wfn.org | Baha'i news: World's major religions present action plans on environment

[Sally Weeks <sweeks@bwc.org>]

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World's major religions present action plans on environment

WINDSOR, United Kingdom, 4 November (BWNS) - Leaders representing the world 's major religions, including the Baha'i Faith, gathered yesterday at histo ric Windsor Castle to formally launch a series of action plans involving th eir communities in a long-term effort to protect the environment.

They were joined by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and HRH Th e Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in a celebratory meeting that empha sized the role religion can play to inspire grassroots change and make "pea ce with the planet."

"I have long believed that when governments and civil society work toward a  common goal, transformational change is possible," said Mr. Ban. "Faiths a nd religions are a central part of that equation.

"Indeed, the world's faith communities occupy a unique position in discussi ons on the fate of our planet and the accelerating impacts of climate chang e," he said.

The three-day event - which ended at noon today -  was sponsored by the Uni ted Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Alliance of Religions and  Conservation (ARC), which was founded in 1995 by Prince Philip.

The core session of the gathering was yesterday's meeting at Windsor Castle , where representatives of each religious group presented a seven-year plan  designed to promote "generational change" in attitudes towards the environ ment.

Thirty-one plans were presented, reflecting representation by virtually all  of the world's independent religions: the Baha'i Faith, Buddhism, Christia nity, Daoism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Shintoism, and Sikhism.

In general, the plans sought to offer concrete, practical steps for action.

The Muslim plan, for example, calls for the establishment of an umbrella or ganization, Muslim Associations for Climate Change Action (MACCA), that wil l represent Islamic nations and faith communities from around the world. It  also calls for an Islamic environmental labeling system, a "Green Hajj" so  that within 10 years the traditional Islamic pilgrimage will be recognized  as environmentally friendly, and the construction of a model "green mosque " to showcase best practices in heating, light, and design.

The Sikh plan urges all Sikh gurdwaras - temples - to recycle, compost, use  green energy, use eco-stoves, start rainwater harvesting, purchase reusabl e plates and cups.

Representatives of the Baha'i Faith presented a plan that focuses on using  a system of regional training institutes to encourage within the worldwide  Baha'i community "acts of service related to environmental sustainability."

"Baha'is believe that religious belief and spirituality lie at the foundati on of human motivation and behavior," said Tahirih Naylor, a Baha'i Interna tional Community representative to the United Nations who was one of two Ba ha'i delegates to the Windsor event.

"We believe that efforts to change harmful human behavior - such as those a ctions that contribute to global warming or environmental degradation - can  be greatly facilitated by processes that lead to a better understanding of  our own relationship to God, and of humanity's relationship with nature. I t is from such understanding that action naturally arises."

The approximately 200 representatives from religious communities, environme ntal groups, and international agencies who gathered in Windsor also met in  a series of plenary sessions and workshops at the Harte and Garter Hotel t o discuss how they can reach a new level of collaboration in the face of gl obal warming, water shortages, deforestation, and other environmental threa ts.

"Climate change is complex, and dealing with it requires us to change at ma ny levels," UN Assistant Secretary General Olav Kjorven said during the gat hering. "It requires a change of ethos. Religions have an unparalleled abil ity to reach out to people at the grassroots and to touch hearts and minds.  Religious institutions are the third largest actors in international marke ts. Environmentally friendly purchasing decisions by them would have a huge  impact across the world."

Tony Juniper, special adviser to the Prince of Wales' Rainforests Project a nd former executive director of the Friends of the Earth, likewise emphasiz ed the important role that religions can play.

"Scientific rationalism gave rise to good science, which in turn gave rise  to strong political arguments for cleaning up the environment," Mr. Juniper  said.

"As a result, governments dealt with acid rain and other environmental thre ats. But these changes were only superficial," he said.

"Purely scientific rationalism cannot change our fundamental understanding  of who we are and how we should live. Religion and science must work togeth er to bring about a fundamental transformation in our relationship to the w orld. This kind of change needs a spiritual foundation," he said.

To read the article online and see the photographs, go to:
http://news.bahai.org/story/736