The 2003 Youth Explore the Earth Charter Conference created a whole new world!

A giant Earth Charter Globe was created by forty-five young people at the Cowichan Lake Education Centre.  This project, the brainchild of Rene Lepage, was only one activity among many at the 4-day Inclusive Leadership Workshop.  Youth at the conference hope the globe will travel from school to school, and that other groups will make their own Earth Charter globes.  To learn how to make your own globe,click here, but be sure to tell Earth Charter Cowichan and the Earth Charter secretariat about your event.

First, they created panels for each Earth Charter principle and theme

Here are the panels (click a panel to see a larger picture)

Then, they put the panels together into a globe.

The conference featured presentations by Dylan Spencer from the Year 2000 Pole to Pole expedition (www.jnweb.com/dylanspencer/)

The youth also made a Unity Flag, led by Diana Lindley.

Youth Explore the Earth Charter was sponsored by the Cowichan Valley Intercultural and Immigrant Aid Society (CVIIAS) and the Cowichan Valley Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA-CV).  Cowichan Valley psychologist Dr. Linda Hill and Building Bridges Consulting organized and facilitated the conference.  Participants were funded by:

Secondary Schools: Belmont, Cowichan, Cowichan Valley Open Learning Cooperative; Frances Kelsey PAC; Gulf Islands, Hundred Mile,      Ladysmith; Island Oak Waldorf School, and Yale Secondary in Abbotsford,

Building Bridges Consulting

CMHA-CV

Community Living Services

Cowichan Community Land Trust

Cowichan Tribes

Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deaf-Blind Well Being Program

Environment Canada

families and fund-raising

Friends of Cortez

Hiiye'yu Lelum (House of Friendship)

Links for Learning

Salt Spring Island Conservancy