Principle Web Note: use of this material by persons or organizations outside of the New World Agriculture and Ecology Group is conditionally permitted. The condition is that the user(s) cite the New World Agriculture and Ecology Group and the editors of the PrincipleWeb webpages as the source of the material. This page is intended to become a starting point for discussions within and outside of New World Agriculture and Ecology Group (NWAEG) focused on the reconsiliation of statements of Principles (or Manifestos, etc.) put forward by a variety of groups, organizations and individuals. The output of this reconciliation would be a set of Principles that could serve as a touchstone for NWAEG members (and others) as they do their work in the world. Often, we find ourselves in need of an algorithm or metric in order to make what we would consider a sane decision, one that affirms our place in the ecosystem and is supportive of it. An NWAEG Statement of Principles might provide that metric. We will have to decide on a way to communicate our feelings and understandings about these statements of principles (to whom to send them), how to collect/collate/integrate those feelings and understandings, how to present the results (and to whom to make them available). Once NWAEG has completed its efforts it may find that the process is really just beginning, that other organizations will want to make their input and expand or modify or at least comment on the NWAEG Statement of Principles. All in good time. Definitions (selected from the American Heritage Dictionary
of the English Language, 1969 edition):
Principle - 1. A basic truth, law or assumption; 2.a. A rule or standard; 2.b. Moral or ethical standards or judgments collectively; 4. A basic, or essential, quality or element determining determining intrinsic nature or characteristic behavior.
Value - 3. Worth in usefulness or importance to the possessor; 2. To regard highly; 3. To rate according to relative estimate of worth or desirability.
Right - 1. In accordance with or conformable to justice, law, morality, or another standard. 5. That which is due to anyone by law, tradition, or nature.
Rule - 2. An authoritative direction for conduct or procedure, specifically: b. A principle of conduct observed by the members of a group. Other words that have the connotation of the word value: morals, ethics, laws, beliefs, truths. Examples of statements of Principles or Rights or operational metrics or cultural myths (and how to handle them): The Unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America The Search for Indigenous Principles of Identity Political Declaration of Ecuador's Indigenous Peoples United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights Decl. of Indig. Peoples of the West. Hemis. Regarding the Human Gen. Div. Project Parliament of the World's Religions (1993): The Declaration of a Global Ethic Core Values of the ANC's Reconstruction Maine Center for Economic Policy Sustainable Maine Partners in Ending Hunger (USA) Institute for Global Ethics Food Marketing Institute Vancouver Statement on the Globalization and Industrialization of Agriculture Wingspread Statement on the Precautionary Principle Valdez Principles CERES Principles Aspen Principles Josephson Institute: Making Ethical Decisions Creating Community Consensus on Core Values Center for Multicultural Cooperation Southern Agrarians' Statement of Principles Gerry Mander's aphorisms United Nations' Agenda 21 Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility Chef's Collaborative 2000 Statement of Principle ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work Hanover Principles Dr. Richard Levins, on revolutionary principles Ishmael, speaking through Daniel Quinn and summarized by Gene Thomas Aldo Leopold, as interpreted by Dennis Keeney A Humanist Manifesto The Preservationist Manifesto The Liberal Manifesto The Manifesto of the International Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth Alternatives for the Americas: General and Guiding Principles U.S.A.I.D. SOP on Participatory Development Canadian Daily Newspaper Association American Society of Newspaper Editors Canadian Archeological Association, SOP for Ethical Conduct Pertaining to Aboriginal Peoples Saanich Statement of Principles on Forests and Communities National Cattleman's Beef Association FOODSPEAK, Coalition for Free Speech Zero Toxics Alliance BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR RESEARCH ON INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW LOKA LINKS: Democratizing Science and Technology (lots of connections to issues and organizations)
Your assignment for tomorrow is to read all of the above material and harmonize it into a concise set of fundamental beliefs and operating principles for a new society, that will first serve as the touchstone for NWAEG and its members. It will be the new operating manual for the human species. After this, we will work on specifying the parameters of the new agricultural model which will produce and distribute sufficient food in a fully sustainable manner for earth's population while being optimally integrated with a healthy, vibrant and many-specied ecosystem. After that, we'll clean everything else up.
On a more serious note, some of the above linked material was used in the design of a seminar on Value Based Decision Making. The hope is that having some grounding in values will permit us to begin thinking about using our own values in making decisions. The editors feel that the more we make decisions that are consistent with our values, the better, more consistent and less stressful our decisions will be. From a cursory examination of some of the sources cited above, it may be observed that there are different levels (degrees?) of values. The values of an indigenous culture, for instance, are quite basic, whereas the values claimed by an organization in a developed country never mention such basic values and, instead, seem concerned with values that, although they require the implementation or fulfillment of 'indigenous' values, seem relatively esoteric by comparison. A brief discussion on the nature of value is available and from that webpage you can visit an exploration of Value Based Decision Making. Read, think and write for a while. Comments and suggestions to Gene Thomas, locator, editor, and assembler of the PrincipleWeb material, or Gerald Smith, Defender of Biodiversity and intercessor for Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (Che G.), both of NWAEG, University of Michigan Chapter. | 
