Both Events are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

The Earth Charter is an international people’s treaty for sustaining the planet, built upon principles for peace, democracy, social and economic justice, and ecological sustainability. The Earth Charter grew out of the 1992 Rio Summit, was revived by Mikhail Gorbachev and Rudd Lubbers, former Prime Minister of The Netherlands, and received input from people in 77 countries over the course of 10 years, with Steven Rockefeller serving as chair of the International Drafting Committee. The text of the Earth Charter and additional background is available at: http://www.earthcharterusa.org/ and http://www.eccommunities.org/

About Jan Roberts: A thread of unconventionality is woven throughout Jan’s life. It rests on a solid foundation of creative social change. Creating and building social change agencies was reflected in Jan’s work in the 1970s  as the director of the Women’s Resource Center and co-founder of the Women’s Survival Center in Tampa. In the ’80s, Jan co-founded Behavioral Medicine Consultants, which offered holistic treatment to people who were being legally addicted to prescription drugs like Valium. In the ’90s, Jan was a partner in a private psychological practice, during which time she was voted “Best in Tampa Bay” as a couple’s counselor.

In the late ’90s, Jan founded the Institute for Ethics & Meaning, which launched the Community Spirit of Caring Movement in Tampa, Florida. On September 29, 2001 Jan she spearheaded the national launch of the Earth Charter in 12 cities around the U.S., all linked by satellite. Since then, annual Earth Charter Summits have been held in over 50 cities. Outcomes include integrating the Earth Charter into school lesson plans, University Graduate Certificate programs, interfaith discussion groups, professional codes of ethics, business mission statements, and personal lifestyles.  Other Initiatives have included Earth Scouts for boys and girls, League of Earth Charter Voters, and the Earth Charter Living Television Series.

In December 2002, Jan invited Summit organizers from around the country to strategize about building the Earth Charter grassroots initiative. In an atmosphere of reverence, ribaldry and renewal, the Earth Charter Community Alliance (ECCA) was born. 

In recognition of her grassroots work with the Earth Charter, she now serves as Advisor to the Earth Charter International Secretariat. Jan is also a delegate to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development’s Education Caucus and a member of the Circle of Advisors for the North American World Future Council.

Jan is author of A Community Spirit of Caring Begins with You published by Iuniverse. She has been a freelance writer for local and national magazines, a sailing instructor and host for sunset dinners on the water aboard her 34-foot Tartan sailboat. As a community builder, Jan has served on various community boards. She is past president of the board of WMNF-FM, a Tampa Bay community radio station, and past president of the Tampa Bay Association for Women Psychotherapists.