The Chosen Generation . . . Ours




“Truly, my dear young friends, you are a chosen generation. I hope you will never forget it. I hope you will never take it for granted. I hope there will grow in your hearts an overpowering sense of gratitude to God, who has made it possible for you to come upon the earth in this marvelous season of the world’s history.” ~Gordon B. Hinckley (1910 – )

“The present student generation – my grandchildren’s generation – has been born to set right a time that is out of joint by carrying through this historic revolution in the constitution of human affairs. Your task is going to be as difficult as it is urgent, but do not react as Hamlet did. Do not resent your destiny as a ‘cursed spite’. Please welcome it as a unique opportunity. No previous generation has had this opportunity, and no later generation is likely to have it; for, if your generation is successful, the survival of mankind will have been secured, and if you fail, you may have no successor.” ~Arnold Toynbee

“We stand at a critical moment in Earth’s history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise. To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny. We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations . . . The choice is ours: form a global partnership to care for Earth and one another or risk the destruction of ourselves and the diversity of life. Fundamental changes are needed in our values, institutions, and ways of living. We must realize that when basic needs have been met, human development is primarily about being more, not having more. We have the knowledge and technology to provide for all and to reduce our impacts on the environment. The emergence of a global civil society is creating new opportunities to build a democratic and humane world. Our environmental, economic, political, social, and spiritual challenges are interconnected, and together we can forge inclusive solutions . . . As never before in history, common destiny beckons us to seek a new beginning . . . Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace, and the joyful celebration of life.” ~from the Earth Charter

 

Keywords : world history, chosen generation, ecosocial crisis, civilization, sustainability, change, peace, justice
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