Our Voices and Green Faith are inviting young Buddhists across the world to participate in the upcoming “Emerging Leaders Multi-faith Climate Convergence” in Rome from 27 June to 1 July. This will be a unique opportunity to train emerging Buddhist leaders in a faith-based approach to facilitating positive environmental change.
St. Peter's Square. From Wikimedia
The meeting will bring together 100 young people between the ages of 21 and 40 of different faith traditions across the globe. The convergence is intended to encourage effective, multi-faith leadership by emerging leaders on climate change. It will also help spur faith-based environmental projects around the world.
According to the Green Faith website, “There are young leaders on climate and environmental issues across the world—spanning many religious and spiritual traditions, locations and styles of leadership. These leaders can benefit enormously from connecting with each other, learning they’re not alone in their beliefs and their thoughts on climate change, and finding out about resources and support which can deepen their work.”
The Green Faith website lists the rough timetable as follows: participants will arrive in Rome on Saturday 27 June. The following day, “participants will take part in a multi-faith and civil society march in Rome to St. Peter’s Square, offering thanks to Pope Francis for his leadership on climate and environmental issues and calling on world leaders to reach an ambitious and just climate agreement in the upcoming UN climate change summit in Paris in December.”
At the convergence itself, which will take place from Monday 29 June to Wednesday 1 July, “participants will share their backgrounds, motivations and beliefs with each other. Activities will be translated into multiple languages, creating a sense of community, diversity and interfaith dialogue. Participants will share their experiences of leadership, learning from each other about how religious and spiritual communities and initiatives can create positive environmental change. They will receive media training and coaching to develop year-long Action Plans for projects in their home countries. Following the Convergence, a full-time organizer will staff the network, sharing success stories, providing encouragement and support, and identifying future priorities.”
Participants’ lodging and meals will be covered from dinner on 27 June through lunch on 1 July. Travel costs are fully subsidized.
Participants will be chosen through a competitive application process in which they submit an essay describing their work in this area to date, their motivation for participating, and their plans for applying their experience in a practical way.
Our Voices and Green Faith are encouraging Buddhists to add as strong a voice as they can to this event. It is a unique opportunity for young Buddhists to learn about and strengthen the connection between environmental matters and their spiritual practice.
Interested young Buddhist leaders can find out more and apply to participate in the convergence here: http://www.greenfaith.org/resource-center/coming-events.
Our Voices is an organization dedicated to mobilizing people of faith to call on governments to act on climate change. Green Faith is a charity that educates leaders of different faiths on environmental care.