Starlight Initiative Home Page

A Common Heritage

The Right to Starlight

International Initiative in Defence of the Quality of the Night Sky as Mankind’s Scientific, Cultural and Environmental Right

mOON goat

STARLIGHT INITIATIVE

The initiative is designed as an international campaign in defence of the values associated with the night sky and the general right to observe the stars. It is open to the participation of all scientific, cultural, environmental, and citizens' organizations and associations, as well as public institutions and other public and private bodies willing to effectively cooperate in the conservation of clear skies and the dissemination of the knowledge related with their observation. The final aim of the initiative is to strengthen the importance of clear skies for humankind, emphasizing and introducing the value of this endangered heritage for science, education, culture, technological development, nature conservation, tourism and, obviously, as a quality-of-life factor.

StarLigth

Starligth Declaration

"An unpolluted night sky that allows the enjoyment and contemplation of the firmament should be considered an inalienable right of humankind equivalent to all other environmental, social, and cultural rights, due to its impact on the development of all peoples and on the conservation of biodiversity."
Starlight Declaration. La Palma, Spain 2008.

"The sky, our common and universal heritage, is an integral part of the environment perceived by humanity. Humankind has always observed the sky either to interpret it or to understand the physical laws that govern the universe. This interest in astronomy has had profound implications for science, philosophy, religion, culture and our general conception of the universe".
Proclamation of 2009 as International Year of Astronomy. UNESCO. Paris 2005.

“Persons belonging to future generations have the right to an uncontaminated and undamaged Earth, including pure skies; they are entitled to its enjoyment as the ground of human history of culture and social bonds that make each generation and individual a member of one human family.”
Universal Declaration of Human Rights for Future Generations. La Laguna, 1994. f

			April 20th 2008 The World Night in Defence of the Starlight April 20th has been designated as the "World Night" in defence of the Night Sky and the Right to Observe the Stars as a cultural, scientific and environmental humankind heritage. Promotional video for free distribution..
			Support Campaign for Adoption of the Starlight Declaration. The Starlight Initiative invites all organizations, both public and private, to adopt the principles of the Starlight Declaration, expressing their support and voluntary commitment to preserve the quality of the night sky and to promote the cultural, scientific and environmental to the observation of the firmament.
			Starlight and Climate Change The Starlight Initiative joins the Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign Defending the quality of night skies and the urgent application of intelligent lighting systems is also defending a sustainable use of energy and fighting against climate change.
			IYA 2009 The United Nations declares 2009 the International Year of Astronomy. 20 December 2007: the United Nations 62nd General Assembly proclaimed 2009 the International Year of Astronomy. The Resolution was submitted by Italy, Galileo Galilei's home country. The International Year of Astronomy 2009 is an initiative of the International Astronomical Union and UNESCO..
			Proceedings Starlight Conference 2007 International Conference in Defence of the Quality of the Night Sky and the Right to Observe the Stars. La Palma, April 19-20, 2007 .