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.

We have already:

·     Posted the Chambersburg Declaration and background information about it on the Alliance website: Home » In-Depth » Democracy » Community Rights » Rights Networking

·     Hosted an April 17, 2010 presentation by Ben Price of CELDF on “Fighting for the Right to Become Sustainable”