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Religion and Ecology at the United Nations, “Abrahamic Traditions & Environmental Change,” Interfaith Rainforest Initiative, and more
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JULY 2019 NEWSLETTER


“Petroglyph”
By Catherine de Vinck

Incised in the stone,
wavy lines, a script of sorts,
naming the age of the earth beyond time,
beyond the familiar.
If you think there is
no beginning, no god, no end,
then the world is just that:
no place, no story
no ceremonies, no rituals.
And yet if you can read
what is written in the stone,
the ridges carved
by millennia of sun and rain,
if you can see beyond
the flare of dying stars
burning in your bones,
then you belong
to the morning of the world,
then you stand at the confluence of undivided kingdoms–
trees, rivers, mountains
inside and outside of history–
each as real, each as beloved,
as the other.


We hope this newsletter supports your own work for the flourishing of the Earth community in these challenging times.

 
Religion and Ecology at the United Nations

The United Nations is hosting two important events this month related to religion and ecology. The International Conference on the 4th anniversary of the encyclical letter Laudato Si’ and the 5th anniversary of the Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa is being held on July 15-16 at the UN Environment Office at Nairobi, Kenya under the theme, "Laudato Si' Generation: Young People Caring for Our Common Home." Read more about this conference in this press release by UN Environment. On July 15 the Annual Kofi Annan Faith Briefings is being held at the Ford Foundation’s Center for Social Justice in New York. The theme of this year’s event is “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality: The Role of UN and Multi-Faith Collaboration.” For more, see the agenda, view event materials, and watch the live stream.
New Collaboration between UN Environment
and Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology

UN Environment’s Faith for Earth Initiative and the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology have agreed to unite efforts by drawing on UN Environment’s extensive knowledge of ecological issues and the Forum’s comprehensive website on the world’s religions. (UN Environment is the new name for the United Nations Environment Programme.) As Iyad Abu Moghli, the UN Principal Coordinator of Faith for Earth Initiative, wrote: “I have had several very constructive and fruitful meetings during the Abrahamic Traditions and Environmental Change Workshop that was held June 23-26 in Rhodes, Greece. Faith for Earth has agreed with the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology to unite efforts and strengthen one knowledge platform building on the vast and extensive work of the Forum over the past two decades.”
“Abrahamic Traditions & Environmental Change”
 
On June 23-26 a workshop was held in Rhodes, Greece titled “Abrahamic Traditions & Environmental Change.” This was co-organized by the University of Connecticut Abrahamic Programs, Al Akhawayn University, and the Yale Forum for Religion and Ecology. One of the main tasks of this workshop was to explore how Judaism, Christianity, and Islam impact the ways in which humans perceive and interact with nature and the potential to translate those perceptions and interactions into positive social and ecological action, especially in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) Region. It initiated a relevant, scalable and sustainable collaborative program between MENA scholars and practitioners and their North American and European partners. Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim helped to organize the conference and opened it with an overview of the field of religion and ecology.
Interfaith Rainforest Initiative and the G20 Interfaith Forum
 
On June 7-9, the G20 Interfaith Forum in Tokyo, Japan brought together over 200 leaders from across the world on the theme “Peace, People, Planet: Pathways Forward.” The Interfaith Rainforest Initiative featured strongly in the program. Rainforest protection was prioritized in the top policy recommendations delivered on behalf of the participants to H.E. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, host of the G20 meeting, who recognized the key importance of partnerships among religious, indigenous and local actors. The forum presented “A Moral Call to Action” to the members of the G20 and global partners.
Journey of the Universe Survey

The Journey of the Universe project is currently engaged in a research initiative to better understand our current audience and what's been most valuable about the work. As part of the Journey community, we would love to have your feedback to better inform our plans for the future. To share your insights, take our brief survey here. Learn more about the Journey Project by visiting our website. You can sign up for the Journey newsletter here.

Honoring Elders

“Deborah Bird Rose (1946–2018): A personal reflection”
By Freya Mathews. The Ecological Citizen. Vol. 3, No. 1 (2019): 93-4.
Upcoming Events
 

“Journey of the Universe: A Story for Our Times”
Yale University Online Classes with Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim
You may audit the courses free of charge and sign up at anytime.
The next session starts July 29.


July 16-19, 2019
“Animal Rights and Animal Politics in Asia”
International Convention of Asian Scholars
University of Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands

July 21-24 2019
“Sixth Oxford Summer School on Animal Ethics”
Theme: “Humane Education: Increasing sensitivity to animals and humans”
St Stephen’s House, University of Oxford

July 24, 2019
“Thomas Berry: A Biography—A discussion with Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim”
The Well Spirituality Center, LaGrange Park, IL, USA

August 1-4, 2019
“Greening the Globe for Sustainable Living”
International Eco-conference at the Church of South India Synod Centre, Chennai, India

August 7-11, 2019
“Coming Home to an Animate World: A Way of Ceremony and Conversation”
Guides: Geneen Marie Haugen, PhD., Bill Plotkin, Ph.D.
Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Center, CO, USA

August 7-13, 2019
“Contemplative Environmental Practice”
Retreat for Educators & Activists
Lama Foundation, San Cristobal, NM, USA

August 18-25, 2019
“Divine Mystery in the Heart of the Cosmos”
Retreat with Linda Neil, CSJ
Genesis, Westfield, MA, USA

September 6-7, 2019
“Deep Green Faith: Holy Forest Kinship”
A joint conference of the Beecken Center and the Center for Religion and Environment
University of the South, Sewanee, TN, USA

September 8 - November 17, 2019
“Rising Earth: Transformative Permaculture Immersion”
A 10-week residential program for change-makers between the ages of 18 and 28
The Eco-Institute at Pickards Mountain, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

September 18-21, 2019
“Ecology & Religion in 19th Century Studies”
Online and multi-site conference at Armstrong Browning Library at Baylor University (Texas), Lancaster University (UK), University of Washington (Seattle), and Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.)

For many more event listings, visit the calendar on our website.
For a full listing of Journey of the Universe screenings, go to the Journey site here.
Calls for Papers

6th International conference on Ecological Theology and Environmental Ethics (ECOTHEE-19). Theme: "Ecological racism and prophetical voices for ecological crisis." Orthodox Academy of Crete (OAC), Chania, Greece. (September 23-26, 2019). Submission deadline: July 30, 2019.

“Religious Engagement with Climate Change.” Special issue of Religions. Guest Editor: Stephen Ellingson. Submission deadline: August 1, 2019.

Climate Cultures in Europe and North America: Local, Regional and Transatlantic Formation of Climate Change Knowledge and Action. Edited volume with Routledge (tentative). Editors: Thorsten Heimann, Jamie Sommer, Margarethe Kusenbach, and Gabriela Christmann. Deadline for paper proposals: August 1, 2019.

“Religion, Materialism and Ecology.” 6th international conference of the European Forum for the Study of Religion and Environment. The University of Manchester, UK (May 14-17, 2020). Submission deadline: September 30, 2019.

Special Issue of Animals: “Animal Ethics: Questioning the Orthodoxy.” Guest editors: Herwig Grimm and Susana Monsó. Submission deadline: September 30, 2019.

“Religion and the Experience of Nature: Comparative Perspectives.” Interdisciplinary Symposium. Center for Advanced Studies, Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU), Munich, Germany (March 19-20, 2020). Submission deadline: October 31, 2019.
New Publications


New Books:

When God was a Bird: Christianity, Animism, and the Re-Enchantment of the World
By Mark I. Wallace. Groundworks: Ecological Issues in Philosophy and Theology. Fordham University Press, 2019. Paperback version.

Healing All Creation: Genesis, the Gospel of Mark, and the Story of the Universe
By Joan Connell and Adam Bartholomew. Rowman & Littlefield, 2019.

Poetics of the Earth: Natural History and Human History
By Augustin Berque. Routledge, 2019.


Resources:


The Ecological Citizen
Vol. 3, No. 1. July 1, 2019.

Season of Creation
Global Catholic Climate Movement. September 1 - October 4, 2019.

Introducing “Ecotones of the Spirit” with Fred Bahnson
Food and Faith Podcast. June 12, 2019.


News Articles:


“When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez met Greta Thunberg: ‘Hope is contagious’”
By Emma Brockes. The Guardian. June 29, 2019.

“Kairos for Creation: Confessing Hope for the Earth - The Wuppertal Call”
World Council of Churches. June 25, 2019.

“Christian Ethics, Climate Emergency and Nonviolent Direct Action”
Statement of Ethicists Without Borders. Daily Theology. June 9, 2019.

“Catholic Energies, IGS Solar, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington partner to build huge solar project in Washington DC”
Catholic Energies. July 10, 2019.

“A Social Identity Approach to Engaging Christians in the Issue of Climate Change”
By Matthew H. Goldberg, Abel Gustafson, Matthew T. Ballew, Seth A. Rosenthal, and Anthony Leiserowitz. Science Communication. July 2019. To request a free copy, email climatechange@yale.edu with this subject line: Request Christian Social Identity Paper.

“Plan to pump desalinated water to Sea of Galilee may open diplomatic floodgates”
By Melanie Lidman. The Times of Israel. June 27, 2019.

“Indigenous Rights Approach a Solution to Climate Change Crisis”
By Friday Phiri. Inter Press Service. June 29, 2019.

“Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) has closed after 23 years”
ARC Press Release. June 27, 2019.

For more articles, see the
News page of the Forum site.
Job Openings and Student Opportunities


2 openings at The Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society
(Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany):
1. Director of Environmental Humanities Development
2. Environmental Humanities Program Associate

Visiting Assistant Professor of Religion and Environment
(Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA, USA)

Pulitzer Center Grants for reporting on Religion and the Environment

Job Openings at Global Catholic Climate Movement

Job Openings at Faith in Place

Fellowships for Activists Fighting for Environmental and Social Justice


Find further details on these openings here.
Newsletter Editor: Elizabeth McAnally

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