ICLEI - Local Governments for
Sustainability is an association of over 1220
local government Members who are committed to sustainable development.
Our Members come from 70 different countries and represent more
than 569,885,000 people.
ICLEI is an international association of local governments as well as national
and regional local government organizations who have made a commitment to
sustainable development.
ICLEI provides technical consulting, training, and information services to build capacity, share knowledge, and support local government in the implementation of sustainable development at the local level. Our basic premise is that locally designed initiatives can provide an effective and cost-efficient way to achieve local, national, and global sustainability objectives.
Founded in 1990
ICLEI was founded in 1990 as the 'International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives'. The Council was established when more than 200 local governments from 43 countries convened at our inaugural conference, the World Congress of Local Governments for a Sustainable Future, at the United Nations in New York.
About the name
The organization's name is 'ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability'. In 2003, ICLEI's Members voted to revise the organization's mission, charter and name to better reflect the current challenges local governments are facing. The 'International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives' became 'ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability' with a broader mandate to address sustainability issues.
Town Officers and March 18, 2011
Members of the Town Council
Town of Abingdon, VA
Dear Mayor Morgan, Vice Mayor Lowe,
Council Members Berry, Howard and Humphreys:
These past many months, what is commonly referred to as “Sustainable Development” and “Smart Growth” have come under fresh scrutiny throughout the Commonwealth and across the country. Our Southwest Virginia consortium of citizen activists have consulted extensively with the pre-eminent East Coast expert on Sustainable Development, Tom DeWeese from the American Policy Center as well as Dr. Martin Mangino, FS/VCU with the organization VA Scientists and Engineers for Energy and Environment.There is much that we have learned through this process, most of which is alarming. Our foremost concern that we bring to your attention is the partnership of the Town of Abingdon with the organization ICLEI.
Under Article 1 Sec 10 of the US Constitution, States are prohibited
from implementing foreign political initiatives and engaging in Treaties,
Alliances or Confederations. Specifically we are talking about your support and
implementation of the United Nations Agenda 21-Sustainable Development under
direction of an NGO called ICLEI (International Council on Local Environmental
Initiatives, now also known as ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability) which
clearly appears to violate constitutionally imposed limitations upon your legal
authority.
• As a member of ICLEI, the ICLEI Charter is explicitly accepted. (Charter 2.5) Local government is authorized to operate under the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia, not the Charter of a UN accredited NGO.
• Under the ICLEI Charter and By-Laws: Charter 1.6 Representation Mandate: "ICLEI shall serve as an international representative for its members and campaign participants by providing advocacy before national and international governments ..."
• Charter 1.7 Adopt the Earth Charter Principles. The Earth Charter (authored by Mikhail Gorbachev, Maurice Strong and Steven Rockefeller) violates American principles including sovereignty and protection of unalienable rights.
Is the Abingdon Town Council familiar with both the ICLEI Charter and the Earth Charter? If you are not familiar with these documents, we assure you that abundant information is available online and at your disposal.
From the website http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=global-themes ICLEI makes clear reference to Agenda 21…
International
Goals
Our programs, and projects promote participatory, long-term, strategic planning
process that address local sustainability while protecting global common
goods. This approach links local action to internationally
agreed-upon goals and targets such as: Agenda 21
We must also inquire if Council members are familiar with Agenda 21?
Sources: Compiled and collated from IISD, Estonia21,
ICLEI and others.
http://www.gdrc.org/uem/la21/background.html
What is "Local Agenda 21"? Local Agenda 21 is the mandate to local governments to translate the United Nations Action Plan for the 21st century (Agenda 21) to the local level.
So how did Local Agenda 21 come about?
In 1987, the Brundtland Commission produced a report entitled Our Common Future. Five years later, in 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) brought 179 heads of governments together in Rio de Janeiro. It focused world attention on critical issues of sustainability and natural resources, and mapped out a plan of action for future global partnership to achieve concrete goals.
Agenda 21 was one of five documents produced:
The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
A statement of principles to guide sustainable management of forests
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
The Convention on Biological Diversity
Agenda 21
We further reference the ICLEI Declaration of Commitment. (http://www.iclei.org/documents/Global/governance/Council/ICLEI_Council_Declaration_of_Commitment.pdf)
The ICLEI papers we were provided in accord with our FOYI
request states: The theme of “social justice”, “the common good” and / or
“social equity” is prevalent throughout. At the United Nations Conference on
Human Settlements HABITAT I Vancouver 1976 the globalist view of ‘Social
Justice’ was defined:
Accordingly, to the extent that the Town is partnered with ICLEI, you have violated your oath of office by implementing foreign policies that are clearly inconsistent with the Constitution of Virginia and of the US Constitution. Article 1 §10 of the Constitution of the United States of America states: "NO STATE shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation..." As a political subdivision of the state, you are bound by the same prohibition.
Given what we have come to learn about this organization, we have provided you with extensive proof that ICLEI is, in fact, a key component of a globalist organization designed to abolish the political recognition of every individual’s natural rights including the right to use and enjoy private property.
We therefore recommend and strongly feel that the following
actions must be taken by the Town Council:
We understand the distinction between the commonly accepted perception of Sustainable Development and as such, some of the commendable pursuits credited with some of these programs. Here we must be clear: our complaint has nothing to do with responsible stewardship of our natural resources. It has nothing to do with the Farmers Market, clean water or other programs designed to help local farmers. Our objection is to the implementation of ICLEI goals which the Town of Abingdon has adopted since 2008.
If the town of Abingdon fails to rescind all actions taken in connection with its relationship with ICLEI, it is our duty and mission to inform the public of this willful violation of the Constitution. The extensive waste of tax revenue to staff and fund the training, programs, meetings, seminars and ongoing implementation of ICLEI directives that infiltrate every department of local government including salaries of town employees working on ICLEI propositions, travel of town officers and employees, office supplies used in whole or in part for ICLEI projects is guaranteed to be unpopular with taxpayers.
Be assured that we will continue to pursue this matter.
Sincerely,
Catherine Turner
SWVA Tea Party Patriots, Abingdon / Bristol
Abingdon Resident
Board of Directors
National Treasurer
The 10th Amendment Foundation, Inc.
Town Citizen
CC: Deborah Icenhour, Greg Kelly, Jim Cowart