Vision: The development of an ecologically sustainable society in Mauritius
Mission: To promote environmental stewardship and social justice
Development. We take a very long term view, bearing in mind the creation of the universe with the big bang, through the formation and destruction of stars, from which our solar system was born, and the evolution of life on earth to the emergence of humanity. We use the term development to describe the continuing evolution of life as influenced by collective human choices. This includes the major transitions from hunter-gatherers to farmers and from farmers to industrialists.
Ecology. We use the term, meaning the interaction between an organism and its environment, in the broadest sense: humanity interacting with the earth. This interaction is complex. It is a system which is comprised of a never ending hierarchy of inter-linked sub-systems which feed back into each other in ways that we are slowly beginning to acknowledge and understand.
Sustainable. We accept the common definition of meeting societal needs without diminishing the capability of future generation to meet theirs. It is self-evident that continuous growth is not sustainable if it is founded on the extraction and consumption of finite resources. Extraction includes fossil fuels, minerals, over-fishing of wild stocks to the point of collapse and nutrient depletion of soils by over-farming. Equally the disposal in land, sea and air of accumulating pollutants is unsustainable.
Society. We refer to people in the collective sense, including all the interactions between individuals and groups. This includes the norms, rules and mechanisms by which we govern ourselves and the exchanges which make up our economies. Hence, cultural, legal, political and economic aspects are integral to our definition. Society is heavily influenced by how we collectively see the world and the role we play in it. For example, as farmers we learned to harness certain biological processes; as industrialists, mechanical and electro-magnetic processes.
We are on the verge of harnessing genetic and quantum mechanical processes and at the same time seeing clearly the impacts of our activities on earth's ecosystems. The society we envisage is an holistic one that continues to explore the mysteries of the universe while living in harmony with the life sustaining processes of our planet. It will have a new economy that preserves and enhances earth's resources, conventions that enshrine everyone's right to benefit equitably from them and values that elevate cooperative responsibility and mutual accountability above competition and selfishness.
Environmental stewardship. We see the harm that is caused by the unconstrained exploitation of earth's resources which is leading, in many cases to their depletion and degradation. This is true of both private ownership, especially by corporations motivated predominantly by profit, and collective ownership, where individuals act in their own selfish interests, leading to the tragedy of the commons. We favour the attitude of nurturing, for the benefit of all, those resources for which society has given us responsibility and hence, for which we are accountable.
Social justice. We recognise the intrinsic drive in everyone to pursue happiness through improving their quality of life. However, we realise that continuous improvement and population growth are mutually exclusive in a resource-constrained world. At some point in the future, our global population will have to be limited to within the carrying capacity of our planet and our aspirations for advancement.
Allowing some people to gratify their insatiable greed, while others are unable to meet even their survival needs, leads to resentment and instability, especially if their situation is exploited. History teaches us that if social justice is not achieved democratically, then injustice has to be enforced autocratically. However, the elite groups that impose this are inevitably overthrown.
Economic migration leads to tension and restrictions on movement. This would be significantly reduced if poverty were eradicated. If we do not learn to share the benefits of resources cooperatively then competition for them will lead to conflict: within communities as revolution and between communities as war. Due to the capability of our advanced weaponry to wreak havoc on ecosystems, such conflict will eventually lead to catastrophe. Such a possibility makes social justice on a global scale an imperative and on a local scale as a necessary precondition.
We subscribe to the principles of the Earth Charter as congruent with our vision and mission:
Respect Earth and life in all its diversity.
Care for the community of life with understanding, compassion and love.
Build democratic societies that are just, participatory, sustainable and peaceful.
Secure Earth's bounty and beauty for present and future generations.
Protect and restore the integrity of Earth's ecological systems, with special concern for biological diversity and the natural processes that sustain life.
Prevent harm as the best method of environmental protection and, when knowledge is limited, apply a precautionary approach.
Adopt patterns of production, consumption and reproduction that safeguard Earth's regenerative capacities, human rights and community well-being.
Advance the study of ecological sustainability and promote the open exchange and wide application of the knowledge acquired.
Eradicate poverty as an ethical, social and environmental imperative.
Ensure that economic activities and institutions at all levels promote human development in an equitable and sustainable manner.
Affirm gender equality and equity as prerequisites to sustainable development and ensure universal access to education, health care and economic opportunity.
Uphold the right of all, without discrimination, to a natural and social environment supportive of human dignity, bodily health and spiritual well-being, with special attention to the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities.
Strengthen democratic institutions at all levels, and provide transparency and accountability in governance, inclusive participation in decision-making, and access to justice.
Integrate into formal education and lifelong learning the knowledge, values and skills needed for a sustainable way of life.
Treat all living beings with respect and consideration.
Promote a culture of tolerance, non-violence and peace.