Target Earth International
| Abstract | Consisting of United States Christian individuals and institutions, Target Earth works to protect the environment, endangered species, and impoverished people in fifteen different countries, including Belize, Honduras, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa. Target Earth sees itself as responding to the biblical call to care for God’s creation by serving ecosystems and communities that are threatened by violence, destruction, and severe poverty. Through service projects, internships, conservation initiatives, educational programs, research projects, and resource provision, Target Earth helps individuals, churches, college fellowships, and ministries practice faithful stewardship within the framework of Christian service. Through Target Earth’s Teams Programs, Christians from the United States (US) participate in local community improvement projects in Central America, Russian, and South Africa. Target Earth’s Global Stewardship Study Program enables college students to spend a semester immersed in Christian-based environmental stewardship at Jaguar Creek, an Environmental Research and Education Center in Belize. Jaguar Creek is part of Target Earth’s Eden Conservancy project that aims to curb destruction of the world’s rainforests by setting up nature preserves through the purchase of land in vulnerable and threatened regions. In 2003, Target Earth launched a new eight-week internship program at Jaguar Creek, the Summer Institute on Sustainable Development. This program is designed to familiarize interns with community-based development work through field trips, courses, and field placements. |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Geographic Location | International |
| Project Start Date |
1986 |
| History |
Target Earth International was founded in 1986 by Roy and D’Aun Goble, who were motivated by their faith in Christ and their commitment to the environmental movement. The Gobles saw a need for an organization that would act as a bridge between the Christian and environmental communities. With the addition of Gordon Aeschliman as President, Target Earth soon grew to become a larger national organization. In the 1990s, Target Earth began expanding its vision internationally, and in May of 2001, the Board of Directors decided to work exclusively on the international level. A new non-profit organization, Christians for Environmental Stewardship, that later became known as Restoring Eden, was formed to carry on Target Earth’s US based outreach and communications projects. |
| Mission Statement | “The mission of Target Earth is ‘Serving the Earth, Serving the Poor.’ We focus on those regions of the world that are most devastated by the mix of human suffering and the destruction of the earth where people live on a dollar a day or less. Our devotion to God, who created and sustains all the world through Christ, calls us to work for a sustainable future where love and justice prevail; where all creations reflects the glory and extravagant handiwork of God; where our service to the earth addresses every form of ecosystem degradation; and where our service to the poor provides tangible hope to the children of future generations and dignity and justice to the oppressed of today.” |
| Partner Organizations | Belize Audubon Society |
| Long-Term Goals | None Listed |
| Bibliography | None Listed |
| Additional Research Resources | None Listed |
| Contact Information | Target Earth National Office 3015-P Hopyard Road Pleasanton, CA 94588–5254 Ph: 925.462.2439 Fax: 925.462.2469 Email: info@targetearth.org |