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Fondazione Sorella Natura: objectives, activities and instruments

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FSN – Nature and AimsFrom the FSN Statute:

Article 1 - Constitution A foundation named “SORELLA NATURA” was constituted (established in 1991 as an Association, constituted in 2001 as a Foundation), with head offices in Assisi.

Delegations and offices may be set up both in Italy and abroad.

The Foundation is non-profit and cannot distribute income.

Article 2 - Aims The Foundation works for the development of cultural and environmental education inspired by the message of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Article 3 - Institutional or cultural relationshipsWith respect to its own institutional autonomy and in compliance with laws in force, the Foundation may collaborate with other institutions.

For the performance of its activities, the Foundation may stipulate agreements with Institutions, Associations and Public and Private Bodies

Within the full autonomy of its activities, the Foundation, may also establish relationships with national and international scientific bodies and institutions in order to achieve its aim.

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FSN – The OrganisationFSN has leading exponents of social, political, economical and scientific life at the top of its structure and is articulated at a territorial level in national, regional and sectional delegations.

President Roberto Leoni - Ministery of Education – Counsellor of the Ministry

Honorary PresidentOscar Andrés Rodriguez Maradiaga – Cardinal of Catholic ChurchAntonio Baldassarre - Emeritus President of the Constitutional Court

Scientific CommitteePresident : Enrico Garaci - President Federal board of Health Co-ordinator : Francesco Bistoni – Magnificent Rector University of Perugia

College of the ProbiviriPresident : Manlio Sodi – President Pontificia Accademia di Teologia

International Jury for the EnvironmentPresident : Antonio Baldassarre - Emeritus President of the Constitutional Court

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Religious GIOVANNI BATTISTA RE, Cardinal of S.R.C. and Prefect of the Bishop’s Congregation ALDO BRUNACCI, Canon of the Cathedral of Assisi ENRICHETTA CASA, Vic. Gen. Elizabethan Sisters of the B. L.of Casoria VINCENZO COLI, Guardian of Basilica of S. Francis, Assisi AGOSTINO GARDIN, Emeritus General Minister OFM Conv. PIERO GHEDDO, Pont. Instit. Missions NICOLA GIANDOMENICO, OFM Conv. ENZO FORTUNATO, OFM Conv., Spokesman of the Sacred Convent of Saint Francis, Assisi MANLIO SODI, Dean Faculty of Teology Pont. University Salesian GIANMARIA POLIDORO, OFM, Guardian of the Chiesa Nuova in Assisi ARCANGELO ZUCCHI, OFM, President MO.FRA. Lombardy Lays

GABRIELE ALBERTINI, Mayor of Milan GIORGIO BARTOLINI, Mayor of Assisi DIANA BRACCO, President Federchimica FRANCESCO CESARINI, University Professor “S.Cuore”, Milan MASSIMO COLOMBAN, Khyoto Club President GIULIO COZZARI, President Province of Perugia FERRUCCIO DE BORTOLI, Directore IL SOLE 24 ORE ERNESTO GALLI DELLA LOGGIA, Professor. University of Perugia GUIDO GENTILI, Editor “IL Sole 24Ore” GIANFRANCO FAINA, President CONAI – National Packing Consortium RITA LORENZETTI, President Umbria Region ROBERTO MAZZOTTA, President - Banca Popolare di Milano PAOLO MIELI, Director CORRIERE della SERA GUIDO POSSA, Vice Minister M.I.U.R. MAURO SAVIOLA, President - Saviola Group MAURIZIO SELLA, President A.B.I. – Italian Banking Association WALTER VELTRONI, Mayor of Rome

Members (persons):Meritorious

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FSN – Institutional SupportThe Foundation can count on wide recognition both in Catholic and Lay ambits at the highest institutional levels.Pope John Paul II and the President of the Italian Republic appreciate the Foundation’s aims and activities.

18 May 1998, Rome Palazzo del Quirinale: meeting between the President of the Republic, Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, with Father Agostino Gardin, Honorary President, Roberto Leoni, President, of SORELLA NATURA and several representatives of the brotherhood.

26 November 2003, Rome, Vatican City: honouring Pope

John Paul II in the XXV year of his Papacy.

Gift of the print, in facsimile edition, of “MANUSCRIPT 338”,

which contains the most ancient Franciscan texts, among

which the first writing of the Canticle of the Creatures.

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3 October 2003, Assisi: The Magnificent Rector of the

Pontificia University “Regina Apostolorum” in Rome,

P. Paolo Scarafoni, L.C., intervenes during

National Nature Day.

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FSN – The UniversityThe Foundation uses the support of authoritative persons from the academic world, such as Francesco Bistoni - Rector of the University of Perugia - and Paolo Scarafoni, Rector of the Pontificia University “Regina Apostolorum” in Rome.

3 October 2003, Assisi: The Magnificent Rector of the University of

Perugia, Professor Francesco Bistoni, intervenes during National

Nature Day.

 

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Wise EcologyWise Ecology Joint EconomyJoint Economy Sustainable DevelopmentSustainable Development

Member prestige and visibilityMember prestige and visibility

Wise EcologyWise Ecology Joint EconomyJoint Economy Sustainable DevelopmentSustainable Development

Member prestige and visibilityMember prestige and visibility

Become a member Become a member of the foundation or of the foundation or

Partner/Sponsor Partner/Sponsor of a single activityof a single activity

Meetings on ethical financeMeetings on ethical finance International environment awardsInternational environment awards Cultural events/exhibitions/concertsCultural events/exhibitions/concerts School campaigns on the environmentSchool campaigns on the environment Magazines and iconographyMagazines and iconography Specials in newspapersSpecials in newspapers Website and newsletterWebsite and newsletter……....

Meetings on ethical financeMeetings on ethical finance International environment awardsInternational environment awards Cultural events/exhibitions/concertsCultural events/exhibitions/concerts School campaigns on the environmentSchool campaigns on the environment Magazines and iconographyMagazines and iconography Specials in newspapersSpecials in newspapers Website and newsletterWebsite and newsletter……....

STRENGTHEN STRENGTHEN THE “VALUES” THE “VALUES” OF THE BRANDOF THE BRAND

FSN - Become a Member

88INITIATIVES AND ACTIVITIES

MAIN PROJECTS

Ambientiamoci e Scuola -

Sister Nature International Award

Manuscript 338

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The SORELLA NATURA Foundation, following its aim of diffusing a correct environmental culture, with the scope of making the national and international community aware of the more mandatory themes of joint economy and sustainable development, has established the:

INTERNATIONAL AWARD

SORELLA NATURAFOR JOINT ECONOMY

AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The Award is assigned annually.The prize-giving ceremony normally takes place on 29 November:

GIORNATA DELLA CUSTODIA del CREATO

In memory of and honouring Saint Francis of Assisi - sublime poet of the created - who on 3 October 1226 wanted to die "nudo sulla nuda terra” (nude on the nude earth), in this way giving all mankind, an everlasting lesson, a just relationship between Mankind and Nature, which believers of all religions, call, Created.

FSN -Sorella NaturaInternational Award

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2002 BINE ABIDINE BEN ALÌ - President of the Republic of Tunisia 2003People

RICCARDO MUTI - Artistic Director at the Teatro alla Scala Corporations and Institutional

CORRIERE DELLA SERA FONDAZIONE CARIPLO (CARIPLO FOUNDATON)FORZE ARMATE ITALIANE (ITALIAN ARMED FORCES)PONTIFICIA UNIVERSITÀ Regina Apostolorum

 2004People

LEONELLO RADI - founder of Nemetria Foundation

 Corporations and InstitutionalCORPO FORESTALE DELLO STATO ITALIANO (ITALIAN FOREST RANGERS)BANCO INTER AMERICANO DI SVILUPPOREPUBBLICA DELL’HONDURAS (REPUBLIC OF HONDURAS)

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Sorella Natura Prize winners

S. Em. Rev.ma Card. Giovanni Battista Re presents the SORELLA NATURA International Award to the Magnificent Rector of the Pontifica University Lateranense “Regina Apostolorum”, in Rome, chiar.mo Prof. P. Paolo Scarafoni, L.C.

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FSN –“Manuscript 338”

The Canticle of the Creatures.

Anastatic reprint of Manuscript 338, ff.33r-34r, XIII century,

Library of the Holy Convent of Saint Francis, Assisi

The Sorella Natura Foundation has printed “Manuscript 338” in facsimile edition (for the first time in eight centuries). This contains the first writing of the Canticle of the Creatures and the most ancient Franciscan texts.

The official presentation took place at the Pontificia University Lateranense in Rome, on 11 May 2004.

950 copies were printed, numbered and authenticated on canvas; 99 copies on leather.The edition, which is not for sale, is reserved for members.

The first copy was given to Pope John Paul II.

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Manuscript 338 “Returning Forward”

Presentation by Roberto Leoni (President Sorella Natura Foundation)The Sorella Natura Foundation, following the development and diffusion of Saggia Ecologia (Wise Ecology), inspired by the message of Saint Francis of Assisi, on one hand is looking for maximum ethical and scientific severity in treating the problems of sustainable development and environmental protection and, on the other, i poses the problem of a serious recovery of the deepest roots of the correct Mankind-Created relationship, interpreted in a sublime manner by Francis in the Canticle of the Creatures. The motto, in conclusion, is returning forward!If we do not recover the deepest and most authentic values of wisdom and universal ethics we men of the third Christian millennium, risk running without knowing where we are going, just like the sinners which Dante, in his Comedy, condemned to which seems the most terrible punishment: running with flagpoles without flags!In the communication society, we communicate the superficial and, often, the useless and all that is bad. Good things don’t make interesting news!In the field of the themes relative to the environment and its safeguarding we assist ideologised, emotional positions, often established by an irrational catastrophism and actually not respectful of life!To try and contribute with the recovery of authentic values, that identify themselves with Christian values and with the Franciscan message, the Sorella Natura Foundation believed it important to integrally print, the first historical source of Franciscanism in facsimile edition: Manuscript 338, which contains teachings of absolute actuality.Wehope you share our belief!Peace and Goodwill!

1313INITIATIVES AND ACTIVITIES

DOCUMENTS Deontological Charter of Sustainable Development

Decalogue of Wise Ecology

The Bill of Ethical Values

1414Deontological Charter of Sustainable Development

Mankind and Nature have an indissoluble synergetic relationship. Man has the ethical duty to be a heedful guardian of the environment. In particular: Every intervention of Man in the environment should take these statements into consideration and, therefore, be carried out in accordance with the strict principles of scientific competence, social- economic evaluation, cultural reflection.

No-one can arrogate himself the right to carry out interventions based on a merely productive outlook.

No-one can claim the right to declare himself prejudiced against the intervention of man in Nature.

The preservation of Nature cannot continue to be regarded as static; it is necessary to mature the concept of dynamic preservation.

Every human deed will require one to be conscious of the factors of imbalance that may be introduced and foresee scientific interventions of re-balancing.

Preservation of Nature must become a definite duty of every man. Therefore, it will be necessary to educate people in this respect within the family, at school and in the society.

The perspective of sustainable development, must, therefore, be that of frugality and sharing, o give way to an ethically orientated society.

…

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Decalogue of Wise EcologyThis contains the ten rules for a man-nature relationship inspired by Franciscan values and has been resolved as valid for all men of all religions world wide by the:"Human Responsibilities Approach 21st Century" International Conference held in Luxembourg in 1993.

I Remember humbly, that the Earth, with every Creature, has been entrusted to you by God so that you may live, know, share, love praising the Lord.II. Obey the laws of Nature selflessly. Get to know them, enforce them with respect , to the eternal laws of Universal EthicsIII. The Earth, with all of its Creatures, is your sole environment: you have not been given any other. Commit yourself to ensure that the government you elect never forgets this.IV. Base your behaviour on respect for Nature in every occasion and educate your children in the same mannerV. Work so that your behaviour and that of society respects life in all of its forms. Your actions should take heed of every living species.VI. Do not pollute the air, water and soil. Demand that production and progress happen exactly along the lines of acceptable development.VII. Safeguard the Nature you have been given with your work among mankind. Separate and recycle waste.VIII.Do not consume unnecessarily, so that your fellow men can share in the benefits of Nature.IX. Do not delegate to others what you can do yourself. Never forget that to love God and love your neighbour is the most important commandment.X. ...(SORELLA NATURA simply wants to give you nine points on which to meditate in the name of St. Francis of Assisi,, for your relationship and commitment to Nature. May the tenth point be suggested by your persona experience.)…

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The Bill of Ethical ValuesIt can never be forgotten that man and his life are a supreme blessing that must be protected.

In the perspective of a biocentric culture, today, we recognise the need to protect every living species, both plants and animals, wild or house-trained - as established by the congress in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

He who safeguards the life of every living being, of every living cell, cannot support procedures that cause death or violation of our biodiversity heritage.

Saint Francis of Assisi’s message expresses this truth in a admirable and universal manner, with the sublime poem of the Canticle of the Creatures.

Just as the extinction of plant and animal species, the destruction of woodlands, pollution of waters, air and the earth cannot be favoured it is also logically impossible to favour abortion, euthanasia, ethically uncontrolled genetic manipulation, and violation of the laws of nature and ethics.

Just as whoever protects the environment cannot tolerate pathologies to normality, one cannot be in favour of the creation of species in vitro, of cloning, uncontrolled artificial insemination... one cannot consider diversities as normality and paradigm. (Published in: Corriere della Sera 31.10.98; Gazzetta dello Sport 04.10.98)