As part of the Interfaith Call to Action auspiced by United Nations Environment Program and other multifaith organisations, we will, each month, present the view of one religion on the Environment and Care for the Environment. Religions to be covered include Indigenous Traditions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, the Bahá’í Faith, Hinduism, the Jain Religion, Buddhism, the Sikh Religion, Confucianism, Daoism, Shinto, and in summary, Environmental Ethics: Points of Agreement among the World’s Religions. This month, Care for the Environment features the teachings of Christianity.
Faiths for Earth
Sacred People – Sacred Earth: climate action is crucial to economic prosperity
On March 11, all over the world – and in many places in Australia – people took action to proclaim our Earth is a Sacred Earth, and we must care for the Earth – as people of faith. If we fail to care for the Earth, then we fail ourselves, our community, our society, our nation, our Earth. To be people of faith in Ausrtralia is to be multifaith, and multifaith Australia cares for our Earth and proclaims: This is a Sacred Earth.
Australia: Sacred People, Sacred Earth
People of all faiths are speaking with one voice in Australia and joining in the International Day of Climate Justice with Greenfaith International. At 11:00 am in every state, people of faith will join in ringing of bells for the climate, prayer, meditation and peaceful messaging. This activity involves Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, Quakers and many other people of faith.
Care for the Environment – Judaism
As part of the Interfaith Call to Action auspiced by United Nations Environment Program and other multifaith organisations, we will, each month, present the view of one religion on the Environment and Care for the Environment. Religions to be covered include Indigenous Traditions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, the Bahá’í Faith, Hinduism, the Jain Religion, Buddhism, the Sikh Religion, Confucianism, Daoism, Shinto, and in summary, Environmental Ethics: Points of Agreement among the World’s Religions. This month, Care for the Environment features the teachings of Judaism.
Global Youth Environment Assembly
The Global Youth Environment Assembly is convened by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). It is convening prior to the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), from 12-13 February and 18-20 February.
Care for the Environment – Indigenous Traditions
As part of the Interfaith Call to Action auspice by United Nations Environment Program and other multifaith organisations, we will, each month, present the view of one religion on the Environment and care for the environment. Religions to be covered include Indigenous Traditions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, the Bahá’í Faith, Hinduism, the Jain Religion, Buddhism, the Sikh Religion, Confucianism, Daoism, Shinto, and in summary, Environmental Ethics: Points of Agreement among the World’s Religions.
Faiths for Earth – Religions and the Call for Action
Religions for Peace first raised the call for Action with the Faiths for Earth program in 2015. Religions for Peace partners with the United Nations Environment Program and the Parliament of the World’s Religions Climate Action to deliver the program, Faiths for Earth – A Call to Action. In this series of articles, Religions for Peace Australia – each month – will present the approach of one of the world’s many religions and its responses to a Call for Action – living in harmony with the Earth.
Religions for Peace – GreenFaith – Sacred People, Sacred Earth Statement and Global Day of Action
Across the world, more and more people are experiencing climate-fuelled disasters first-hand. Droughts, floods, fires and hurricanes are displacing and impoverishing millions. COVID is cruelly worsening these impacts on our most vulnerable communities.
At the heart of these dangers are destructive power structures – ineffective or immoral governments, extractive industries, and fundamentalist or extremist religions. This unholy alliance is wreaking climate devastation.
As we face conditions that tempt us to turn away in despair, faith institutions can and must do much more. The world is crying out for change. We invite individuals and Faith Communities to join in Sacred People, Sacred Earth and create a liveable Earth for the generations to come.
Ecumenical Water Network
The World Council of Churches launches the Ecumenical Water Network. The worst of the COVID-19 pandemic may be over soon as vaccines are being rolled out in many countries. Yet the global water, sanitation and hygiene crisis remains a considerable challenge. A newsletter “Together for Water” is launched.
Researchers Name Top 10 Insights from Climate Science in 2020
The climate insights report is published each year through a partnership between Future Earth, the Earth League, and the World Climate Research Programme.
Emissions from thawing permafrost are likely to be worse than expected.
Other key findings from 2020 include that climate change can affect our mental health, tropical forests may have reached peak uptake of carbon, electrification in cities is pivotal for just sustainability transitions, and going to court to defend human rights can be an essential climate action.
Living the Change event – Melbourne December 2020
Religions for Peace Victoria / Tasmania Branches in collaboration with Greenfaith and Australian Religious Response to Climate Change, Cultural Infusion and United Relikgions Initiative presented the Third Living the Change event online, on Sunday 6 December 2020m from 3 – 5:30pm.
The new EU peace mediation strategy: A step in the right direction on climate issues
With two new documents, the European Union (EU) has officially recognized the relevance of climate change to peace mediation. This is a welcome and timely development, but the language used still does not put enough emphasis on the human dimension of climate-related security risks.
The new Council Conclusions on EU Peace Mediation, published on 7 December, calls for EU peace mediation efforts to ‘take into account the effect of climate change on peace and security’, and for climate-related risks to be ‘consistently considered in conflict-prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding strategies.’
Gesher 2020 – Religion & Ecology: Community in a Time of Crisis
Gesher is the official journal of The Council of Christians and Jews (Victoria) Inc. The Annual journal Gesher 2020, Issue 3, Religion & Ecology: Community in a Time of Crisis is now online, along with the other issues from earlier this year and previous editions.
Interfaith Rainforest – Colombia Conference
The Interfaith Rainforest Initiative is conducting an online conference. The IRI Colombia 2020 National Conference, where national and global experts will discuss the vital importance of the Amazon rainforest and the work that IRI Colombia – Iniciativa Interreligiosa Para Los Bosques Tropicales is doing to mobilize action across the country to protect forests and the rights of indigenous peoples. Online on 3 December 2020. All interested persons are invited.
The Dalai Lama on Surviving the Climate Crisis Together
For the sake of future generations, the Dalai Lama tells journalist and activist Franz Alt, we must develop a sense of universal responsibility — for the earth and all humanity. Working together as one is the only way we’ll survive the climate crisis.
Cooler Earth – Higher Benefits
Celebrating International Children’s Day, the World Council of Churches has released a research paper “Cooler Earth – Higher Benefits: Actions by those who care about children, climate and finance.” The publication gives suggestions of how churches and other organisations around the world can respond to the climate emergency through investment decisions which are crucial to protect children from global warming.
River Above Asia Virtual Launch
Asia and Oceania share a common image in the ‘River Above’– the Pacific Ocean is the life, the river of Asia feeding all rivers, seasons and lives. The welfare of the lands and peoples is bound to the welfare of the seas.
The River Above Asia Oceania Ecclesial Network (RAOEN) seeks to serve the dialogue of integral living so that broader collaboration is possible and breadth and integrity of the ecology and territory are maintained.
The River Above Asia Oceania Ecclesial Network (RAOEN) are inviting you to the RAOEN Virtual Launch on 24 November, 3:00 p.m. (Philippine time)/ 7:00 p.m. (Fiji time) 18:00 Sydney (AEDT).
Climate Action – Greenfaith
Greenfaith – in collaboration with many faith and inter-religious councils has recently conducted online gatherings for climate justice. You are invited to sign the climate justice statement and participate in world-wide multifaith climate action in March of 2021.