A Time for Inspired Leadership and Action
To the political leaders of the G8 and G20 nations, from members of the global faith communities:
We urge our government representatives to set aside short-term agendas and work together for a future that allows all citizens of this planet to thrive.
At the G8 and G20 summits in 2010, we expect leaders to put first the needs and values of the majority of the world’s population, of future generations and of Earth itself. From our shared values we call on leaders to take courageous and concrete actions to address poverty, care for our Earth, and invest in peace. We urge you to:
- address the immediate needs of the most vulnerable while simultaneously making structural changes to close the growing gap between rich and poor;
- prioritize long-term environmental sustainability and implement concrete plans to ensure global average temperatures do not exceed a 2° Centigrade increase from pre-industrial levels, while addressing the impact of climate change on the poor;
- invest in peace and remove factors that feed cycles of violent conflict and costly militarism; and
- commit to bold new efforts to put the Millennium Development Goals back on track, in order to halve poverty by 2015.
As people from religious and spiritual communities, we commit to doing our part to reduce poverty, protect the environment, and promote peace, both in our own communities and globally.
I Support!