Pledge

I acknowledge that I, along with all in my circle, community, and our vast extended human family, face unprecedented levels of chemical and plastic pollution, chaos, climate emergencies, famine, inequality, injustice, instability, uncertainty, and war. I acknowledge that our home planet is now running a constant fever of 1.2 degrees Celsius. As a physician, I know that constant persistent fever is always a sign of a very significant illness. I know that hyperthermia is a deadly condition.

In response to the latest IPCC reports,I choose to cultivate the healing powers of compassion and kindness for myself, for those I love, and for others, including those I find difficult. I choose to be inspired by the graciousness of all the  Indigenous Peoples, in whose territories, we live. I choose to learn all that I can from Indigenous Peoples, and all our Great Human Wisdom Teachers and Traditions, innovative business and community leaders, creatives and scientists. 

I choose to hope, as we learn, that deep healing, reconciliation, regeneration, and resilience are threaded into all our human DNA.

Many of our human ancestors have chosen to nurture each other, live in harmony with each other, and with nature, we can also choose to weave these human qualities back into the fabric of a new ecologically and technologically advanced civilization.

To stay safe, and to protect me and others from harm, I choose to cultivate self-compassion and self-kindness. Whilst staying within the bounds of my energy, knowledge, and skill, I choose to be an ally to all who experience discrimination, fear and rejection based on ability, age, appearance, culture, education, ethnicity, gender, financial challenges, homelessness, language diversity, natural disaster, race, religion, politics, or poverty.

I pledge to avoid needlessly and wantonly causing hurt or harm to animals, birds, fish, plants, trees, and any of our ecosystems. Animal husbandry, fishing, forest guardianship and hunting have all played a part in ethical ways of living for millennia. People who engage in these age-old activities are welcome to join our community.

I choose hope, as one of my most precious human rights. I love living in a multicultural society. I do not wish to live in a society of multiple solitudes. Instead, I choose to reach out to grow a friendly and supportive community and to welcome all who self-identify as  First Nations, Indigenous and Métis, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, by birth and by choice and with all who cherish the Common Good. Please choose to join us, to cultivate compassion and kindness together. During these stormy times, I choose to walk with my neighbours through the doorway of Truth and Reconciliation, to heal people and our planet, find quiet coves and co-create safe-havens.