What is the Faith for Earth Dialogue?
Under the United Nations Environmental Assembly 5.2, the Faith for Earth Dialogue was held between 21 February and 4 March 2022 with the support of 94 Faith-Based Organizations. The dialogue invited Faith-Based Organizations and faith leaders to engage in a policy discussion with stakeholders such as governments and civil society organizations.
The Faith for Earth Dialogue contained a number of different sessions that tackled multiple issues including but not limited to advocacy and engagement, Faith for Earth Coalition, climate action, ecosystem, and biodiversity.
The Role of accredited Faith-based Organizations
The session “The Role of accredited Faith-based Organizations” focused on the intake of these organizations on environment protection and their reflections of UNEP’s activities. Dr. Husna Ahmad, a member of the Ummah for Earth Alliance, intervened during this session. She highlighted the importance of faith-sensitive and pluriversal approaches in terms of the role of religious communities in influencing and implementing policy on climate change. Dr. Ahmad stressed that western perspectives of nature and humanity and developmental discourses have been prolific, and called for a more sensitive and universal approach to environmentalism. In a more spiritual approach, Dr. Husna pointed out the relations that humans and other elements of nature have under the umbrella of religious traditions. These relations are “not compartmentalized but conceived of as being tied into a series of continuous spiritual interactions”.
Dr. Ahmad also gave a brief introduction on Ummah for Earth alliance. She highlighted that the alliance was formed “in recognition of the need for more Muslim voices – and youth in particular, to be represented in the global climate movement”. She also mentioned some of its campaigns. Dr. Ahmad spoke about Ummah for Earth missions including “highlighting the intersectionality of the Islamic faith with the responsibility of the Muslim Ummah towards climate change among the global audience”.
Faith for Earth closing statement
The Faith for Earth statement was read at the closing session of UNEA 5.2. The statement affirmed that the underlying causes of environmental imbalance and degradation are linked to “a spiritual crisis of values, ethics and moral responsibility evident in human overconsumption”. The statement reiterated the need for a fundamental change in policy and practice which will require a spiritual transformation for humanity”. The statement also highlighted the role of faith actors in reaching out to local communities and providing support to “millions affected by calamities”.
Finally, the statement expressed the Faith actors’ commitment to strengthening their collaboration with UNEP. It also stressed the high importance of the collaboration between faith actors as it represents “a fundamental opportunity to seek transformational change at the heart of the human relationship to the natural world in which we all live”. Know more about the Faith for Earth Dialogue sessions and watch them here.