Journey to Kathmandu: Sacred Gifts for a Living Planet. A Living Planet Campaign initiative

Transcription

1 Journey to Kathmandu: Sacred Gifts for a Living Planet A Living Planet Campaign initiative

2 Journey to Kathmandu: Sacred Gifts for a Living Planet An invitation to join a vital part of the Living Planet Campaign's effort to help preserve the natural world in the 21st century and beyond Why this invitation? The Living Planet Campaign and the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) have joined together to encourage, secure and celebrate significant new conservation actions by the world's major religions. We want to share this exciting initiative with you. It aims to secure concrete pledges or actions from the faiths to be known as Sacred Gifts for a Living Planet. These Sacred Gifts will include one from each of the major religions and one from each continent. It is an opportunity to dramatically push forward WWF's global conservation goals. And it will create a sturdy platform to support new initiatives and partnerships in the future. The faiths are embraced by billions of people from all societies around the globe. This initiative also represents a further development of WWF's relationship with the world's major religions initiated at Assisi, Italy in 1986 to commemorate WWF's 25th anniversary. The highlight of this initiative will be the announcement and a major multifaith celebration of the Sacred Gifts in Kathmandu, Nepal on 15 November 2000, during the same week the WWF Annual Conference will take place there. The Living Planet Campaign hopes you find Journey to Kathmandu: Sacred Gifts for a Living Planet as innovative and full of potential as we do. Cover photo: Buddhist stupa at Swayambhunath, Nepal. Credit: WWF/Stacy Standley

3 The benefits The Journey to Kathmandu initiative has many benefits. For example, it will: Provide a major public stage to highlight successes of conservation action campaigning Create a platform for WWF offices to develop relationships with local faiths both now and in the long-term to further conservation Reach new audiences with enormous potential for conservation action Above all, dramatically push forward WWF's global conservation priorities. Expanding WWF's achievement Since 1996, WWF has secured more than 50 internationally recognized Gifts to the Earth in the context of the Living Planet Campaign. These are specific, quantifiable commitments that further conservation and act as an inspiration to others. Sacred Gifts for a Living Planet are a new component of this successful programme. The faiths are already committed and active with conservation projects. The challenge to religious communities now is to examine and further expand their environmental influence and actions. ARC and the faiths WWF International President Emeritus: HRH The Prince Philip officially launched ARC, the Alliance of Religions and Conservation, in May 1995 during the Summit of Religions and Conservation at Windsor Castle. ARC is the successor to the WWF Network on Conservation and Religion. ARC currently works with nine of the world's major faiths to develop practical conservation projects. The major faiths: Are Baha'is, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jains, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs and Taoists. Represent billions of people, including five million Baha'is; 700 million Buddhists; just under two billion Christians; 750 million Hindus; 1.4 billion Muslims; 12.5 million Jews; 10 million Jains; and 16 million Sikhs. Own about 5% of the surface of the planet, including most of the remaining natural areas in many urbanized parts of the world. These include religious sites in cities such as Istanbul, Lusaka, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Provide up to 80% of schools and education in some developing countries. Provide the basis for two healthcare systems: traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Ayurvedic medicine. TCM is based on Taoist principles and teachings and Ayurvedic medicine is based on Vedic faiths, in particular Hinduism. Both of these systems use a variety of natural resources. 2

4 What is a Sacred Gift? A Sacred Gift for a Living Planet will address an accepted environmental need in ways that will support good and sustainable environmental practice. WWF and ARC see Sacred Gifts for a Living Planet as practical, concrete and active expressions of a religious tradition and its beliefs about the natural world. A Sacred Gift will meet the following criteria: Address a recognized environmental need in ways that will support good environmental practice Use the resources of a faith community to reach, affect and encourage response in as many people as possible Have the potential to grow and spread in effectiveness beyond its initial introduction Show a cohesiveness and continuity across diverse aspects of a faith's work Be seen by participants as part of a wider process across the faith community. Sacred Gift acceptance 1. Sacred Gifts for a Living Planet will be significant, new actions or credible commitments to act which contribute towards the achievement of WWF's global priorities: Preservation of biodiversity, especially forest, freshwater and marine ecosystems, with particular focus on endangered species Promotion of sustainable resource use through e.g. environmental education, capacity building, public awareness, and certification of sustainably managed resources such as fish and wood Reduction of pollution and wasteful exploitation of resources and energy, especially to prevent global climate change. 2. A Sacred Gift will relate to six key areas that have considerable environmental significance and in which most faiths are active: Advocacy Education Health Land and assets Lifestyle Media 3. Each Sacred Gift will involve actions that are: significant will go beyond what is already being done and as such set examples for conservation leadership new will be taken from 1 June 1999 or expand existing efforts in unprecedented ways credible will have tangible management plans and/or specific points to guide implementation specific will be defined and focused measurable will include a mechanism to assess implementation. 4. A Sacred Gift will not be a financial donation. 3

5 The six key areas The six key areas that have considerable environmental significance and in which most faiths are active: Advocacy The faiths have influence in various parts of the world where many other voices go unheard or unheeded. In many situations, the faiths are uniquely positioned to advocate the creation of better environmental policy and practice. In recent years, religious leaders of many faiths have worked together with international leaders to influence environmental aspects of agreements and policies. Example: The Lutheran Church played a major supportive role in developing the national Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) process in Sweden. Education Faiths are strong supporters and providers of education that is increasingly including substantial offerings in the area of conservation and the environment. Such educational programmes operate within these faith communities and throughout formal educational institutions run by governments or the faiths independently. Example: The Kenyan Council of Churches introduced environmental education with WWF materials at all levels of its national Christian education classes. Health All religious traditions recognize that spiritua: development goes hand-in-hand with human health and well-being. Many of the great hospitals of the world were founded by religions and in some cases whole health traditions are based on religious belief It is increasingly recognized that a pool environment (air pollution, water pollution, poverty overcrowding, and destruction of woodland, sot: and marine resources) can create or exacerbate problems of ill health. Land and assets Religions have influence and responsibility for land and buildings where they worship and work; they are caretakers of special places sacred to then tradition; and they hold substantial funds and financial portfolios. Whether modest or vast, the way assets and land are used by a faith can be a model of the tradition's relationship with creation. For example, a faith's ownership of forests or watershed areas can provide the opportunity to adopt sustainable use and development practices. Example: ARC is working with the major faith ana secular groups in the UK to introduce sound lama management techniques within the extensive areas owned and influenced by the faiths. Lifestyle Religious communities represent an enormous amount of consumer power in the choice of goods they purchase, how they travel, where they get their food, and how they dispose of what they no longer want or need. These and other basic lifestyle decisions that the faiths make corporately and individually effect the health of the environment. Example: The annual international Jain Business Award recognizes companies that make significant improvements to reduce impacts upon the environment. Media The Faiths create their own magazines, newspapers. newsletters, web sites, videos, television and radio programmes. The effectiveness and potential of these networks reaching millions at the grassroots level and in positions of authority often goes unrecognized, even by the faiths themselves. Example: Six Baha'i radio stations in Latir America have been increasing the number of environmental programmes broadcast in local Example: The Taoists in China are examining ham to introduce principles of sustainable resource use into traditional Chinese medicine, which utilises a

6 The journey towards success Extensive planning is already under way. The Living Planet Campaign has formed a core team to help plan and manage this new initiative, from the development of Sacred Gifts to communications plans for the grand celebration to be held in Kathmandu in November To date, the team has identified potential Sacred Gifts and started planning the activities in Kathmandu. Asia is an ideal location as many of the faiths originated there. Nepal was chosen for its spiritual significance, the strong WWF presence there and for its environmental diversity. Include a major multifaith celebration on 15 November as part of the WWF Annual Conference to announce and celebrate the Sacred Gifts. WWF offices have the opportunity to host celebrations at national levels as well. Benefit from a concert to be performed by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in Kathmandu on 16 November, at no cost to WWF. The concert will be conducted by Zubin Mehta. Maestro Mehta has conducted more than 2,000 concerts around the world, including the Berlin and Vienna philharmonics. This initiative will: Be a part of the WWF Annual Conference to be held November 2000 in Kathmandu. The agenda will include interaction between What types of actions could be potential Sacred Gifts? Through its significant financial holdings and investments, a religious group could pressure companies to adopt a wide range of green and socially responsible business practices. Or through its own land and other assets, it could incorporate environmental measures in lease and management agreements. A major Christian denomination with millions of members could request its churches and national organizations to conduct a denomination-wide environmental audit and then implement policies and practices based on the fmdings in key areas such as energy use and consumption. A Mosque Council with jurisdiction in a particular city could launch a comprehensive, fiveyear educational programme with specific relevance to environmental issues, such as shared water resources.

7 The celebration The central announcement and celebration of Sacred Gifts will be held in Kathmandu. More than 1,000 invited participants will attend the event, which will take place at the same time as WWF's Annual Conference there. The participants will include: WWF Annual Conference participants Additional invited WWF staff Members of The 1001: A Nature Trust Religious leaders and practitioners Secular VIPs Nepalese government officials Local and international media How are WWF offices and programmes getting involved? Identifying key contact persons in their national or programme office Examining existing programmes or projects for potential links to Sacred Gifts Developing Sacred Gifts at the local or national level, together with the Living Planet Campaign Helping publicise and build interest in the initiative as it develops, using information supplied by the Living Planet Campaign Most importantly, planning to join the Living Planet Campaign on 15 November by announcing and celebrating the Sacred Gifts, possibly together with local faiths. All details about Sacred Gifts are embargoed for this date. The event will begin with colourful processions of the faiths led by faith leaders into the main area. The celebration will include ceremonial offerings of the Sacred Gifts, performances, music and chants. A full event schedule is expected closer to the date. Women worshipping trees in India during the Hindu sacred month of Kartik. Credit: Robyn Beeche. 6

8 For more information: Rob Soutter Manager, Living Planet Campaign Tel Fax Or visit: panda.org/livingplanet Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) Kathleen LaCamera Tel Fax