Human Responsibilities and 
the Charter of Human Responsibilities

Questionnaire / Interview

	

I am contacting you because I participate in an international process of debate and awareness raising on the notion of human responsibility. Our network consists of organisations and individuals (environmental organisations, journalists, activists for nonviolence, University professors etc.), from China, India, New Zealand, Lebanon, Egypt, Togo, Zimbabwe, France, Greece, Italy, Canada, the United States, Chile and Brazil.

In all of these countries, the people involved organise activity regarding the notion of responsibility : they organise education programmes in schools, debates and seminars, and publish pamphlets and books.

For Europe, in consultation with our partners in various European countries, we have chosen – at the outset – to record the opinions and positions of various social groups and professionals, concerning the subject of human responsibility. 

In this context, we invite you complete the following questionnaire. The results of this study will be displayed on our network’s web pages (http://allies.alliance21.org/charter) and will enable us to plan our next steps.

Providing your name and details is optional. We nevertheless request that you complete the spaces marked [*].
	
Surname :

	
First name :
		
Sex [*] :
		Age [*] :		
Profession
and/or 
Discipline [*] :
		
Organisation and position in the organisation [*] :

	
Postal address :

	
Tel. and/or fax :
		
E-mail address :

1		
When you hear the words “human responsibility”, what do they evoke for you ? Could you give a definition ?	

	
Or, if you wish, you could give some examples of responsibilities :
-	responsibilities in your personal life
-	responsibilities of other people or social groups / professionals.
Specify to whom / what you have this responsibility.	

	
Or give the first 5 words (or phrases) that come to mind when you hear the word “responsibility”.	

	
2		
What do you do in daily life to assume your own responsibilities ?
-	on a personal level	

	
-	on a professional level	

	
What would you like to do if you had the means ?	

	

What prevents you from doing it ?	

	
All around us there are a number of examples of failure to take responsibility.
In your opinion, what factors lead to a responsibility deficit ?	

	
3		

In daily life, do you think you have any responsibility in relation to matters that do not concern your family or professional life ?

It is a question of subjects such as racism towards immigrants, the war in Iraq, atmospheric pollution, climate change, corruption in the public sector, the wasting of water, unchecked urbanisation, food safety emergencies in Europe (mad cow disease),…

We suggest that, from the following themes, you choose that which you would like us to look at more closely together : international trade / the issue of corruption in the public sector.	

Let us take the example of international trade and in particular, the trade in orange juice. 

90% of annual orange juice production is consumed in Europe, Japan and the United States. More than 80% of the orange juice drunk in Europe comes from Brazil – the leading global producer. Germany, a country which does not produce oranges, is the world’s largest consumer by inhabitant : 21 litres per person per year.

Researchers have been able to measure the significant environmental impacts of orange juice production. The orange juice consumed in Germany makes a 12,000 km journey to go from Brazil (mainly the Sao Paulo region) to the place of use. The juice is concentrated to 8% of its original mass, then frozen to –18 degrees. The production of orange juice requires two main inputs : water and fuel oil. The fuel oil mainly serves to produce steam for the juice concentration process. In total, including freezing and transport, each tonne of orange juice requires around one hundred kilos of fuel oil. Further more, for every glass of juice consumed in Germany, about 22 glasses of water must be used mainly for the steam during concentration and then for dilution following arrival in Germany.

However the global impacts in terms of the consumption of water and energy resources are even more considerable, because this analysis does not take into account the energy and materials required to obtain the water and the fuel oil used in orange juice production. For example, the fact that refining one kilogram of diesel requires between 0.5 and 20 litres of water, should be included if one wanted to have a complete assessment. The materials and energy used in the production of pesticides, as well as the infinite amount of packaging, should also be taken into account. In any case, even without taking these factors into account a figure has been reached, in the case of Germany, of 25 kg of materials being used in the production of a single litre of orange juice.

Meanwhile, Germany produces blackcurrants, the vitamin C content of which is equivalent to that of an orange. Is it reasonable, from an environmental point of view, to promote the export of orange juice from Brazil ? 
		
Firstly, do you personally have any responsibility for the points raised in this article ?	

	
If yes, for whom / what ? why ?	

	
To whom / to what ?	

	
How far do you consider your responsibility to extend ?	

	
If you consider yourself to have no responsibility, then why ?	

	
In this case, who is (are) responsible ?	

	
To whom / to what ?	

	
Can you specify issues / problems of this kind, for which you think you have some responsibility ?
Can you give examples of actions that you take on these issues ?	

	
Up to what point is it possible to assume these responsibilities and act ?
What prevents you from doing more ?	

	
Is there a way of removing the obstacles that prevent you from doing more ?
If this is this case, what more would you have wanted to do ?	

	
4		
The “Charter of Human Responsibilities “ is a reference document, which was produced after a long process of consultation and dialogue, with the involvement of hundreds of people from every continent.
Take a few minutes to read the Charter’s principles.

THE CHARTER OF HUMAN RESPONSIBILITIES

  In order to face today’s challenges and those to come, it is just as important to unite in action as to value cultural diversity. 
  The dignity of each person necessitates that he contributes to the freedom and dignity of others. 
  Lasting peace cannot be achieved without a justice system that is respectful of dignity and human rights. 
  Abstract desires as well as material needs should be met in order to ensure human growth. 
  The exercise of power is only legitimate when it is placed at the service of the common good and is overseen by those who are subject to this power. 
  The consumption of natural resources to meet human needs should be integrated into a wider approach of active protection and prudent management of the environment. 
  The pursuit of prosperity cannot be separated from the equitable distribution of wealth. 
  The freedom of scientific research necessitates the acceptance of limitation by ethical criteria. 
  Knowledge and know-how only take on their full meaning through their distribution and use in the service of solidarity, justice and the culture of peace. 
  In decisions concerning short term priorities the precaution must be taken to assess the long term consequences with their risks and uncertainties.
	
Does a reference document of this type seem necessary to you ? useful ? relevant ? essential ?
Why ?	

	
What could it be used for ?	

A.	For example, among those who drew up this text, certain people believe that this Charter could be adopted by governments, local authorities and other organisations of this type, so that it serves as a binding document (like the Charter of Human rights).
What do you think about this ?

B.	Others believe that it would be more important for the Charter to be adopted by various groups of professionals (such as judges, urban planners, etc.). This text would therefore be binding on them in exercising their profession, as in the example of the Hippocratic Oath in the case of doctors.
What do you think about this ?

C.	Still more people believe that this text should, quite simply, serve to raise awareness and educate young people and adults, so that they become more responsible in their daily lives. For example, our partners in Brazil are involved in educational projects on the notion of responsibility, being run in a few thousand of the country’s schools.
What do you think about this ?

	
In your opinion, does this Charter seem relevant ?
Can it be criticised ? On what points ? Why ?
Do you think that there are points which should be amended ? added ?	

	
Can we display your name and details when the summary of the interviews is presented ? (on the web and in a publication)	
Yes		No		Partially – name only / e-mail / … 
Please specify		

Thank you for your contribution !

ANNEX : INTRODUCTORY ARTICLE FOR QUESTION No 3 : 

Greece, the country where laws are not applied

Our problem is not the lack of laws. We have them! The problem is that we do not apply them. In our country, where “by tradition” private and corporate importance go before that of the citizen, there are a large number of legislative rules that remain dead letter laws.

As individuals, we build constructions that do not comply with urban planning law, or we commit plenty of other illegal acts with the excuse that most people around us do the same thing.
As the executive power, we do not respect the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal or of the Constitutional Council and, indirectly, we undermine our own authority.
As a member state of the European Union, we often legislate because our membership of the EU requires it, although afterwards these very laws are not applied or respected by us. 
As the political power, we allow private individuals to serve their own interests and we lose all credibility in the eyes of public opinion.

Urban planning legislation has been violated in our country, not only by individuals in close collaboration with public sector employees, but also by the political authorities themselves. The state itself rewards those who commit illegal acts by treating them the same as those who respect the law. The most striking example of this attitude is the legalisation of illegal constructions : houses built without a construction permit, on land belonging to the state, in protected zones,  in coastal zones, or forests. There are more than a million constructions of this type, which have been legalised by adopted decrees, most often during the months preceding legislative elections, in return for a fairly small fine. 

The jurisdiction of the Constitutional Court provides concrete examples of the state’s own responsibility for actions which worsen the damage to the environment. In 2002, while considering the preamble of a Presidential Decree on land use planning on the island of Naxos (an island very popular with tourists), the Constitutional Council noted that entire paragraphs in the Decree did “not comply with the law”. The Decree provided for the designation of protection zones comprising salt marshes, all along the coast, where construction would not be permitted. Nevertheless, the Council commented that the Decree provided exceptions for certain tourist zones, despite the fact that they met all the conditions for being protected. The Council believed that this step “legalised”, after the event, the destruction of ecosystems which had already occurred, precisely because of the Public Administration’s accommodating attitude.