“Fifty-nine years ago, Costa Rica declared peace on the world, abolishing its armed forces, turning the musty rooms of its barracks into vibrant classrooms for its children. Twenty years ago, the moral force of our nation propelled five presidents to sit down at a table and sign an accord that would help all of Central America lay down its arms. Today, in Costa Rica and around the world, another type of war is raging, and another declaration of peace is necessary: we must declare Peace with Nature and abolish the forces that destroy it.”
Óscar Arias Sánchez
President of the Republic of Costa Rica
Launch of Peace with Nature Initiative
National Theater, San José 6 July 2007
On July 6, 2007, Nobel Peace Prize Winner and Costa Rican President Óscar Arias Sánchez declared “Peace with Nature,” presenting an ambitious local and global vision for aggressively integrating environmental responsibility and sustainable development into all aspects of government activities in Costa Rica, and challenging other countries’ to do the same. Specifically, Peace with Nature establishes:
- A strategy for Costa Rica to become carbon neutral by the year 2021;
- A requirement for all Costa Rican government bodies to design and implement environmental management plans;
- Strengthened policies toward increasing forest cover and protected areas;
- The inclusion of sustainable development principles and environmental education within Costa Rican public education learning and teaching programs.
Amigos of Costa Rica and our donors continue to provide much-needed support to this visionary program, as we believe Costa Rica can truly demonstrate to the world that Peace with Nature is possible. Please visit www.peacewithnature.org or download President Arias’ speech at the Peace with Nature launch event to learn more about the Peace with Nature program.
To donate to this program and help Costa Rica lead the world in Carbon Neutrality, click here and be sure to select Peace with Nature on the donation page.
