Parliament Joins Virtual Celebration of 50th Anniversary of Earth Day
On the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, the Parliament of the World’s Religions joined communities of faith and spirituality across virtual platforms to uphold our continued commitment to a more sustainable world for all.
The observance began on Tuesday, April 21st with the webinar 50th Earth Day Observance with Global Religious and Indigenous Leaders hosted by the Parliament in parnership with the Earth Day Network and Faith for Earth at UN Environment. The webinar featured an introduction by Joshua Basofin, Director of Climate Action at the Parliament, and Iyad Abumoghli, Principal Policy Advisor at United Nations Environment Programme, followed by a panel featuring Mirele Goldsmith (Jewish Earth Alliance), Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim (Mbororo environmental activist), Lyla June (Diné environmental scientist, doctoral student, educator, economist, community organizer, and musician), Hellen Mugo (Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa), Gopal Patel (Bhumi Project), and Lauren Van Ham (United Religions Initiative).
On Wednesday, April 22nd Parliament Chair, Audrey E. Kitagawa, joined Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, Rabbi David Rosen, Maulana Mahmood Madaniji, Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singhji, Rev. Michael Beckwith, Sue Coates, Dr. Vandana Shiva, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji, Dr. Azza Karam, Rev. Victor Kazanjian, Iyad Abumoghli, Andrew Harvey, Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp and Father Paul Moonjely and Matteus for the virtual livecast, Earth Day 2020: Planting Seeds for a New Normal. The program was hosted by UN Environment Programme, Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC), Religions for Peace International, the Parliament of the World’s Religions, United Religions Initiative (URI), Faith for Earth, Uplift Connect, and Unify.
On Thursday, April 23rd the Parliament hosted the second webinar on our Eath Day series, Catholic-Buddhist Dialogue: Solidarity and Engagement on Climate Change. The program featured a special introduction by Rev. Dr. Leo Lefebure (Professor of Theology at Georgetown University) and Dr. David Loy (Professor, Writer, and Zen Teacher) followed by a critical discussion featuring Dakila Chungyalpa (Director – Loka Initiatve, University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Dr. Kathleen Deignan, CND (Professor of Religious Studies, Iona College). The webinar was hosted in partnership with the Catholic Climate Covenant, the Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers (CADEIO), the Earth Day Network, and the Society for Buddhist- Christian Studies (SBCS). Video recording COMING SOON!
And starting Friday, April 24th the Parliament is joining our partners at the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative (IRI) for #FaithForForests Fridays! Learn more about the Faith for Forests campaign and how you can get involved at faithforforests.com
