The day of the Interfaith Summit!

The picture shows the group that one year ago started the process that ended up to become the Interfaith Climate Summit Manifesto, Hope for the Future.

Today there will be around 1000 people in Uppsala, Sweden to take part in the Interfaith Climate Summit. A vast program with all kinds of inputs on the theme of climate change and faiths is at hand.
The Climate Interfaith Manifesto will be signed this afternoon and hopefully this Manifesto can serve as a tool for the climate change discussions inside faith traditions as well as a message to the political processes under the UNFCCC agenda.
Looking forward to moderate two sessions tomorrow with some of the signatories. One session have a European perspective. What can the different faith traditions in Europe bring to the climate change agenda. I am looking forward to hear the opinions of Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp a long time enthusiast on interfaith dialogue and ecology , the professor from Lampeter, Wales, Mawil Izzi Dien who know so much about Islam and Ecology and also a warm friend of interfaith dialogue and my good friend Dr Peter Pavlovic from Conference of European Churches that for a long time has worked on the Environmental Agenda in the European context.
What are their visions for Europe from the faith perspectives related to climate change.
I also do look forward to hear four examples of best practises. Dr Charles Reed from Church of England, Mr Roman Juriga from Czech Republic and Rev Dan Melander from Ethic and Energy, Sweden and Rev Sally Bingham from Interfaith Power and Light, US. It is really encouraging to know that different examples from faith communities do something that is hands on.

Next Friday - the Manifesto will be signed !

Friday 28th November different faith traditions of the earth will be represented in Uppsala,Sweden and a climate change manifesto will be signed. Hopefully this Manifesto can serve as a tool for faith traditions around the world to take a more active part in the real Change that the world need to get out of the fossil age! And the Manifesto could also be a message to the negotiators from all the nation of the world that we want to see brave actions in Poznan and all the way to Copenhagen, so that there will be a treaty that lower the emissions and also give the possibility to development in the developing countries.
It is time for the interfaith movemnet to come up with their own "Yes we can" moment. We need to be aware of the threat of climate change to especially the poor of the world but we also need the joy and hope as a driving force for change. Faith traditions of the world can equip the world with that; With hope for the future!

The Pacific is still there but time is running fast

Fei Tevi from the pacific are looking for the action from the churches to react but mostly to act when it comes to climate change and the results for the fluent continent.
Adaptation for the people of Kiribati and other islands in the Pacific, seems to be becoming a fish, and that evolution is not done in a decade. The question of resettlement is a fact now. Where can you go when the erosion of the coasts is rapidly changing the conditions? And what would you say if the place where you lived for generations and the ground where your ancestors is buried is threatened to be under the surface of the ocean? And the irony of the situation is that the people of the Pacific have not been the one that caused by the climatic changes. But for us in other parts of the world we must listen and act. The Pacific is the climate change "Canary in the mine" They are still singing but they are singing out a warning, and we better listen

The Swedish Archbishop gears up for the Interfaith Climate Summit"

Some days ago Archbishop Anders Wejryd wrote an article in one of the major newspaper in Sweden on climate change. There he gives his view on the climate change policies in Sweden. His bottom line is that Sweden must mitigate their own domestic emissions of greenhouse gases with 40% by 2020. To say that other countries emit a lot more and that the Swedish part of the world emissions are so small is no way of showing responsibility in the international discussion.
He refers to the upcoming Interfaith Climate Summit that will take place in Uppsala,Sweden 28- 29 November where persons from different faith traditions will come together to sign a manifesto on climate change.

Archbishop ends the article by saying that
"Climate change demands wise, considered and common measures. Especially in we in our westerns societies have to go through drastic changes in the next decades. Spiritual leaders are ready to come together and show the way to create hope and positive models for every day life. Now it is up to the political leadership to do the same."

Now, lets hope that the Interfaith Climate Summit brings the manifesto to the political scene and back to the faith traditions of the world. Everybody have to act and do it now.
In this time when the Climate Sceptics are more loud and the financial crisis are taking over the discussion we have to keep the climate focus. We can not afford to ignore the crisis and we have to understand that it is time for real change, and that the sceptics are slowing us down.

Faith communities in Barents Region on Climate Change

Last week faith communities from the Barents region came together in Oulo, Finland, and the theme where climate change. The Arctic region will face the impact of climate change in many ways. What will happen if the natural resources like oil can be exploited if the ice cap will melt around the pole? What will happen to communities if the maritime traffic will expand due to ice free summers? Can den Sami people still hold reindeer's? And will the interests in natural resources from different nations create a more tensed relation between the Arctic states?
The faith communities expressed their concern and hopefully they could respond to the urgency of the situation.
Read the statement here