2021 is a crucial year for climate action with COP26 negotiations in November representing perhaps the last opportunity to keep the world below 1.5 degrees of warming – an opportunity that must not be missed. Faith groups have a powerful responsibility to take action on climate, because the climate crisis is an existential threat affecting humanity at the deepest level, and raising profound questions of how we can transform ourselves and our society.

As faith communities we believe in the inherent creativity and potential of human beings to collaborate and find new solutions to the problems facing us all. How can we best build resilience, which we understand as not only being the capacity to prepare for and respond to external stress and threats due to the climate and ecological crisis, but as the ability to realise a hopeful future, rooted in people’s natural desire to work together toward common goals. How can we collectively co-create a future where all people can find belonging and no one is left behind? Bearing in mind the urgency of the situation, how can we transform ourselves and create a new narrative?

A panel of speakers from Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faith traditions will address the question of personal and collective ‘transformation’ based on action, collaboration and education.

---------------------------------------------------------

OUR SPEAKERS

Jamie Cresswell is the Director of The Centre for Applied Buddhism and has studied and practiced Buddhism for over 30 years. He works in Intra Buddhist and Multi faith environments and in the arenas of Peace and Conflict, The Climate emergency, Human rights and community building. He has recently become a PhD candidate at Winchester University.

Talia Chain is a trustee for Faith for Climate and the CEO of Sadeh Farm, a UK-based Jewish farm and environmental retreat centre.

Amandeep Kaur Mann - Amandeep's Sikh faith and appreciation of nature’s beauty brought her to a career in Environmental Management and Auditing after studying International Business. While currently on a long career break she is using her experience in creating policies, strategies and behaviour change campaigns to support Ecosikh UK. She enjoys learning more about Ayurveda as well as indigenous cultures and ancient civilisations.

Kamran Shezad is the Sustainability Lead for the Bahu Trust and the Climate Change Advisor to the Mosques & Imams National Advisory Board, UK (MINAB). Kamran is currently serving on the Civil Society & Youth Advisory Council to the Presidency of COP26.

Devena Chouhan is a recent Economics and Politics graduate from the University of Reading. Inspired by climate youth movements, Devena developed a keen interest in climate economics and policy, which subsequently led to her writing her dissertation on the Climate Costs and Ethical Plausibility of Mitigating Climate Change. Devena has been involved in grassroot activity working with Climate Action Leicester to lobby the Councils position on the proposed Local Plan, and as a member of the National Hindu Student Forum, has a strong passion for mobilising students to initiate sustainable ideas on campus, inherently in line with Hindu core values and teaching.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Following this event, SGI-UK and the Centre for Applied Buddhism will be organising a developing series of webinars until the COP26 Climate Change conference in November 2021 on similar subjects, so if you are interested in participating, or you would like to invite a friend, please register your details here