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Oct
27
Baha’is join global plan on climate change
Filed Under Baha'i community, environment, inter-faith | Leave a Comment
The Baha’i International Community has become a partner in a UN sponsored programme to address climate change and environmental stability.
According to the Baha’i World News Service, the programme, which is co-sponsored by the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), seeks to promote lifestyle changes that will help slow global warming and other environmental problems during a seven-year period from 2010 to 2017.
Tahirih Naylor, a representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations, will join leading members of the world’s other religions at Windsor Castle next week for the formal launch of the ARC/UNDP programme.
“We are very pleased to join with other world religions and with the United Nations in this inspiring initiative to promote lasting change in the way people interact with the environment,” Ms Naylor said.
“The significance of this effort is the manner in which it capitalises on the strengths of faith communities – such as their strong grassroots network and the transformative power of religious belief – to address environmental problems at their foundation, which is human behaviour.
“One of the long-term goals of the Baha’i Faith is to promote the positive transformation of individuals and communities, and to this end we already sponsor thousands of study circles, children’s classes, devotional gatherings, and youth groups in more than 180 countries.
“We look forward to learning more about the efforts of other faith communities and are confident that we can make a useful contribution to this exciting program,” said Ms Naylor.
The 2-4 November Windsor Castle event will be hosted by HRH Prince Philip and will feature a keynote speech by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.
Arthur Lyon Dahl, former UNDP deputy assistant executive director, author and a well-known specialist on coral reefs and biodiversity, will join Ms Naylor in representing the Baha’i International Community at the launch.
More than 200 faith and secular leaders are expected to be present, and many faith groups will announce commitments to practical initiatives, like the Baha’i plan, to meet global environmental challenges.
“The worldwide Baha’i community has long been involved in promoting sustainable development and in creating small-scale projects that include environmental conservation,” Ms Naylor said.
“This initiative is especially exciting because of the way it concretely addresses the underlying attitudes and values that are at the root of many of humanity’s environmental problems.”
Baha’is around the world will be encouraged to explore what the Baha’i sacred writings say about the relationship between humans and the environment and to take practical action as individuals and local communities.
“In our experience, connecting the hearts of people to sacred writings is the best way to provide the motivation for social change and action,” Ms Naylor said.
Baha’is everywhere engage in a coherent framework of action that promotes the spiritual development of the individual and channels the collective energies of the Baha’i community towards service to humanity.
These activities include the systematic study of the Baha’i writings in small groups to build capacity for service, devotional gatherings aimed at connecting the hearts of participants with the Creator; neighbourhood children’s classes that offer lessons that lay the foundations of a noble and upright character; and groups that work to assist young teens to navigate a crucial stage of their lives and become empowered to direct their energies toward the advancement of civilisation.
The full story can be found on the Baha’i World News Service.
Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, ARC, UNDP, environment, climate change, Windsor Castle, Prince Phillip, Ban Ki-moon
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