Steven C. Rockefeller

The Earth Charter Community Summits

Tampa, Florida, September 29, 2001

          To all of you who have gathered in cities around the United States for Earth Charter Community Summits, I bring the greetings and best wishes of the international Earth Charter Commission.  I would like to thank especially Jan Roberts and Earth Charter U.S. for conceiving and organizing these Earth Charter summits.  Dozens of other individuals and organizations in many cities have provided leadership and support, and I thank you all.  I also want to recognize that a city in Florida, Sanibel, was the first U.S. city to endorse the Earth Charter.  Congratulations go to Mayor Nola Theiss for her leadership in this initiative, which led to endorsement by the Florida League of Cities.  As many of you know, last June, the mayors of Burlington, Vermont, and Berkeley, California, led the U.S. Conference of Mayors to endorse the Earth Charter at their annual meeting in Detroit.  The growing world wide support for the Earth Charter among local governments as well as NGOs is very encouraging.