Gathering for Mother Earth

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Posted 16 September 2011, by Muguntan Vanar, The Star (Star Publications (M) Bhd), thestar.com.my

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KOTA KINABALU: Environmental groups are planning a major gathering to endorse the Earth Charter aimed at creating a sustainable global society.

Dubbed Himpunan Hijau, or Green Gathering, the organisers are expecting some 10,000 people to turn up for the event, which will be held at Balok Beach in Kuantan on Oct 9.

Organising committee chairman and Sabah Environmental Protection Association (Sepa) president Wong Tack said some 80 NGOs and civil society groups had expressed their support for the campaign.

“The committee is looking for partnerships with all groups, be they cultural, religious, educational, business or governmental, to champion the movement.

“The Earth Charter is a declaration of fundamental ethical principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century,” he told a press conference here yesterday.

Wong said former United Nations General Assembly president Tan Sri Razali Ismail was among those involved in the formation of the global charter.

He added that the organisers planned to hold the gathering on an annual basis, on the second week of October.

On the event in Kuantan, Wong said participants would stamp their handprints on hundreds of metres of black cloth to register their presence, which will symbolise the stamping away of darkness in their lives and welcoming a new era.

“The cloth will be stitched together and handed over to next year’s host, Sabah,” he added.

 

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http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/9/16/nation/9514500&sec=nation