The principles of Environmental Justice were adopted at the First
National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit, Washington DC,
October 1991.
The following statement was issued:
We, the People of Color, gathered together at this multinational
People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit, to begin to build a
national and international movement of all peoples of color to fight
the destruction and taking of our lands and communities, do hereby
re-establish our spiritual interdependence to the sacredness of our
Mother Earth; to respect and celebrate each of our cultures,
languages and beliefs about the natural world and our roles in
healing ourselves; to insure environmental justice; to promote
economic alternatives which would contribute to the development of
environmentally safe livelihoods; and to secure our political,
economic and cultural liberation that has been denied for over 500
years of colonization and oppression, resulting in the poisoning of
our communities and land and the genocide of our peoples, do affirm
and adopt these Principles of Environmental Justice.
Environmental Justice affirms the sacredness of Mother Earth,
ecological unity and the interdependence of all species, and the
right to be free from ecological destruction.
Environmental Justice demands that public policy be based on
mutual respect and justice for all peoples, free from any form
of discrimination or bias.
Environmental Justice mandates the right to ethical, balanced
and responsible uses of land and renewable resources in the
interest of a sustainable planet for humans and other living
things.
Environmental Justice calls for universal protection from
nuclear testing, extraction, production and disposal of
toxic/hazardous wastes and poisons and nuclear testing that
threaten the fundamental right to clean air, land, water and
food.
Environmental Justice affirms the fundamental right to
political, economic, cultural and environmental
self-determination of all peoples.
Environmental Justice demands the cessation of production of all
toxins, hazardous wastes, and radioactive materials, and that
all past and current producers be held strictly accountable to
the people for detoxification and the containment at the point
of production.
Environmental Justice demands the right to participate as equal
partners at every level of decision-making including needs
assessment, planning, implementation, enforcement and
evaluation.
Environmental Justice affirms the right of all workers to a safe
and healthy work environment, without being forced to choose
between an unsafe livelihood and unemployment. It also affirms
the right of those who work at home to be free from
environmental hazards.
Environmental Justice protects the right of victims of
environmental injustice to receive full compensation and
reparations for damages as well as quality health care.
Environmental Justice considers governmental acts of
environmental injustice a violation of international law, the
Universal Declaration On Human Rights, and the UN Convention on
Genocide.
Environmental Justice must recognize a special legal and natural
relationship of Native Peoples to the US government through
treaties, agreements, compacts, and covenants affirming
sovereignty and self-determination.
Environmental Justice affirms the need for urban and rural
ecological policies to clean up and rebuild our cities and rural
areas in balance with nature, honoring the cultural integrity of
all our communities, and providing fair access for all to the
full range of resources.
Environmental Justice calls for the strict enforcement of
principles of informed consent, and a halt to the testing of
experimental reproductive and medical procesures and
vaccinations on people of color.
Environmental Justice opposes the destructive operations of
multi-national corporations.
Environmental Justice opposes military occupation, repression
and exploitation of lands, peoples and cultures, and other life
forms.
Environmental Justice calls for the education of present and
future generations which emphasizes social and environmental
issues, based on our experience and an appreciation of our
diverse cultural perspectives.
Environmental Justice requires that we, as individuals, make
personal and consumer choices to consume as little of Mother
Earth's resources and produce as little waste as possible; and
make the conscious decision to challenge and reprioritize our
lifestyles to insure the health of the natural world for present
and future generations.
