Grassroots people of faith around the world have united for the Earth

From an Article by Jessica Corbett, EcoWatch News, March 12, 2021

“We envision a world transformed, in which humanity in all its diversity has developed a shared reverence for life on Earth.”

So declares a new joint statement—entitled “Sacred People, Sacred Earth“—supported by religious groups and leaders across the globe who planned more than 400 events in over 40 countries for March 11 in what organizers called the largest-ever faith-based day of action for climate justice.

The unified call and day of action, co-sponsored by over 120 religious groups representing more than 100 million members, came as countries pour money into coronavirus relief and recovery efforts.

“A far better future is possible if our collective response to the pandemic and the climate crisis is guided by compassion, love, and justice at a scale that meets this moment,” says the multi-faith statement directed at governments and financial institutions. “We must not only provide the relief that so many need to survive. We must create a new culture, politics, and economy of life that heals people and planet.”

“Together, we are building resilient, caring communities and economies that meet everyone’s needs and protect the planet,” the statement adds. “The era of conquest, extraction, and exploitation has given way to cooperation and community. The good life is one of connectedness—with each other and all of nature.”

Grassroots religious activists also released 10 specific demands, which were backed by over 200 faith leaders including the Vatican’s Cardinal Peter Turkson, Buddhist author Joanna Macy, and Muslim-American scholar Imam Zaid Shakir.

Other supporters include former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams; Dr. Francis Kuria, secretary general of the African Council of Religious Leaders; Swami Chidanad Saraswati, president of Parmarth Niketan; and Dr. Azza Karam and Rabbi David Rosen, respectively secretary general and co-president of Religions for Peace.

“Climate-induced floods, droughts, and wildfires are now a worldwide, everyday apocalypse,” noted Nana Firman, an Indonesian Muslim activist with GreenFaith International Network, which coordinated the demands and actions.

“It is always those among us who’ve done least to cause the problem who suffer the worst: racial and ethnic minorities, the poor, elders, young children, women,” Firman added. “These demands are the moral criteria by which government or financial sector commitments must be measured.”

In a statement, Rev. Fletcher Harper, executive director of Greenfaith, a multi-faith alliance, explained some of the motivation behind the day of action.

“Religious extremists around the globe are backing the authoritarian governments and extractive industries which are destroying the planet,” he said. “There’s nothing ethical about what these fundamentalist faith groups are doing. Grassroots people of faith are rising everywhere to reclaim our religions.”

Supporters and participants from around the world updates on social media with the hashtags #SacredPeopleSacredEarth and #Faiths4Climate.

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See also: Indigenous People Not Invited to UN Biodiversity Talks

From Climate Nexus, EcoWatch News, March 12, 2021

Aiming to preserve 30 percent of the world’s land and water by 2030, dozens of countries will take part in a UN biodiversity conference later this year – but Indigenous people won’t have a seat at the table.

Indigenous communities have repeatedly mobilized to block logging, mining and overfishing, with great success. More than a quarter of the world’s lands are managed by Indigenous communities, and studies show that these areas often boast more biodiversity than lands marked out for conservation by national governments.

And yet, while Indigenous communities will be able to attend the UN conference as observers, they are not recognized as parties to the biodiversity talks and cannot vote on the outcome, a dynamic that is likely to limit the ambition of the final agreement. Indigenous groups have said the goal of saving 30 percent of land and water is insufficient, a claim backed by science, and have called for saving 50 percent.