4th Annual Earth Charter Summit Will Take Place In Davenport, Iowa

earthcharterinaction.org

Twelve days from now the 4th Annual Earth Charter Summit will take place in the Quad Cities. The mission of the Earth Charter is to promote the transition to sustainable ways of living, a global society founded on a shared ethical framework that includes respect and care for the community of life, ecological integrity, universal human rights, respect for diversity, economic justice, democracy, and a culture of peace.

This year’s theme of Economic Justice will explore these questions:

 – How does the quest for ever-increasing profits lead to ecological disasters like the BP oil spill?
 – How does our economic system reward unsustainable farming practices and create impossible bureaucracies for sustainable agricultural practices?
 – What are the monetary incentives for companies to reduce wages and benefits for workers?
 – How corporate greed is trying to steal your retirement and force you to work until your 72+ years old?
 – Presented by QC Progressive Action for the Common Good, Congregation of the Humility of Mary and    the Quad City Federation of Labor,

The 4th annual QC Earth Charter Summit on Economic Justice will be held in the Rogalski Center at St. Ambrose University, Davenport, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 16th.

Registration form is available here

Featured speakers:
 
Midge Slater of the Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans

Slater will speak about Economic Justice for seniors, including the future of Social Security and proposals to raise the Social Security retirement age. Despite the fact that this program reduces elderly poverty rate from 50% to a little over 13%, Obama’s Debt Commission will release a report in December, and many are worried about a proposal to raise the full retirement age from 67 to 72.  ARA will provide vital information on these issues and instruct on how to get involved in state and national initiatives. Social Security celebrates its 75th Anniversary and we need to ensure that it will be around and viable 75 years from now! 
 
David Osterberg of the Iowa Policy Project

Osterberg will discuss the size of state government, regulation and direction of the economy to ensure economic justice for all.  Read his recent column Either we help most Americans or make grants to the rich
 
Francis Thicke, an agronomist/organic farmer currently running for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture.

Thicke will address current agricultural policies that favor multinational agri-business corporations and how we can and must move towards a local, sustainable agricultural system.  Thicke is a scientist and successful farmer and businessman. He is a nationally recognized expert on sustainable agriculture who is widely consulted for his clear explanations of the economic and ecological forces that are changing the way produce food. Every day, he proves that sustainable agriculture can be both profitable and good for the environment on his own farm, a 450-acre, 80-head organic dairy milking and processing operation that he and his wife, Susan, operate near Fairfield.
 
A special lunch session will explore ways for workers, seniors, environmentalists, farmers and all citizens to form regional coalitions that work together.
 
Registration for the event includes a delicious local lunch and costs $10, with a $5 discount for students.
Scholarships available for the unemployed and underemdployed. No one will be turned away for inability to pay.

Date: Saturday, October 16, 2010
Location:  St. Ambrose University, Rogalski Center,  518 W. Locust St., Davenport       
Time: Registration 8-9am   Summit 9am-2pm

For more information, contact Caroline Vernon of QC Progressive Action for the Common Good
at qcprogressiveaction@gmail.com