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United Nations Environment Programme
  • Overview
  • Air
  • Rivers & Cities
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About

Date: Monday, 11 April 11am ET / 5pm CEST / 6pm Nairobi

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is an opportunity to galvanize broad engagement in protecting, conserving and restoring the natural world. Key motivating factors for engagement include the economic benefits of nature, the importance of healthy environments for human health, and reforming food systems.

Underpinning these efforts are the values we hold in regard to our relationship with nature and ecosystems. To understand and explore these, we believe, are crucial in mobilizing action. In addition, the more we relate to nature through the lens of values, culture and spirituality, the deeper and more sustained our actions can be.

This Consultation Series is organised by the Center for Earth Ethics in collaboration with UNEP Faith for Earth and the community of faith actors, expert speakers & thought leaders, activists and local/social leaders and communities engaged in environment and climate-related matters globally.

Fireside Chat

The Fireside Chat is an opportunity to engage the importance of values, culture, and spirituality in the work of ecosystem restoration and to announce the consultative dialogue series.

Missed it? Here's the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1av59DEpro

Speakers

  1. Lucy Mulenkei - Executive Director, Indigenous Information Network, the importance of engaging local communities in ecosystem restoration planning and projects, and the importance of integrating values, culture, and spirituality into the planning and projects.
  2. Tim Christophersen - Head, Nature for Climate Branch Ecosystems Division, UNEP, How the incorporation of  Values, Culture, and Spirituality helps contribute to and support the goals of the UN Decade.
  3. Andrew Schwartz - Director, Sustainability and Global Affairs, Center for Earth Ethics, Brief Overview of UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration: Values, Culture, and Spirituality Consultative Dialogue Series

Values, Culture and Spirituality: A Consultation on Air

Date: 26 April 2022 ; 8am PT / 11am ET / 5pm CET

The Centre for Earth Ethics recognizes that an ecological society will require local, national, and international action to challenge economic paradigms that emphasize short-term profit over planetary health and thriving communities.

This includes the need for regenerative solutions and commitments to protecting species and their habitats including the healthy soil, water and air that sustain them. 

Indigenous wisdom and women’s front-line voices are key to informing our decision-making. The first virtual dialogue focus was on Air Pollution and Plastic Pollution in St. James Parish, LA, USA.

 

What can we do?

  • The most important opportunity for restoration is to stop the construction of any new facilities.
  • For existing industrial plants, recommendations include stricter regulation standards for emissions.
  • Additional suggestions to improve air and water quality include tree planting, specialized air filters for PM 2.5 and wetland restoration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1LIem59wS8

Speakers:

  • Casey Camp-Horinek - Activist, Drumkeeper for the Ponca Pa-tha-ta, Woman's Scalp Dance Society
  • Jane Patton - Campaign Manager, Plastics & Petrochemicals, Center for International Environmental Law
  • Judith Enck - President, Beyond Plastics; Senior Fellow and Visiting Faculty Member, Bennington College
  • Sharon Lavigne - President, Rise St. James, 2021 Goldman Prize Recipient
  • Moderator: Andrew Schwartz, Center for Earth Ethics

Resources

 

Values, Culture and Spirituality: A Consultation on Rivers

Date: 30 May 2022  5.30pm New Delhi / 3pm Nairobi / 8am NYC | Register

Center for Earth Ethics Announcement

The river Yamuna is one of India’s most sacred rivers.

Closely connected to the stories of the Hindu deity Krishna, the Yamuna is venerated and worshiped by Hindus worldwide. Despite this, the river is considered to be “dead”, so heavily polluted that no life can exist within it.

After leaving the Himalayas it reaches Delhi, where the water is diverted and replaced with untreated sewage water. It is this water, which contains dangerously high levels of toxic chemicals that Hindu devotees use for worship and rituals. Despite several high profile campaigns over recent years, the plight of the Yamuna is no closer to being resolved.

Take stock of successful actions and share ideas to drive #GenerationRestoration:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byIYrsUOabI

Speakers:

  • Atul Bagai, Head of India Country Office, UN Environment Programme
  • Srivatsa Goswami, Acharya of Sri Radharaman Mandir, Vrindavan
  • Gita Parihar, Legal Consultant, Environmental and Human Rights
  • Dr. Monalisa Sen, Biodiversity Team Lead, ICLEI South Asia
  • (Moderator) Gopal Patel, Co-Founder & Director, Bhumi Global

 

Values, Culture and Spirituality: A Consultation on Cities

Date: 26 July 2022; 8am ET / 3pm EAT | Register | UN Decade Event Page

The past decade has witnessed the largest ever migration of people from rural to urban areas for a myriad of reasons, estimated to rise from 56 per cent in 2021 to 68 per cent in 2050 overwhelming city infrastructure, social services, and services by local governments. 

Mombasas urban situation is influenced by its complex colonial history shaping the availability of, and access to, public spaces, particularly urban green spaces. Today, access to green spaces is traced back to racial and socio-political realities in spite of the “rapid and altering changes in the landscape” by modern influences.

Cities, as they are currently designed and built demonstrate a hierarchy of priorities – undervaluing the importance of healthy and productive areas of land with natural vegetation and rich soil, for stone, glass and concrete to meet short-term economic and developmental gains.

This Consultation seeks to uplift these realities to foster a culture of understanding and harmony between communities of ecological goals, altering the perception of nature to a positive for #GenerationRestoration

 

Objective

To facilitate knowledge sharing between County Officials, grassroots organisations, faith-based organisations and local communities in Mombasa, Kenya, predominantly of the Muslim, Hindu and Christian religious traditions by highlighting a duty of care for the environment, particularly in the context of urban ecosystems. 

Dr. Chris Elisara prepared an op-ed "People of Faith and the Future of Cities".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvEvePsdV1U

Speakers:

  • Simran Khataw, Environmental Consultant

  • Mbaarak Abdalla, Founder and Program Director - Brain Youth Group and Founder and President - Forest Restoration Agency (FRA) 

  • Chris Elisara, Co-Director WEA Sustainability Center & Lead for the Studio for Placemaking at the Ormond Center, Duke Divinity School

  • (Moderator) Azmaira Alibhai, Faith & Ecosystems Coordinator, UNEP Faith for Earth

 

 Values, Culture and Spirituality: A Consultation on Species

Date: 8 September 2022; 6am EST/ 12 noon CET/ 6pm Philippines | Register

In this consultation, we explored the special relationships that still exist between humans and other species, when those species are considered ‘sacred’. How can that sacredness help protect the species and the ecosystems in which it lives? And how can working together with, and in support of, indigenous peoples bring new solutions to conservation?

Missed it? Here is the recording

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5-iK8Sg5Eo&t=9s

We delve into the world of the critically endangered Philippine Eagle and hear from an indigenous community working with others to protect their sacred species.

Speakers:

  • Matanem Hernan Ambe, Indigenous Bagobo Tagabawa leader
  • Jimbea Lucina, Manager for Culture-based conservation, Philippine Eagle Foundation
  • Joan Carling, Indigenous Peoples Rights International
  • And the participation of the Bagobo Tagabawa community members
  • Moderator: Liza Zogib, DiversEarth

Values, Culture and Spirituality: A Consultation on Food Security

Date: 4 October 2022; 9am ET / 4pm Jordan | Register | UN Decade Event Page

his webinar would highlight key initiatives that are creating meaningful solutions to address food and water insecurity that can be scaled up and serve as a model of ecosystem restoration for other MENA countries. As Jordan has welcomed many climate migrants and war-borne refugees, the webinar will also discuss what can be done to serve those who have already been forced to move as well as what proactive steps should be taken globally and regionally to care for and support migrants. To support the initiatives already in motion by governmental and civil society organizations, this webinar will seek to raise awareness on how cultural, religious and spiritual institutions and forces can be leveraged to help enact these initiatives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G-WOG1HcoY

Speakers:

  1. Dr. Munir Fasheh renowned Palestinian educationalist, social and activist
  2. Professor Amer Al Hafi. Professor of Religion Studies at Al al-Bayt University; Academic advisor for the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies
  3. Hana Albanna, GlobalONE Jordan Director.
  4. Deema Assaf Founder & Director of TAYYŪN,
Agriculture
Did you know?
80 per cent of agricultural land is used for livestock feed.

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