Dear Reader,​
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How often does a forest bird introduce you to a Māori elder from your birth country?

Earlier this month, I travelled to the Earth Charter 25+ celebrations at The Hague, in the Netherlands, including a day hosted at the Peace Palace—home of the International Court of Justice. The three-day event, brilliantly hosted by Earth Charter Netherlands and Earth Charter International, brought together Indigenous leaders, youth activists, artists, storytellers and musicians, educators, interfaith voices, legal experts and Earth Charter elders from around the world.

It was a moving celebration of the Earth Charter’s enduring call for care, education, peace, ecological integrity, and interspecies and intergenerational justice. It is extremely difficult to share all the wonderful contributions, music, storytelling and experiences. My husband Martin, Haumea friends Caitriona, Niamh, Mary, and Jonathan, all took inspiration in different ways.

But one of the most powerful moments for me started long before I arrived.

[Phone Recording of NZ Kōkako birdsong sent to me by Rhys Jones and how I connected with Pauline Tangiora] This Kōkako led me to a moment I will never forget. 🌿

A rare NZ bird connects me to a Māori Earth Charter Elder

Months earlier, I received a phone alert—a recording from my New Zealand friend and former science colleague, Dr Rhys Jones. It was the haunting song of the kōkako, a rare, endangered, and ancient forest bird native to Aotearoa New Zealand. I still miss the beautiful birdsong-forest soundscapes to this day.

Rhys was in a native forest in the North Island of New Zealand, northeast of Rotorua, on a restoration field trip with his Tuateawa Coromandel community. While on that walk, he met a neighbour of Māori elder Pauline Tangiora—someone I had long wanted to thank. That neighbour kindly agreed to print and cycle over my message to Pauline, who had been part of the original Earth Charter Commission working group in the mid-1990s at The Hague.

Weeks later on a dark winter Irish night, my phone rang.
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A frail voice said: “Is that Cathy Fitzgerald? This is Pauline Tangiora."

I was stunned. It is often hard as a Pākehā (European New Zealander) to gain access to a Māori elder without a proper introduction.

We spoke briefly. Her voice was frail but alert. I could tell she was intrigued that a Kiwi far from home was working with the Earth Charter in Ireland-with her deep commitment to her iwi and the ocean-facing land of Māhia, she may have been quietly wondering how I could live so far from my beautiful birthplace.

I didn’t explain that I was living in the land of my Irish ancestors—as I wasn’t sure how long we’d have to talk. So instead, I asked if anyone from her iwi (tribal community) might be continuing her Earth Charter advocacy, and whether a te reo Māori translation might be meaningful, especially for the upcoming Earth Charter 25+ celebrations.

This had been on my mind. I had recently encouraged Irish artist and Gaeilgeoir Phoebe Cope to translate both the Earth Charter and The Little Earth Charter for Irish citizens, schools and communities and the wider Irish diaspora. When the Earth Charter launched in 2000, it was translated into 65 languages—to make its values locally relevant across the globe.

But I also knew how complex this question was. Māori don’t need the Earth Charter—they already live by a deep, spiritually and ecologically fluent cosmology. Still, I asked, because I believe Indigenous wisdom is urgently needed—especially by non-Māori New Zealanders, as mainstream education rarely prioritises essential ecological knowledge.

Her reply was hard to hear, but I believe she said Māori were busy. I understood. Amid rising far right-wing politics in New Zealand, Māori communities are still working hard for cultural recognition, justice, and respect for Waitangi Treaty rights—there is much to carry.

The call was short. But she was clear:
She wanted me to reconnect her with Mirian Vilela, the CEO of Earth Charter International.

They did connect.

And weeks later, I was stunned to hear that Pauline was determined to fly from Aotearoa to be present at the Earth Charter 25+ celebrations.

I was shocked—and concerned. I knew she used a wheelchair, and I was to find out at the conference that she is 87!

But she made it.

And as a fierce and deeply experienced peace and Indigenous peoples' activist, she lit a fire in us all!

And I was thrilled -she had heard me. She brought

• the Māori translation of the Earth Charter, prepared by her daughter
• her son as her travel companion, and he was deeply moved to witness his mother's international activism for the first time
• and a powerful video message from her 5-year-old great-grandson:

Sitting beside retired Irish teacher Caitríona Boyle, we both felt Pauline's fluent intergenerational wisdom deeply—this is what must be prioritised in education and policy now.

The Earth Charter continues to inspire eco-social law developments

I also had the great good fortune to have remarkable informal Earth Law conversations with others from the Asia-Pacific region: long-time Earth Charter legal scholars and educators, including Prof. Klaus Bosselmann of Auckland University (his books on Earth Trusteeship point to where environmental law for the commons is heading), his partner Paris Accord and Pacific Island legal advisor Prue Taylor, and Neshan Gunasekera from Sri Lanka, the new CEO of the World Future Council (of which Pauline is also treasured Honorary member - like Pauline and myself, Neshan brought a Sri Lankan translation for the Earth CHarter 25+ celebrations).

​Klaus and Neshan's keynotes at The Peace Palace highlighted the Earth Charter’s influence on 27+ other international legal instruments. And all three have been deeply involved in advancing Earth Charter concepts like ecological integrity, intergenerational justice in the more recent Hague Principles for a Universal Declaration on Responsibilities for Human Rights and Earth Trusteeship (2018) and for promoting awareness and governmental mechanisms for Earth Trusteeship for global governance of the commons. They alerted me to significant climate law from youth Peace activists from the Pacific from The Peace Palace that have been in the news in the days since the Earth Charter conference ( I will be sharing much more with my Haumea Ecoversity community members as this encompasses Rights for Nature and developing laws against ecocide crime).

Why this moment matters

Over the past two decades, the Earth Charter has gained steady recognition as a foundational values-based framework to help people gain an ecological worldview in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). It is endorsed by organisations such as UNESCO and the IUCN and its integrated vision and ecological language and concepts—combining ecological integrity, peace, social justice, and interspecies and intergenerational responsibility—have become increasingly vital in a time of escalating global crisis.

And now, this vision is finding new relevance through the emerging Global Ethical Stocktake—a landmark call leading up to the UN COP30 climate summit in Brazil (10–21 November 2025). This call seeks to bring ethics, values, and conscience from many interfaith, Indigenous and peace communities to the heart of global discussions for ecological integrity, and interspecies and intergenerational justice.

I mentioned the Earth Charter Position Paper for the Global Ethical Stocktake in my last newsletter, you can read it here It is also great to hear the global Laudato Si movement, promoted by the late Pope Francis' much respected ecological encyclical, is also involved.

And in Ireland, all of this work feels especially close. Mary Robinson launches Interwoven - Fite Fuaite - a collaborative, creative quilt for COP 30 in Brazil

Mary Robinson, former Irish President, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and former Chair and member of the Elders, has been appointed European Convenor for the Global Ethical Stocktake dialogues. She hosted the first gathering in London just days before the Earth Charter 25+ celebrations.

Mary is also inviting all living in Ireland and the Irish diaspora to participate in her Project Dandelion's 'Interwoven-Fite Fuaite'—a collective 'storytelling' quilt that will be brought into the negotiation space at COP30. It is a creative invitation to foster community and organisation conversations to make visible what truly matters.
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​Thinking, creating and acting with the ecological insight of 'Interdependence - fite fuaite' is foundational to the Earth Charter and you can see 'Interdependence - Fite Fuaite' is the second principle of the Children's Little Earth Charter too. ​
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​I was fortunate in late May to co-present with community artist Angelina Foster on the Earth Charter's work to upskill the Irish creative sector at Mary Robinson's 2025 Courage in Crisis Conference in her hometown of Ballina. We shared how the Earth Charter activated community artists like Angelina Foster and her creative collaborator to explore our ecological interdependence, with youth theatre groups, schools, for biodiversity projects, for Tidy Towns and Men's sheds. I also shared my work of the Earth Charter now frames the Irish Green Party's Art and Heritage policy too.​
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Angelina was delighted to share that, earlier in May 2025, two youth theatre groups from Kildare presented their 'Earth Charter Prayer Flags', banners, and a 10-minute Earth Charter–inspired play to the Irish Seanad. The play, set during a mock local authority council meeting debating development along the River Athy, featured public representatives defending the river and its biodiversity. Speaking on behalf of future generations, they powerfully quoted from the Earth Charter to make their case.

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​R​ead ​ more about and join Project Dandelion's Interwoven - Fite Fuaite here​
[Please note that the dimensions for submitted squares for the quilt are to be created in cms, not inches
- I've been alerted that there is an error on the new website.

"Interwoven / Fite Fuaite is a collaborative project led by Project Dandelion in association with The Mary Robinson Centre.

It brings this vision to life in story: a quilt of squares from climate and nature groups across Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Each square represents a unique effort, from land restoration to education, and together, they form a symbol of solidarity.

The finished quilt will travel to COP30 in Brazil, carrying a shared message from Ireland to the world."

Other much-needed voices at COP30 in Brazil

From what I’m sensing, COP30 in November 2025 may become as historically significant as the UN Stockholm Conference (1972) and the Rio Earth Summit (1992). While Indigenous peoples, interfaith leaders, and civil society groups have long fought for recognition at the UN, it now appears they may be more meaningfully centred than ever before.

This is vital. It is becoming clear to more people that scientific facts, policy targets, setting goals and green technologies do not foster the ecological worldview we need—one grounded in care, responsibility, and long-term commitment to ecological integrity and intergenerational justice.

We may see a serious reckoning with life-honouring principles that call us to:

🌍 Care and respect for the community of life​
🌱 Recognise that all life—not just human life—is sacred​
🕊️ Interweave democracy, peace, and justice across generations and species

Shifting away from the dominant human- and economics-first mindset will not be easy—especially in today’s volatile political climate. These ways of thinking have been deeply embedded in dominant cultures for millennia.

But we must support efforts that guide us toward a more just, harmonious, and life-sustaining world—particularly now, as the rule of law is being eroded in so many places.

Let us remember: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights emerged from the collective trauma and resolve of the post–Second World War era.

Today, we face a planetary emergency that demands a response just as urgent and far-reaching—an ethical call for ecological integrity, social fairness, and intergenerational justice.

We cannot afford to ignore the principles that expand our capacity to act wisely, with Earth’s community of life in mind—and in heart.

PS 🕊️ Interested in the ideas in this newsletter? At Haumea Ecoversity, we offer community for transformative ecoliteracy learning and incredible peer support. Mentoring (online and in-person) and ecoliteracy training workshops to help you bring these powerful ideas into your creative, third-level education institution or organisation.

🌿 Join the waitlist for our Haumea Ecoversity Autumn 2025 Community Membership intake​
You’ll be first to hear Early Bird announcements and places are limited
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👉 Click here to add your name to Haumea Ecoversity Community Membership waitlist​
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​Haumea Ecoversity empowers creatives, educators, researchers, and cultural leaders with holistic, transformative ecoliteracy—helping them respond to today’s ecological and social challenges with clarity, care, and creativity.

Founded by Dr Cathy Fitzgerald, and drawing on her pioneering ecosocial art project The Hollywood Forest Story, her PhD (The Ecological Turn, NCAD 2018), and postdoctoral work with Earth Charter International, Haumea offers peer-to-peer learning grounded in the UNESCO-endorsed Earth Charter.

In collaboration with philosopher Dr Nikos Patedakis (California, DangerousWisdom.org we’ve supported 400+ learners through innovative ecopedagogy and mentoring—many now leading impactful, values-based work across Ireland and internationally.

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