Economic Justice and Peace Starts by Honoring the Original Earth Day!
Greetings! We are the Equinox Earth Day Team, an ad hoc group bringing to the fore for 2024 the earth rights principles and policies of the original Earth Day which has been celebrated every year since 1970 on the March equinox. The next celebration at the UN will be on March 19, 2024. (For more information go to Equinox Earth Day Celebration)
Earth Day founder John McConnell understood that the foundation for an economics and culture of peace can be found in perennial wisdom teachings that tell us how to build stable, peaceful, flourishing societies. He often used the phrase “Earth Rights” to describe these teachings. He also drew much inspiration from the 19th century political economics of Henry George whose masterwork was Progress and Poverty.
Our Mission is:
To put in place worldwide the fundamentals of an economic system that is fair, regenerative, highly decentralized, and protective of Earth and its resources.
Our Vision is:
To utilize Earth Rights public finance policies to build worldwide movements that address gross inequality, hunger, homelessness, wage slavery, environmental destruction, war, and other major social problems.
The power to tax is the power to create or destroy. Earth Rights policies remove tax burdens from labor and production of basic needs and shift the tax base to those who receive “unearned income” from land, natural resources, and other commons. There are many examples of the positive effects of the Earth Rights public finance approach. For more information read the Earth Rights Manifesto.
We are encouraging people around the world to focus on the economics and culture of peace by holding gatherings, events and celebrations on the day of the equinox (either the 19th or 20th of March depending on location) that will put forth earth rights principles and policies.
Every year since 1971 the Peace Bell has been rung at the United Nations at the exact moment of equinox. This ceremony, which included a minute of silent reflection or prayer along with music and short speeches, was initiated by the Earth Society Foundation founded by John McConnell and Margaret Mead.
The year 2024 March Equinox events will launch movements for Earth Rights principles and policies that will build an economics and culture of peace. These actions will be coordinated, supported and guided to maximize effective policy implementation in accordance with our mission and vision.
Please join us! The first step is to add your name to our endorsement list by sending an email with the subject line “EED Yes!” and contact information to equinoxearthday@gmail.com. Consider hosting an Equinox Earth Day event in March 2024 at your location by filling out and sending this Event Registration form. When we receive this form, we will give you support and suggestions for your Special Equinox Earth Day Event. Fell free to pass this invitation on to your friends.
From the Equinox Earth Day Team: Mary Carlin, Johnanne Winchester, Robert Weir, John Mundy, Wendell Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Gould, Ginger Metraux , Emer O’Siochru, Charles Avila, Ibrahima Drame, Margaret Valta, Wendy Rockwell, Diane Perlman, Alanna Hartzok
Worldwide Equinox Earth Day 2024 Mission Statement Endorsements
ARGENTINA – Carlos Louge, Andreau Guillermo
AUSTRALIA – Emily Sims
AUSTRIA – Patricia Rojo
COSTA RICA – Wendy Rockwell
COLUMBIA – Lilian Calvache
EGYPT – Amir Mohamed Taha
ETHIOPIA – Kidane Hiwot
SPAIN – Fernando Scornik Gerstein
GERMANY – Dirk Lohr, Cay Hehner
HONDURAS – Quisia Gonzalez
INDIA – Yeti Nisha Madhoo, Shyam Nath
IRELAND – Emer O’Siochru
NICARAGUA – Aaron Fuentes
NIGERIA – Audu Liberty Oseni, Funlola Famuyiwa, Gordon Abiama
PAKISTAN – Yousuf Shabbir
PHILIPPINES – Charles Avila
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA – Masiphula Mbongwa
RUSSIA – Tatiana Roskoshnaya
SOUTH KOREA – Sung-Chan Cho, Jae Hyoung Choi
SPAIN – Fernando Scornik Gerstein
UNITED KINGDOM – Carol Wilcox, Dave Wetzel, David Triggs
UNITED STATES – Mary Carlin, Robert Weir, Elizabeth Gould, Ginger Metraux, Marilyn Langlois, Alanna Hartzok, Johnanne Winchester, Wendell Fitzgerald. Ed Dodson, Rick Rybeck, Diane Perlman John Mundy, Ibrahima Drame, Margaret Valta, Audu Liberty Oseni, Paul Fitzgerald, Dean Goodman, Ruth Gould-Goodman, Barbara Honegger, Kris Millegan, Bruce de Torres, Kris Millegan, Marty Lewis
Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould are authors of Invisible History: Afghanistan’s Untold Story, published by City Lights (2009), Crossing Zero The AfPak War at the Turning Point of American Empire, published by City Lights (2011). Their novel The Voice was published in 2001. Their memoir, Valediction Three Nights of Desmond, was published by TrineDay (2021) and Valediction Resurrection was published by TrineDay (2022). For more information visit invisiblehistory.com and valediction.net. Contact Paul and Liz at gould.fitzgerald@verizon.net