since the Rio Summit. Bringing together 104 heads of state and government and thousands of NGos, it was the largest UN confer— ence ever. Once again, Baha’fs contributed to many aspects of the conference and continued to stress not only the importance ofunity but also the need for highlighting spiritual and religious issues in discussions on sustainable development.
A Recognition of Unity
A total of 191 countries patticipated in the summit, and 21,340 ac— creditation Ipasses were issued. Organized by the United Nations, the summit had the goal of inspiring action towards the creation of an environmentally sound world while addressing humanity’s needs for food, water, shelter, sanitation, energy, health services, and economic security.
The summit itselfi which focused on government negotiations, was held at the Sandton Convention Center just outside Johannes— burg. A parallel Civil Society Forum of NGOS, which attracted some 22,000 delegates, was held separately at Nasrec. The Ubuntu Village, an exhibition space that was open to government leaders, NGOs, major groups such as businesses, and the public, was created for exhibits, cultural performances, and other events designed to help facilitate new partnerships for sustainable development.
A notable factor was the increased involvement of business leaders, scientists, farmers, and other groups not traditionally part of UN conferences on the environment. This increased diversity of participants was accompanied by an afiirmation of a growing sense of interconnectedness and interdependence.
“[RIecognition has grown that, indeed, the world has grown into a global village," said Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa, who served as the Summit's chairman. “The survival of everybody in thi§ village demands that we develop a universal consensus to act together to ensure that there is no longer any river that divides our common habitat into poor and wealthy parts. This indicates that the noble concept of human solidarity has, once again, regained currency as a driving force in the reconstruction and development of our common world.”
WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 109
The summit's declaration also reinforced the need for unity within the spheres that constitute sustainable development, stat— ing that it must be built on three “interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars“—economic development, social development, and environmental protection—and established “at local. national, regional. and global levels.“
For the Babe“ representatives, the Summit‘s recognition orthe need for unity is an important step in the right direction. Some 30 representatives ofsix Bahé'l' and Bahé’f-inspired organizations took part in activities at all of the Summit’s three venues. Delegations from the Bahé’f International Community included representatives from Bahéi’t' communities in Brazil. Canada, and South Africa. In addition, two Bahé‘i—inspired organizations, the International Environment Forum (IEF) and the European Bahé’l' Business Forum (EBBF). which operate on Bahé’i principles but have no formal connection to Bahé‘l’ institutions. sent delegations. The 1121: and EBBF shared an exhibit at the NGO Forum and presented several workshops on topics related to sustainable development.
The Bahi’i International Community and the Bahzi'f community of South Africa created two exhibits, one for the Ubuntu Village and the other For the NGO Forum, highlighting the Baha”! approach to development. They showcased Bahé’f projects that reflect values and principles at uthe heart of development," such as trustworthiness, the equality of women and men, and justice.
Other contributions included those in the arts. Two Bahé'i youth performing-arts troupes. Beyond Words and Ablaze, ofiered performances, and a display of“Children’s Art for the Environment” featured art from an annual competition run by the Bahd’l’s in the Cape Town area.
Outcomes
Much was expected From Johannesburg, especially in terms of concrete commitments from governments. For the most part. these consisted of reaffirmations or reiterations of commitments made at the Millennium Summit in 2000 and other recent UN conferences.
On another level. however, the Johannesburg Declaration and the summit's Plan of‘lmplementation demonstrate both growth and
110 THE BAHA’f WORLD 2002—2003
development in the global understanding ofsustainable development since the Earth Summit—partieularly in terms of recognizing links between poverty, environmental protection, and the use of natural resources.
“The deep fault line that divides human society between the rich and the poor and the ever—increasing gap between the developed and developing worlds pose a major threat to global prosperity, security and stability,” states the summit’s declaration.
Additionally, the decision to hold the summit in Africa demon- strated an a_wareness of the needs of that continent, which stands as the least developed in the world and in dire need of attention from the international community.
Another key outcome of the Johannesburg Summit was a clear acknowledgment that sustainable development cannot be achieved without widespread collaboration among all sectors of global society. This is most clearly seen in the creation of new “Type II” partner— ships between governments, businesses, and civil society, in contrast to traditional “Type I” government-to-govemment agreements. The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and Agenda 21 are considered to be Type I agreements, as are the Johannesburg Declaration and its final Plan of Implementation.
Designed to stress practical collaboration on the front lines of environmental action and development, some 280 Type II partner— ships were launched at the summit. They include actions like those embodied in an initiative to collect bicycles in Europe to refurbish and sell in Africa, so as to reduce C02 and alleviate poverty; a plan involving Asian governments and wildlife groups aimed at recogniz— ing and protecting landing sites for migratory birds; and the creation of a public/private network in the South Pacific to help protect coral reefs and associated fisheries.
The ‘Role of Religion
For their part, the Bahé’f participants expressed the need for expand- ing the vocabulary of development to include spirituality and the role of religion in the dialogue.
WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 111
In 2001, the Bahé’l International Community issued the state— ment entitled “Sustainable Development: The Spiritual Dimension."z For this conference the delegation presented a follow-up statement, “Religion and Development at the Crossroads: Convergence or Divergence?”, that outlines the need For a reassessment of the role of religion in development.J
“The statement [to the wssn] raises a bold and challenging call to the UN and to the leaders of the world’s religions," said Peter Adri- ance, the lead representative of the Bahé’l' International Community to the summit. “It asks the UN to more fillly recognize the key role religion must play in the quest For sustainable development and it calls on religious leaders to reject all Forms of religious fanaticism as impediments to development and peace."
The Bahzi'f International Community’s statement makes a clear call for a further exploration of the role of spirituality and religion:
Despite significant achievements. the United Nations has yet to grasp fully both the constructive role that religion can play in creating a peaceful and prosperous global order, and the destruc- tive impact that religious finaticism can have on the stability and progress of the world.... For its part, the United Nations might begin the process of substantively involving religion in delibera— tions on humankind’s Future by hosting an initial gathering of religious leaders.4
Even though the wssn acknowledged the need for greater unity, unity without its spiritual underpinnings is nothing more than an ar— rangement ofconvenience. When based on spiritual understanding, however, it is a reality whose reflection needs to be seen in all efforts for the advancement of human society. As ‘Abdu’l-Bahé said,
No matter how far the material world advances, it cannot establish the happiness of mankind. Only when material and spiritual civilization are linked and coordinated will happiness be
3 This statement can be found in The Bahd’x' World 2001—2002. pp. 279—85, ‘ For the text of this statement. see pp. 231—39. ‘ lbid., pp. 231—38.
112 THE BAHA’f WORLD 2002—2003
assured. Then material civilization will not contribute its ener— gies to the forces of evil in destroying the oneness of humanity. for in material civilization good and evil advance together and maintain the same pace.5
The idea is not completely foreign to the development com— munity. The 500—page document Agenda 21, which emerged from the Earth Summit and outlines an extensive plan of action for the world‘s governments, businesses, and NGOs in pursuit ofsustainable development, has served as a blueprint for action in the 10 years since that eonference.
Agenda 21, in sections dealing with subjects as diverse as human health and deforestation, includes several mentions of the need for spiritualin as well as social, economic, and other factors. Despite this, however, a true consensus on what spirituality means and how to include it in the discussions about development remains to be reached.
The motivation that drives Bahé’fs to participate in these gath- erings is an an acknowledgement of the need for the integration of spiritual concerns into development issues, which arises from the es— sential reality of humankind. As the Bahé'f International Community writes in “Sustainable Development: The Spiritual Dimension”:
For the vast majority of the world's people the idea that human nature is fundamentally spiritual is an incontrovertible truth. Indeed. this perception of reality is the defining cultural expe- rience for most of the world’s people and is inseparable from how they perceive themselves and the world around them. It is, therefore, only by bringing 3 Focus on the spiritual dimension of human reality that development policies and programs can truly reflect the experiences, conditions, and aspirations of the planet’s inhabitants and elicit their heartfelt support and active participation."
- ‘Abdu‘l—Bahfi, The Promulgution of Universal Peace: 7111i: Delivered by
HMu’l—Ba/M during Hi: Visit to the United State: and Canada in 1912. rev. ed. (Wilmette, IL: Bahd't Publishing Trust. 1995). p. 109.
" See The 844de “’4er. 2001-2002. p. 280.
