Alliance Resolution in Support of the Chambersburg Declaration
and the Community Rights Work of CELDF
The Steering Committee of the Alliance for Sustainable Communities-Lehigh Valley endorses the Chambersburg Declaration of February 20, 2010 and the community rights work of the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF). Specifically, we hereby endorse efforts to:
- Create a network of people committed to securing the right to local, community self-government, the reversal of political, legal, and cultural doctrines that interfere with that right, and the creation of a new system and doctrines that support that right;
- Call upon the people and elected officials across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to convene a larger gathering of delegates representing their municipal communities, who will propose constitutional changes to secure the right of local, community self-government; and
- Create a people’s movement that will result in these changes to the Pennsylvania Constitution.
And in furtherance of our endorsement of the Chambersburg Declaration, we pledge to:
- Publicize the Chambersburg Declaration and our endorsement of it;
- Host CELDF Democracy Schools as a means of providing all in the Greater Lehigh Valley with the needed understanding for informed involvement in this effort; and
- Encourage other organizations and individuals in the Greater Lehigh Valley to endorse the Chambersburg Declaration and to host CELDF Democracy Schools.
Adopted May 14, 2010 by the Steering Committee of the Alliance for Sustainable Communities-Lehigh Valley: Martin Boksenbaum, Suzie Buller, Steve Hoog, Joris Rosse, Chiharu Tokura, Andrea Wittchen
We have already:
- Posted the Chambersburg Declaration and background information about it on the Alliance website.
- Hosted an April 17, 2010 presentation by Ben Price of CELDF on “Fighting for the Right to Become Sustainable”
- Hosted a Democracy School on Nov 5 & 6, 2010, in Allentown. Co-sponsored by Lehigh Valley Earth Day, LEPOCO Peace Center, and Sustainable Business Network-Lehigh Valley.