Background Information
At the Brisbane Earth Dialogues Forum in July 2006, President Gorbachev and Alexander Likhotal (President and CEO of Green Cross International) signed an agreement with Queensland Premier Peter Beattie and Lord Mayor Campbell Newman to establish a Secretariat for Green Cross International in Brisbane.
Green Cross Australia was launched on 14 June 2007 in Brisbane to foster a global values shift and through practical projects in Australia and its region by promoting a peaceful, just and sustainable future. We believe that responding to global problems requires a balanced and holistic approach with co-operation across governments, industries and communities to ensure the equitable distribution of resources. We are committed to the global program initiatives of Green Cross International through our project focus areas:
• Environmental restoration
• Environmental peace building
• Avenues for action
National programs
Earth Charter Children's Poster Competition
The aim of this competition is to not only raise awareness of the Earth Charter as an educational tool but also to acknowledge the achievements of Queensland schools as they work towards creating a more peaceful, just and sustainable future.
The 16 winning entries will be published as part of the new Queensland version of the Earth Charter Children's poster.
International programs
2008 Climate Refugee Consensus Conference
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), sea levels are rising faster than predicted with potentially disastrous humanitarian consequences. The IPCC has warned that “By the middle of the century, more than 200 million people could have been forced from their native lands by rising sea levels, floods and droughts, with many more facing early deaths from malnutrition and heat stress.”
Most of the dislocation is predicted to occur in the Asia-Pacific Region. Green Cross’ 2008 Climate Refugee Consensus Conference will prepare Australia for the dislocation of people resulting from sea level and temperature rise in the region.
